Records management is integral to the documentary record of any public institution, organization, or private company - which is to say that these workflows and schedules are nothing short of complicated. After the Larry Nassar and USA Gymnastics scandal at Michigan State University (MSU), it was decided to separate the Records Management program from the University Archives and Historical Collections and transition programmatic oversight to the Office of Audit, Risk, and Compliance. University records management had been aligned since the University Archives opened in 1969. Throughout the six-year transition, the Acting Records Manager was not allowed to create new retention schedules, and maintained the status quo. When the global pandemic befell all of us, it led to hiring freezes, departing administrators, slow bureaucracy, and failed searches. The MSU RM program sat stagnant before a new University Records Manager was hired in 2024. Untangling 55 years worth of permanent, archival materials from retention-based accessions has been a challenge.
This panel will discuss the more than six-year process to untangle hundreds, if not thousands of records. Specifically, participants will discuss the challenges of two archival management software migrations on data integrity, realigning the roles and responsibilities of two different units and the associated staff and faculty, updating university-wide and departmental policies and procedures, and rebuilding the university’s record retention schedules to align with federal and state requirements, but also to ensure records with permanent or historical value were identified and preserved. Thoughtful, transparent transition processes can empower and support these decisions.
