Institutions like schools, colleges and universities have to fulfill their educational, pastoral and administrative responsibilities before, during and after an individuals studies. They need to collect, process and archive personal and operational data. Records which document ideas, activities, procedures, certificates and decisions have monetary and historical value that need to be preserved for a long period of time. Students, staff and management rely heavily on these records generated as a result of the business and operation of educational institutions. University archives hold and share valuable intellectual property as well as the surrounding community's history. This data has an intangible monetary value and needs to be properly and securely managed, preserved and archived.

For schools and universities data loss would have serious consequences. These institutions serve an educational mission and students rely on the access to intellectual property as well as the access to credential records. Non-compliance with government regulations is unacceptable. Vital records represent intangible and historical assets and mean the heart blood of educational institutions.

Archival records in this environment are records which have continuing educational, administrative, research or historical value. They document i.e. the university's knowledge data base as well as organization, functions, policies, decisions, procedures and operations. Examples include data base access, organization charts, minutes, graduate and senior honors theses, personal papers, etc.

Most records that accrue in this environment demand long-term retention:

Permanent - records which will be kept indefinitely, or at least 100 years. This designation is given to all records that the central administrative services or campus records administrator and archivist have determined as having continued historical or administrative value. Most records with a permanent retention period are transferred to the university or campus archives when they become inactive.

Until Superseded - records that are routinely updated or revised and where the previous version has no continuing value.
Specific - records that will be kept for a specified number of years.

Temporary - records that do not fall into the other retention designations. These records should be disposed of after 6 months from the last date of entry on the record.