| align="center"> | | | | records are no longer misplaced, duplicated, or |
| Educational institutions often operate in a | | | | lost. |
| heterogeneous records environmentâ | | | | 4. Manage from creation to disposition |
| they need to manage both paper and electronic | | | | After you have identified which of your |
| documents. As a result, they may enact different | | | | documents are records, you should implement a |
| procedures to address FERPA, HIPAA, and other | | | | processing plan for each type of record. Your plan |
| compliance initiatives. Without standardized | | | | should take into consideration the active part of |
| processes, it is not uncommon for records | | | | each documentâs lifecycle, as well as a |
| management practices to differ between | | | | strategy for long-term retention and disposition. |
| departments, campuses, and even faculty within a | | | | This plan will vary according to both your business |
| single institution. In some cases, long-standing | | | | processes and industry regulations. |
| paper-based procedures have not been adapted | | | | For example, upon matriculation, student |
| to reflect advances in technology. Obviously, | | | | information may be routed to your development |
| colleges and universities have to address | | | | area for the management of donor files and gift |
| compliance mandates. And in order to process | | | | processing. Other records may be automatically |
| work efficiently, institutions need to be able to | | | | transferred to a long-term storage medium to |
| manage student, administrative, and back-office | | | | ensure that they are retained in compliance with |
| records. | | | | regulations. As you know, records can be a liability |
| Establishing a records management strategy | | | | if they are held for too long. For most student |
| within an academic environment can be a | | | | and faculty records, you can configure automatic |
| challengeâespecially if there is a | | | | destruction schedules once the retention period |
| misconception that students will not benefit from | | | | has been exceeded. This is all possible with a |
| it. Implemented correctly, a records management | | | | flexible and extensible ECM system. |
| strategy can lead to improvements in student | | | | Administrative documents like personnel records, |
| services and overall organizational efficiencies. This | | | | evaluations, resumes, requests for position |
| article will offer recommendations on where to | | | | change, letters of hire, and invoices can be |
| start and how to handle the creation, | | | | imaged and stored in the same electronic |
| management, and disposition of student and | | | | repository that you use to house your student |
| administrative records. It will illustrate the | | | | records. Thus, active and inactive personnel |
| importance of: | | | | records can be managed according to the |
| Identifying your records | | | | business rules that you configure. And they can |
| Documenting your records management policy | | | | be accessed by authorized personnel with the |
| Transitioning from paper to electronic processes | | | | click of a mouse. Making information accessible |
| Improving business processes and student | | | | between departments can dramatically improve |
| services with a records management strategy | | | | your hiring process. |
| Management from creation to disposition | | | | 5. What to look for in a records management |
| It will also discuss the importance of having a | | | | software system |
| high-performance enterprise content management | | | | Good records management starts with a robust |
| (ECM) system in place to address records | | | | ECM system. If youâve done any |
| management challenges that are typically faced | | | | research into enterprise content management, |
| by colleges and universities. | | | | you are well aware that there are a lot of options |
| 1. Identify your records and document your policy | | | | on the market. Look for a system that offers: |
| Sounds simple, right? But in an environment that | | | | True records management capabilities. An ECM |
| deals with paper, electronic documents, | | | | system with true records management |
| unstructured data, web submissions, and other | | | | functionality will provide your institution with |
| types of media, it is important to establish and | | | | complete lifecycle management from cradle to |
| document a records management policy. For each | | | | grave, including the ability to automate records |
| recordâwhether it is associated with | | | | retention, disposition, migration, and backup. |
| students, faculty, or administrative areas like | | | | Integration. Look for the ability to integrate with |
| human resources, accounting, operations, and | | | | your existing business applications such as student |
| payrollâyou should be able to enact, | | | | information systems, ERP solutions, and custom |
| document, and enforce a storage and retention | | | | portals. Choose an ECM system that leverages |
| policy to ensure that you are complying with | | | | web services for communication and integration. It |
| regulations. | | | | should provide the ability to work in a SOA |
| The firstâand most important | | | | infrastructure as well as the ability to directly |
| stepâis differentiating your records from | | | | access databases in legacy systems. An ECM |
| other documents. Are you are receiving incoming | | | | system should offer the flexibility and extensibility |
| records on different formats? A common | | | | to make your information accessible regardless of |
| example might be both paper and electronic | | | | your underlying architecture. |
