Document Retention & Destruction Policy
Document
Document Retention & Destruction Policy
Owner
Office of the President
Effective Date
October 18, 2026
Last Reviewed
October 18, 2026
Next Review
October 2027
1. Purpose
This policy provides standards for the retention and destruction of records and electronic information generated and held by Neponset University. The policy is intended to ensure compliance with applicable laws, support institutional operations, and prevent the inadvertent or premature destruction of records.
2. Retention Schedules
Permanent. Articles of organization; bylaws; minutes of trustee meetings; tax-exempt determination letters; major contracts; intellectual property records; academic transcripts; degree/certificate records; audited financial statements.
Seven (7) years. General financial records; payroll records; expense reports; routine contracts after expiration; learner financial records (administrative fees and waivers).
Five (5) years. Personnel records after termination; learner non-academic conduct records (subject to Title IX requirements where applicable); grievance and appeals files.
Three (3) years. Routine correspondence; calendars; voicemail; instant messaging where retained.
Course-specific. Course assessment records and gradebooks: five (5) years. Recordings of synchronous sessions: three (3) years unless used as evidence in a pending matter.
3. Litigation Hold
Upon notice of any actual or threatened litigation, government investigation, or audit, all routine destruction of potentially relevant records is suspended. The Office of the President and Neponset’s counsel coordinate the litigation hold.
4. Electronic Records
Electronic records held in Neponset systems (email, learning management system, cloud document storage) are subject to the same retention schedules as paper records. Backups are retained according to the schedule above.
5. Destruction
Records that have reached the end of their retention period are destroyed in a manner appropriate to their sensitivity — typically secure deletion for electronic records and shredding for paper records containing personal information.