Policies, Guidelines & Recommendations

The college receives and generates a large amount of information every year in various formats such as paper documents, electronic files, emails and photographs. Consequently, departments seek to manage and store this material until its business use expires and it can be disposed of, or be transferred to the LCC Archives.

There are several policies, guidelines, recommendations, best practices and other practical help resources available at LCC to help you with records and information management.

Policies

• LCC Records Management Policy – This policy establishes principles, responsibilities and requirements for managing the College’s records.
• Information Security Policy – This policy, approved by the LCC Board of Trustees, provides protections and implements protective measures to ensure the security, integrity and confidentiality of LCC’s information assets.
• MI Records Management Manual for Local Governments – This document, updated on November 29, 2023, clarifies the Michigan laws for public records (p. 4) and retention and disposal schedules (p. 5).

Guidelines & Recommendations

• LCC Records Management Policy – Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – These procedures provide directions and guidance to ensure compliance with LCC’s Records Management Policy.
  • Developing Retention Schedules and Disseminating Retention Information
  • Employee Responsibilities for Records
  • Extending Retention of Records
  • Retaining Records of Separating Employees and Employees on Temporary Leave
  • Revising Retention Schedules
• LCC Paper Records Storage Guidelines – Guidelines to help ensure that each department’s paper records are appropriately protected and stored until they surpass their retention period.
• Digital Document Imaging – Questions to answer before starting a scanning project.
• File Naming Standards – These guidelines are to be used as a basis for naming electronic documents using a sensible and consistent approach.
• Folder Structure Standards – Guidelines to help standardize and maintain a structured folder system for electronic files.
• Records and Data Management Plan (RADMan Plan) Template – The RADMan Plan is a tool to be used by departments or programs to develop and maintain a plan for the management of the records and data they create, use and sustain. This tool is provided as an option for departments or programs to comply with the Records Management Policy SOP RM.002: Employee Responsibilities for Records.
  • RIM Example – The RADMan Plan for the RIM Program is available to view as an example and resource.
• LCC’s Email Retention Guidelines – These guidelines establish a structured and systematic approach to managing our electronic communication, providing definitions, retention information and examples.
• Email Clean-Up Strategies – Best practices, strategies and directions for different ways to reduce the email in your mailbox.
  • Sort by Date
  • Sort by Size
  • Delete Items in Sent and Deleted Folders
  • Various Strategies

Other Resources

• Records vs. Non-records at LCC – This document, located on the Retention page, can help clarify the difference between the two as well as provide examples of non-records.
• LCC Acronyms and General Terms Dictionary – The dictionary is a non-exhaustive list of acronyms, initialisms, phrases and abbreviations as well as common general terms used by staff (and students) at LCC along with the meaning or definition of each item. It can be found on the Data Governance Committee website.