Quick Link: Certificate of Records Destruction

Central Ohio Technical College and The Ohio State University at Newark follow The Ohio State University General Retention Schedule. This Certificate is used in coordination with the approved Ohio State University General Records Retention Schedule OR a unique Departmental/Unit Records Retention Schedule approved by the University Archivist. Any other retention schedule does not support or justify records destruction. Retain one signed copy for your records. Send one signed copy to the Warner Archive one (1) week prior to the destruction of records to the above address.

COTC Transfer of Records to Archives

Some records created by COTC departments and units have enduring historical value and should be transferred to the College Archives once they have served their useful life as dictated by the records retention schedule. Each year the Archives receives boxes from departments and units of Ohio State Newark and COTC and answers many requests for information. If you have determined that records should be transferred to the Archives, please follow the procedures below:

• Check your Records Retention Schedule. Do not send records which the schedule instructs you to destroy. If you do not have a schedule call the Archives (740-366-9306) first--before packing the records .
• Order boxes from Receiving (740-366-9476). Estimate 2 boxes per drawer of files. Your departmental budget will be charged $1.65 per box (price may fluctuate slightly over a period of time).
• Inventory each box by listing the titles of each folder. The Archives will use your inventory to find the records. Therefore, it is essential that the inventory be as specific, accurate, and comprehensives as possible.
• Label each box on the front (12in) side. Indicate the name of the transmitting office and the number of boxes (Example: 1 of 5, 2 of 5, etc.). Also be sure to include the disposal date or status on each individual box, for disposal/retention purposes.
• Send the inventory to the Archives (John L. & Christine Warner Library) or include it in the first box. Please do not attach or tape the inventory to the box. The inventory should have the name of the office and the name of the person preparing the inventory.To schedule movers, contact Receiving (740-366-9476)
• Boxes should be delivered to the Archives (W-268).
• Call Archives (740-366-9306) when Receiving arrives at your office to transfer the boxes.

COTC Retrieval of Records from Storage

Until such time as a record is actually destroyed, it can be retrieved from Mid-Ohio Warehouse or the Archives. Records Officers should follow the guidelines below to retrieve records sent to storage.

• Records Officer emails or calls the appropriate contact to retrieve a record. Contacts are:
  • Receiving (740-366-9476) for records in storage at the Mid-Ohio Warehouse
  • Archives (740-366-9306) for permanent records in the library archives
• The request will be filled within a timely manner.
• If a department or unit needs a record from the Mid-Ohio Warehouse, Receiving will email the inventory list to the Records Officer so needed boxes can be identified. Receiving will contact Mid-Ohio Warehouse to make arrangements between the requestor and the facility.
• Either Receiving will pick up the items that are requested and deliver them to the Records Officer OR the Records Officer (or requestor) will visit the facility to review the records sought.
• If a department or unit needs a record from the Archives, contact the archivist (69-306) to make arrangements.

COTC Transfer of Records to Mid-Ohio Warehouse

Some records created by COTC’s departments and units have temporary storage needs and should be transferred to the Mid-Ohio Warehouse once they have served their useful life within the department as dictated by the records retention schedule. Each year Receiving receives boxes from departments and units of Ohio State Newark and COTC and answers requests for information. For records determined to be transferred to the Mid Ohio-Warehouse (550 Wehrle Avenue, Newark, OH 43055), please follow the procedures below:

• Check your Records Retention Schedule. Do not send records which the schedule does not instruct you to send. If you do not have a schedule call the Archives (740-366-9306) --before packing the records .
• Order file-boxes from Receiving. Estimate 2 boxes per drawer of files. If the supply of Mid-Ohio Warehouse boxes or barcodes needs replenished, Receiving will order them directly through Mid-Ohio Warehouse.
• The empty MOW boxes are added to the daily delivery agenda, and an email is sent to Accounting so the department can be charged per box.
• Inventory each box by listing the titles of each folder. Both the Mid-Ohio Warehouse and Receiving will use your inventory to find the records. Therefore, it is essential that the inventory be as specific, accurate, and comprehensives as possible. The inventory should have the name of the office and the name of the person preparing the inventory.
• Receiving will record the content description on a per box basis and assign the appropriate barcode to each box. Add barcodes and pertinent information to the Mid-Ohio Warehouse Inventory log (include barcode number, content description and disposal date)
• The Records Officer should 1) label each box on the front (12in) side, 2) record the name of the transmitting office, 3) indicate the number of boxes (Example: 1 of 5, 2 of 5, etc.) being sent, and 4) clearly state a destroy or transfer (to Archives) date.
• Contact Receiving to schedule with Mid-Ohio Warehouse the delivery or drop off of boxes as needed.

