Understanding Disposition Dates

All university records must be classified as a record series in the University of Texas at Austin Records Retention Schedule (UTRRS), and a master record – the one official copy of a record created through university activities and business processes – cannot be disposed without meeting all retention requirements listed in the UTRRS for the record series to which it was classified. Disposition of a master record, which must be authorized by the Records Management Officer, takes one of two forms: the record is transferred to University Archives or the record is destroyed.

Retention Periods

The UTRRS defines the retention period for each record series.  The retention period is the length of time a master record must be retained before disposition. A retention period may be expressed as years, months, or days, and may be used in conjunction with a retention code. The retention code signifies that the record’s retention is related to a function, activity, or event; that serves as the trigger for when retention begins.

Retention for a record series without a retention code is referred to as “time-based retention.” Retention for a record series with a retention code, where a condition must be met, is referred to as “event-based retention.”

Record Close Date

• The date when the record enters its retention period.
• For time-based retention, the record close date is the date the record was created, published, or last updated.
• For event-based retention, the record close date is the date of the condition being met.

Eligible Disposition Date

• The first day of the month after the record has satisfied UTRRS retention requirements.
• NOTE: For records for which an annual authorization has been issued or which do not require a request to dispose of records, a record is eligible for disposition the day after it has satisfied retention requirements.

Determining the Record Close Date and Eligible Disposition Date

Time-based Retention (retention period with no retention code)

• Record close date = the date the file was created or last updated.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the month following the record close date + any years, months, or days listed for retention (the retention period).
• Example:
  • A department creates a departmental staffing report on 2/26/2018, which is classified as AALL020 Administrative Records. AALL020 has a 4-year retention period.
  • The record close date is 2/26/2018.
  • The eligible disposition date is 3/1/2022.

FE = Fiscal-Year End (event-based retention)

• Record close date = the last day of the fiscal year, 8/31/20XX.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the next fiscal year, 9/1/20XX + any retention period.
• Example:
  • A department receives an invoice on 8/30/2019 and uploads it and its supporting documents to the Image Retrieval System (IRS) for payment processing on 9/4/2019. Payment Services processes the voucher and pays the invoice on 9/5/2019. These documents are classified as AALL435 Accounts Payable Records and Information, which has an FE+3-year retention period. 
  • The record close date is 8/31/2020.
    • Even though the invoice was received in FY18-19, it was paid in FY19-20.
  • The eligible disposition date is 9/1/2023.

AC = After Close (event-based retention)

• Record close date = when the closing condition has been met, e.g., the last day of employment, the last date of attendance, the project close date, the building razed date, the event date, etc. The record close date will remain blank until the condition is met.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the month following the record close date + any retention period
• Example:
  • A department begins planning in May 2021 for a student orientation held on 8/24/2021. The planning records, promotional materials, guest lists, and other event program records are classified as AALL425.1 University Events – Special Event and Program Records. (Routine administration records are classified as AALL425.2 and financial documents for registration fees and vendors are classified as AALL425.3; this example is only for AALL425.1 records). AALL425.1 has a retention period of AC + 4, where AC = completion of the event or session. 
  • The record close date is 8/24/2021.
    • Even though planning began in May, the event did not take place until 8/24/2021, and all related records are assigned the same record close date.
  • The eligible disposition date is 9/1/2025.

CE = Calendar-Year End (event-based retention)

• Record close date = the last day of the year, Dec. 31.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the next year, Jan. 1, + any retention period
• Example:
  • An employee uses a notebook to track their daily activities and appointments. They started a new notebook in September 2018 and fill it June 2020. The notebook is classified as AALL033 Calendars, Appointment Books, and Other Daily Planning Records, which as a retention of CE+1 year.
  • The record close date is 12/31/2020.
    • Even though the first entry is from 2018, retention is based on the last updated date in 2020.
  • The eligible disposition date is 1/1/2022.

LA = Life of Asset (event-based retention)

• Record close date = the date when the asset is removed from university inventories and is no longer in possession of the university.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the month following the record close date + any retention period.
• Example:
  • A department sends a computer to surplus on 6/15/2018, at which time it is marked as removed from the university inventory records. License agreements for that computer are retained based on the life of the asset, per AALL179 Software Registrations, Warranties, and License Agreements, which has retention of LA+3 years.
  • The record close date for the computer license agreement is 6/15/2018.
  • The eligible disposition date for the computer license agreement is 7/1/2021.

US = Until Superseded (event-based retention)

• Record close date = the date the record is replaced by an updated version.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the month following the record close date + any retention period.
• Example:
  • A department updates a procedure manual for a process in the department on 5/7/2016, at which time the older version of the manual is superseded. Procedure manuals are classified as AALL281 University Personnel Policies and Procedures, which has a retention period of US+3 years.
  • The record close date for the older version of the manual is 5/7/2016.
  • The eligible disposition date for the older version of the manual is 6/1/2019.

AV = Administratively Valuable (event-based retention)

• Record close date = the date the department decides the record no longer has any administrative value.
• Eligible disposition date = the first day of the month following the record close date.
• Example:
  • A department maintains a list of areas of expertise for each of its staff members. These are classified as AALL208 Biographical Information – Faculty and Staff, which has an AV retention. The department has determined that areas of expertise are only administratively valuable for current employees. A staff member retires on August 31, 2021.
  • The record close date for the list of areas of expertise for the retiring staff member is 8/31/2021.
  • The eligible disposition date for the list is 9/1/2021.
• Example for records for which an annual authorization has been granted or for which a request to dispose of records is not required:
  • A department maintains a software application and monitors that application using logs for user access, authentication, security, error, up-time, etc. The logs are classified as AALL180 System and Application Monitoring Logs, which has AV retention and does not require a request to dispose of records. The department has determined that error logs are only useful for 3 months, after which they no longer need to refer to them. Because AALL180 does not require a request to dispose of record, the department has set up an automated process to destroy error logs older than 90 days.
  • The record close date for this department’s error logs is 90 days after they are created.
  • The eligible disposition date for this department’s error logs is 91 days after they are created.