| submissions of the enrollment application, letters | | | | Advanced processing technologies. An ECM |
| of recommendation, transcripts, official test | | | | system should offer an integrated suite of robust |
| scores and other information that is associated | | | | tools to suit your specific needs. A system that is |
| with the application process. | | | | integrated from the ground up provides |
| After you identify your records, capturing your | | | | out-of-the-box functionality. Of course you will |
| paper records electronically as they enter your | | | | need records management tools. In addition, look |
| institution is a pivotal step in a records | | | | for a system that offers you electronic search |
| management strategy. At the same time, as you | | | | tools, email management, reporting tools, forms |
| create records internally, enact measures to | | | | processing capabilities, barcode recognition |
| ensure that they are electronic and not | | | | software, and more. An integrated software suite |
| paper-based. Replace your paper forms with | | | | ensures that the components with which you |
| electronic forms, which can be secured and | | | | choose to address your records management |
| controlled. This will simplify your management | | | | strategy will work together to enhance your |
| efforts considerably. | | | | processing capabilities. |
| 2. Consider business needs as well as | | | | Higher education experience. As you research |
| accountability | | | | ECM vendors, a few stand out in terms of |
| As you put together a records management plan, | | | | longevity and experience. Look for a vendor with |
| consider your business needs. Establish | | | | decades of experience in the education realm. You |
| consistency in the manner in which you process | | | | will find that an experienced vendor has an |
| your records. At the same time, implement | | | | understanding of the different processes in which |
| measures that will make you more efficient in the | | | | colleges and universities immerse themselves |
| processing of those records. Accurate records | | | | every day. They will have the expertise that is |
| management will have far-reaching effects. | | | | needed to address the needs of small and large |
| Immediate access to documents will enable you | | | | institutions that have centralized and multi-campus |
| to improve your service to students. At the | | | | environments. |
| same time, it will increase efficiency and allow you | | | | Affordability. Often, budgetary constraints make it |
| to process more work without adding additional | | | | difficult to enact enterprise-wide software |
| staff. | | | | implementations. Find a vendor that offers both |
| For example, as materials that are related to | | | | traditional and subscription service pricing models |
| student applications arrive into your institution, you | | | | that will fit your budget and your timeline. |
| could adopt business process management tools | | | | Depending on your business needs, you may be |
| that would improve your processing turnaround | | | | able to completely eliminate upfront capital |
| and help you manage your records. This would | | | | expenditures. |
| start with using your ECM system to scan and | | | | Sometimes the hardest part of transitioning to |
| index your application materials upon receipt. The | | | | electronic records management is changing the |
| materials can then be grouped automatically with | | | | paper-based mindset that has been in place for |
| the rest of a studentâs application | | | | decades. Institutions that are still using paper often |
| materials. When the application is complete, it can | | | | let their records management procedures dictate |
| be routed to the appropriate admissions staff for | | | | their policies, rather than vice versa. |
| electronic processing with the use of automated | | | | Donât fall into that trap. If your |
| workflow. | | | | organization is having trouble adapting to change, |
| 3. Control your records | | | | consider taking advantage of your ECM |
| Under a paper-based system, it is almost | | | | vendorâs professional services expertise. |
| impossible to ensure that your privacy measures | | | | A process analysis can serve as a blueprint for |
| comply with the standards dictated by FERPA and | | | | improved records managementâas well |
| HIPAA. An ECM system allows you to configure | | | | as improved efficiencies and enhanced student |
| restrictions on who views, reads, annotates, and | | | | servicesâthroughout your institution. |
| acts upon documents with confidential information. | | | | Report this article |
| Furthermore, ECM provides you with the audit | | | | This article is free for republishing |
| trails that document user and system activity to | | | | Source: |
| enforce your records management policies. | | | | Republish this article |
| Privacy measures can be assured with a transition | | | | |
| from paper to electronic processes. Sensitive | | | | Ask a Question About this Article |
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| Semi-structured recordsâ such as email | | | | your life what is the best music |
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| saved, and stored in your electronic document | | | | daily news and who do i send it to? |
| repository. There, they can be accesses only by | | | | >> How many times did Casey Stengel win |
| authorized personnel. This is another area where | | | | the Manager of the Year award? |
| improvements in your records management policy | | | | >> Who won the Manager of the Year |
| can lead to improved efficiency throughout your | | | | award in his first season of managing in the Major |
| institution. By transitioning to electronic processes, | | | | Leagues? |