Special Collections and University Archives 
Restricted Records Policy

Restrictions are based on legal, administrative and institutional considerations and conform with archival best practices.

  • University administrative records are closed for a period of 30 years from date of creation. This includes the offices of the President, the Dean of Faculty and Provost, and the Dean of Students as well as the Board of Trustees.
  • General administrative records are those which reflect the day to day management of the college, its policies and programs, its academic and social experiences. These may include, for example, academic departmental records, records of campus organizations, and ad-hoc committee records. Such general records shall be restricted for a period of 30 years from the date of creation of the records.
  • Employee records are closed for 75 years or until the death of the record's subject, whichever is longer, to protect private and personal information contained within.
  • Student records are closed for 75 years or until the death of the record's subject in accordance with the federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
  • Records in general distribution at their time of creation will be open without restriction. These include announcements, official college publications, calendars, brochures, and public reports.

During the restricted period, records will be made available to the office of origin, the staff of the University Archives, and officers of the University as necessary.

Research access to restricted records:

The researcher must apply in writing to the Head of Special Collections and University Archivist, stating the reason for access and designating the portion of the collection for which access is requested. The Archivist will transmit the request to the Secretary to the Board of Trustees, President's Office, Dean, Director, Chair, or other pertinent university officer, along with information on the content of the requested material. Access for research use will be provided only upon written authorization from the pertinent university officer.