Electronic Records
Electronic information created in the course of BYU business can be found in various locations, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Box, BYU sponsored or cloud-based systems, email, removable media (like DVDs, CDs and thumb drives), department file shares (shared drives) and hard drives (internal and external). Electronic records contain evidence of business decisions and transactions and are subject to the same retention and disposition requirements as their paper counterparts. Electronic records should be stored in a secure location that is backed up on a regular basis. Special precautions should be taken to preserve electronic records that need to be kept longer than 10 years as electronic records become unreadable overtime due to hardware failure, file deterioration, and format and media obsolescence.
If not stored in an official system of record (Kuali, Workday, etc.), Electronic Records should be stored in the Electronic Records Center folder on Box as it can be configured to manage retention, disposition, and long-term storage.
Electronic Records Center on Box
At BYU any department records that are "born digital" are encouraged to remain that way. There is no need to print records and send them to the Records Center for retention purposes. Therefore to manage retention on "born digital" records, Records Liaisons have access to the Electronic Records Center or ERC on Box. The ERC is a folder that is designed for the management of finalized records*, where retention is automated and historical records can be sent to the University Archives. It is the responsibility of each department's Records Liaison to transfer finalized records from the department’s day-to-day work area into the ERC folder on Box. As such Records Liaisons should have access to the folder on Box, and complete the ERC training which details the guidelines for using this folder.
*A finalized record is any piece of information that you're no longer modifying, but you must hold on to for retention or historical purposes.
Only finalized records not held in a “source system” (i.e. Workday, AIIM) should be placed in the folder.
After taking the ERC training, Records Liaisons will be given Editor Permissions to their folder. The following is a reminder of what to keep in mind as Records Liaisons move forward:
- Others that are given access to the folder should only ever have Viewer/Uploader permissions.
- Records are always placed in a folder with retention listed on it (i.e. Administrative Records - Retain for 6 years then destroy).
- Changes to the default folder structure are made by working with University Records Management
To access the ERC folder, first login to Box, then find University Records – [Department Name]. If you are unable to see the University Records folder, please contact the URIM Office Assistant. Once you have verified access to the folder, then it is just a matter of moving finalized records into the appropriate default folder. For more information about the ERC folder on Box please see Using the Electronic Records Center on the sidebar.
Using the ERC will reduce the following risks for the University:
- Records stored there are attached to the department not the user so documents will not be lost when a user's computer crashes or when the person moves on.
- Privacy, Security, and Legal risks are reduced when we dispose of records once retention has been met. Risks increase when records are retained for longer than needed for legitimate business purposes.
- The ERC helps department electronic records meet the guidelines found in the university’s general retention schedule.
FAQ
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Toggle ItemWhat information is not allowed in Box, per the updated Box User Agreement?
The following types of information are NOT allowed in Box, per the updated Box User Agreement:
- Federally protected research data
- Data related to export control laws
Sensitive personal information (e.g., SSN, driver’s license) and sensitive financial information (e.g., tax records, student loan info, bank info), may only be stored in Box IF the information is necessary to meet a university business or legal requirement, is only stored in a BYU service account folder and not a personal folder, and the information is promptly removed when no longer needed for legitimate business purposes.
If the Box Service is used to store any FERPA protected data, you agree to and accept the responsibilities associated with such use and agree to complete the university’s online FERPA training before engaging in such use (see https://registrar.byu.edu/records-privacy-ferpa). Open box.byu.edu to see the updated User Agreement, additional training and information, and FAQs located on the lower half of the sign-in screen.
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Toggle ItemIf I leave will the records placed in the ERC disappear?
Ownership of the records will always stay with the departments. The ERC/University Records folder is not attached to one specific individual. This means that if the department head and the records liaison were both to leave one day and never return, the department doesn’t have to worry about the continuity of their records. In the event of a change, Records Management removes the old individuals and attaches the new ones. The new individuals now have access to the folder and all the contents placed there by their predecessors.
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Toggle ItemCan I modify a record in the University Records Folder?
Once records are placed in the ERC, they should not be modified.
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Toggle ItemHow do you get the retention for the default folders?
Retention times are applied based on the General Retention Schedule for the University
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Toggle ItemCan I customize my folder?
Work with University Records Management to customize your folder. For more information go to Managing Department Records in Box.
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Toggle ItemWhat if the University moves away from Box?
If the University were to move away from Box, Records Management would work with the departments to facilitate the transfer of the department’s records to the university’s new cloud location.