Have you ever asked yourself:

• How long do I have to keep this?
• Can I delete this or throw it away?

In records management terminology, you’ve asked about retention and disposition. 

A retention schedule sets out the required retention period and outlines actions to take at the end of that period: either destroy the record or transfer it to the Institute Archives. The General Retention Schedule (GRS) is the primary source of retention requirements for the records created and received by the Institute.

The GRS is under development and review. Please contact us for retention guidance. 

Although the GRS covers many types of records created at MIT, your office or DLC may create unique records that are not represented.  The Records Management Program works with administrators to create supplemental retention schedules for records not appearing in the GRS. 

Established by MIT Policy 13.3, the Institute Records Committee is tasked by the Corporation to support the development, approval, and revision of all retention schedules. 

"Non-records" can be destroyed without an approved retention schedule. These include duplicates, drafts, and informal communications and that do not relate to the functional responsibility of your office (i.e., announcements of meetings, reservations, confirmations, acknowledgements, etc.). ROT is a helpful acronym: Redundant, Obsolete, and Transitory.