Upon the assignment of a departmental Records Coordinator, Procurement and Campus Services will meet with this staff member to conduct a one-on-one training seminar.

This training seminar will review the following:

• The Bentley University Record Retention and Disposal Policy
• Specific Departmental Retention Criteria
• Identification of Records for Disposal and/or Storage
• Preparation of Records for Off-Site Storage
• Processing of Requests for Retrieval and Return of Records from Off-Site Storage via the Access (Retrievex) on-line system

Once a Records Coordinator has completed the one-on-one training seminar, they will locate their department's records.  These records will be identified to develop a complete listing of location, quantity and content.  In turn, retention criteria will be applied to determine the appropriate storage or disposition option.

Please note:  Attics, basements and mechanical rooms may not be used for record storage.  These areas must be kept clear as they are regulated by federal, state and local building codes.  If records are found in these areas, the respective department head will be notified and mandated to participate in this program.

If records need to be retained, a Records Coordinator has two options for storage:

On-Site Storage:

Records can be stored appropriately within a department's current office space.  

Storage in attics, mechanical rooms, basements or custodial closets is not available for on-site storage.

Off-Site Storage:

If a department does not have sufficient office space for on-site storage, these records will be sent to Access (formerly Retrievex), a records management facility providing systematic off-site storage. 

Records targeted for off-site storage should be packed in standard one cubic foot containers.   These containers can be ordered through WB Mason (via Workday); the product number is FEL00703 for a 12-pack of boxes with lids.

For each container targeted for off-site storage, a container registration must be completed via the Access on-line system.  Bar code labels required for these containers can be ordered directly from Access.  Files which are currently stored in attics, mechanical rooms, basements or custodial closets without proper authorization must be stored off-site as these areas are not suitable for paper records storage.  Paper records storage in these areas creates a safety hazard, thus violating federal, state and local building codes.

To request the retrieval of containers and/or records being stored off-site, the Records Coordinator will submit an on-line request to Access.   Containers and/or records will be delivered to the Record Coordinator by Access.  Delivery and pick-up of records and containers will be made every Tuesday.  Requests for delivery or pick-up must be submitted to Access through their on-line system by noon on Monday for delivery/pick-up on Tuesday. 

If records are no longer required to be retained, a request should be made for records destruction.

For any records currently stored at the Access (formerly Retrievex) offsite storage facility, a request for destruction should be submitted by email to Procurement and Campus Services (PACS). PACS will submit an official destruction request to Access, who in turn will acknowledge the request and send PACS a form for a signature to authorize records destruction. When the signature is received by Access, the requested documents will be shredded and Access will issue a Certificate of Destruction. Please note: Access will never destroy any documents without signed authorization to do so.

For records stored in a location on the Bentley campus, contact PACS to arrange for destruction via our campus shredding contract.

The Procurement and Campus Services Department will assume costs associated with the off-site storage and disposal of records.  Individual departments are responsible for purchasing supplies needed to prepare records for storage (i.e.: containers, file folders, etc.)