Managing Records

Improving Electronic Records Programs in the SUNY System was made possible by a State and National Archives Partnership (SNAP) grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) awarded to the New York State Historical Records Advisory Board.  

The inventory and planning tools developed during this project were tested by Debra Kimok, Special Collections Librarian, Feinberg Library and Gina Doty, Records Management Officer at Plattsburgh State University. 

The electronic records plan, building on the recommendations in the Needs Assessment and the requirements in the Preservation Guidelines, is intended to guide the development of your digital preservation program over the course of three years.  The plan includes clearly defined strategies and objectives to build the technological and administrative structures necessary to support digital preservation.   While certain objectives/strateg

The needs assessment is an essential step towards improving SUNY college and university archives’ ability to collect, preserve, and make available electronic records.

Electronic Records Storage Systems

The purpose of the Technology Infrastructure Checklist is to gather information about the information technology (IT) resources available on your campus.  Collected data will be used to inform the needs assessment and plan that will guide the direction of your electronic records program.  Understanding and documenting your technology infrastructure will ensure that recommended actions are realistic, supportable, and aligned with campus IT goals and priorities.

The initial phase of your electronic records planning project involves collecting data about electronic record series and electronic records systems on campus.  

Before you begin your inventory consider reviewing the following resources on inventorying records.

To effectively inventory and plan for the long-term preservation of your digital assets it is essential to have an understanding of the complexity of digital preservation. 

It is important to understand that digital preservation requires the input of a diverse group of stakeholders including archivists, records managers, information technology professionals and campus administrators.  Implementing these tools and creating an electronic records plan for your campus is best undertaken by a committee that includes representatives from these stakeholder groups.

With the vast majority of information about college life now being created digitally, ensuring the preservation of those records is critical. Most student records are managed entirely digitally, as are course catalogs, billing, and a significant amount of course-related materials including syllabi, instructional materials, and content. As of August 2014, all State University of New York (SUNY) campuses are required by SUNY System Administration to implement a completely digital admissions process.