COTC Transfer of Records for Shredding

Part of any effective records management program is the timely destruction of obsolete records and the documentation thereof. Central Ohio Technical College's approved and adopted records retention schedules not only suffice minimum legal required retention, but also are well vetted in regards to established administrative need. As such, at the end of a record's life, the record should be destroyed in an appropriate manner and documented through the use of a "Certificate of Records Destruction”

Therefore, a record created by an Central Ohio Technical College department or unit that has served its useful life as dictated by the records retention schedule must be shredded. Records Officers need to abide by the following destruction procedure for records previously transferred to the Mid-Ohio Warehouse (550 Wehrle Avenue, Newark, OH 43055) as well as those retained within the department or unit and which are now due to be shredded

• Check your Records Retention Schedule. Do not shred records which the schedule does not instruct you to shred. If you do not have a schedule, call the Archives (69-306) before packing the records. Also, any record under litigation cannot be destroyed until the litigation issue is resolved.
• Records Officer emails or calls Receiving to request a pickup for items to be shredded. All boxes are required to be labeled as items that need shredding. Services Center has Shred labels upon request), and placed in an easy to manage disposable container.
• The request is marked on Receiving’s daily agenda to be accomplished within 1-3 workdays.
• Receiving will pick up the items that need shredded, and store them in the Morgue (locked) on a temporary basis, until the 40-60 box threshold of goods that need disposed of is reached.
• When a shredding pickup is necessary (threshold in the Morgue has been reached), Receiving contacts the Services Center (6-9213 or 49-688). They are the LICCO contact for Ohio State Newark and COTC and budgeted to cover the expenses for the disposal.
• Receiving meets LICCO at the Morgue and assists in loading the boxes destined for shredding onto their truck.
• LICCO reports the weight of the shredded goods and bills Ohio State Newark and COTC accordingly.
• Receiving reviews the records inventory in storage at the Mid-Ohio Warehouse during the first week of January and again at the beginning of each new fiscal year (week of July 1st) for records that are scheduled to be disposed of (either shredded or recycled). Receiving highlights those scheduled for disposal on the inventory spreadsheet. Items are pulled from the warehouse shelves and Services Center and Receiving collaborate with LICCO and Mid-Ohio Warehouse to schedule a shredding pickup. Files that have been disposed of remain on the inventory list marked “disposed of” to ensure Ohio State Newark is not held responsible for incorrect shred dates and to prevent unnecessary record searches.
• Before actually disposing of the records, the COTC unit should complete and forward a Certificate of Records Destruction (CRD) to the Archives for review and permanent retention.
• Units are strongly encouraged to conduct a records purge of their departmentally stored records at a minimum of an annual basis. A Certificate of Records Destruction must be completed and sent to Archives prior to the actual destruction of the records to ensure complete compliance to the stated guidelines. Due to the low informational value, high volume, and frequency of disposal, a CRD does not need to be completed for the routine disposal of records identified as transient (XIENT) in the retention schedules.

Records Destruction

Part of any effective records management program is the timely destruction of obsolete records and the documentation thereof. The Ohio State University's approved and adopted records retention schedules not only suffice minimum legal required retention, but also are well vetted in regards to established administrative need. As such, at the end of a record's life, the record should be destroyed in an appropriate manner and documented through the use of a "Certificate of Records Destruction."

The Certificate is available as a PDF, it can be downloaded, printed & returned to Warner Library:

Certificate of Records Destruction

Please consult the appropriate retention schedule prior to completing the "Certificate of Records Destruction."

In some instances, even if the retention schedules indicates it is time to dispose of the records, circumstances may dictate further retention. The most common reason for postponing disposal of the records is that there is pending litigation. Until the litigation is resolved the records must be retained, and a hold is placed on the disposal of the records.

Destruction can happen in a variety of ways:

• recycling
• trash
• incineration
• maceration
• shredding
• pulping, and
• demagnetization (or other electronic destruction

If personal information (including but not limited to: grades, social security number, credit card information, and medical information) is evident, records should be incinerated, macerated, shredded or pulped, the most common method being that of shredding. Should you feel that the material you have requires shredding, you may do so with your unit’s shredder, by calling OSU Recycling, or by using a local shredding company. Before shredding, please confirm that the retention periods of the documents have expired and that there is no legal hold on the records.