Happy New Year, Lobos!
I’m really looking forward to working with all of you this year to insure that Sul Ross State University continues to place an importance onto the state laws regarding records management. If you’ve compiled your New Year resolution list already, might I suggest that you highly consider making improvements in your records management techniques and understanding. Fear not, however, this is one resolution that you will not have to do alone. I am here to help you every step of the way.
To start off, here’s a list of a few ways in which you can slowly improve the records management techniques in your own office and department.
- Understanding what the schedule is referring to when it says, “Correspondence – Administrative” (1.1.007) or “Correspondence – General” (1.1.008).
- After almost a year of the new records management program at Sul Ross, I feel as though this is still confusing to many people.
- Not every email that comes into your inbox would be considered Correspondence – Administrative/General. In like manner, not every email that comes into your inbox is junk. Be mindful of what should be kept and what can be deleted immediately.
- For more tips on how to categorize your emails, please read my previous post titled “HELP! What about emails?“.
- Spend at least 10 minutes a week dedicating time to reorganize or maintain your current organization methods according to the records retention schedule.
- If you start out slow, eventually you’ll get there. It’s a huge undertaking at the beginning and a constant pain afterwards, but if you’re diligent you will save yourself a lot of time, effort and headaches.
- Ask don’t assume.
- Records management seems like an easy thing to understand, and quite honestly I would have to agree with that. However, not attending training and going at it alone does not mean because you’ve looked at the schedule, does not mean that you will be following the records management guidelines correctly. It’s really important for everyone to reach out to the records management office concerning best methods and practices. Even if it’s one phone call/email you’ll benefit from it. I promise.
Good luck this year Lobos! We have a lot of big things happening for Sul Ross in 2018. Let’s make this year a good one for Records Management!
Thank you!
Kayla