The University at Buffalo is required to follow the retention guidelines in the State University of New York (SUNY), New York State (NYS), or Research Foundation (RF) record retention schedules.
The priority search order for records is:
The State University of New York (SUNY) Records Retention and Disposition Schedule indicates the minimum length of time that campuses must retain the records covered by this schedule before the records may be legally disposed. The schedule is divided into a number of topics and sub-topics. You can find retention information by visiting SUNY Schedules in the SUNY Policy 6609, Records Retention and Disposition for State-Operated Campuses, and selecting the topic related to your record.
The New York State Retention and Disposition Schedules include the General Schedule for common administrative, fiscal, and personnel records of all state agencies. You can find retention information by visiting the Schedule Sections page, and choosing the topic related to your record.
UB must follow The Research Foundation of SUNY (RF) Records Retention Policies for all RF related documents. RF Records should NOT be filed with the records of any other funding entity.
Some of the topics on these schedules may be broad and describe the purpose or function of records rather than identifying individual records and forms. Records whose content and function are substantially the same as an item described on the schedules should be considered to be covered by that item.
The SUNY Records Retention Schedule (SUNY Schedule) contains records specific to SUNY, while the NY State General Retention and Disposition Schedule (NY State Schedule) includes all state records. Many of the SUNY Schedule topics are not covered by the NY State Schedule and some are a supplement to the NY State Schedule. If records appear in both schedules, the records should be maintained per the SUNY Schedule requirements.
