University Records Retention and Disposal Schedules

The “Guidance on University Records Retention and Disposal” (accessible to HKUST staff only) is a revised guideline developed by the University Archives in 2025 to assist departments and offices at HKUST in managing their records effectively. It supersedes the General Retention and Disposition Guidelines issued in 2006.

The document provides general recommendations on the retention period and disposal arrangement of university records, both in physical and digital format, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements while meeting the University’s operational needs.

Purpose of the Guidance

Departments and offices can use the guidance as reference to determine which records to keep, how long to keep them, and how they should eventually be disposed of. Based on the recommended schedules and their actual operational considerations, departments and offices are advised to develop their own departmental retention and disposal schedules tailored to specific record types that they are accountable for.

The guidance also identifies records with historical or archival significance for potential transfer to the University Archives. Departments and offices should contact the University Archives if they possess such records.

The document is organized into two main parts:

Part I – Guidance and Explanation: Part I provides an overview of the objectives, records management concepts, key terminology definitions, and explanations on the application and reasoning behind the schedules.

Part II – Recommended Schedules for Records Retention and Disposal: Part II sets out the recommended schedules, which are categorized by the functions of the University into 17 schedules.

Administration and Common Activities Audits Academic Registry Buildings and Facilities Campus Services Communications Finance and Accounting Governance Health, Safety and Environment

Human Resources Information Technology Systems and Services Legal Documents and Services Library and Archives Services Procurement and Supplies Research Student Affairs Teaching and Learning

Each schedule identifies subject groups or records series with same retention periods and disposal arrangements, and comprises an identifier for the subject group, name and description of the subject group, recommended retention period with the event that triggers the calculation of period, and disposal arrangement.

Contact

Departments and offices are welcome to contact the University Archives at lbarsc@ust.hk for enquiries, comments, and suggestions regarding the guidance and general advice on recordkeeping practices.

For enquiries relating to the University’s Enterprise Content Management system (ECM), please contact ITSO at cchelp@ust.hk.

For managing organizational data, please refer to the University’s Data Governance Policy.

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