Many of the records that we create and handle as ECU employees contain information that needs to remain confidential. These types of records include personnel files, student records, medical records, consumer information (such as credit card numbers), and other records with personally identifiable information (like driver's license numbers or Social Security numbers).
In the UNC System General Records Retention and Disposition Schedule, series of records that often contain information that must remain confidential is identified with a lock symbol. The schedule also cites relevant state and federal laws regarding their handling and disposition.
Most of the sensitive records handled in ECU offices are not scheduled to be transferred to the University Archives. Often, the office will be required to maintain the records for a certain number of years after which, as long as there are no outstanding legal or audit holds, the records may be destroyed. All records that contain confidential or personally identifying information must be destroyed by the university's approved vendor, Shred-It. You should contact the University History and Records Department before destroying any records.
In those cases where records containing sensitive information are scheduled for permanent retention in University Archives, the transferring office must identify the records as containing sensitive information in order to ensure Archives' staff find any protected information during appraisal and are able to either destroy it or redact it.
While there is no standard procedure at this time for labeling sensitive records before transfer to University Archives, each office should take care to ensure that they make Archives' staff aware of any confidential information being transferred.