Records Retention Requirements:
Records for all Programs and Activities Serving Minors (Programs/Activities) must be retained in accordance with Board of Regents and UGA policies. It is the Program/Activity Administrator’s responsibility, in coordination with department leadership, to understand the requirements and to ensure records are properly retained.
- Certain records pertaining to Minors should be retained for a period of three (3) years after the Minor reaches the age of eighteen (18).
- Records pertaining to Program/Activity Staff should be retained for five (5) years.
Minimum Retention Requirements:
While Programs/Activities might have many different records, the following must be retained for all Programs/Activities:
(A) For Program/Activity Staff:
- Proof of Successful Background Investigation (this typically takes the form of the approval to hire e-mail from your unit’s HR office)
- Proof of Required Training Completion (Mandated Reporter and Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment/Sexual Misconduct)
- Signed Staff Code of Conduct
(B) For Minors attending a Program/Activity:
- All Agreement, Consent, Waiver, and Media Release Forms signed by parents/guardians
- Signed Participant Code of Conduct
Note that, depending on your Program/Activity, the above list may not be inclusive of all requirements. For example, Program/Activity records may also include: applications; enrollment records; progress reports and assessments; immunization records; activity records; and lists of attendees. Refer to the USG Records Retention Schedules as you make record retention plans.
Departmental Responsibility:
Department leadership are encouraged to work with Program/Activity Administrators to ensure required records are retained in accordance with USG and UGA records retention policies. It is recommended that centralized record keeping at a Departmental level occurs in lieu of records being maintained solely by the Program Administrator. This will mitigate the potential loss of records if the Program/Activity Administrator departs the unit.
If Departments need assistance with centralized electronic record keeping, EITS can assist with the Content 7 document storage system.
Contact the Director of Compliance at programsforminors@uga.edu or 706-542-7255 with any questions on record retention requirements for Minors Programs/Activities.