Records Disposition Log Dates
Quick Retention Guide: Fiscal Year 2025
Calculations valid September 1 - August 31, 2025
Retention Period is listed only in years.
| Retention Period | Dispose of Documents Through This Date |
| 1 year | End of last month (or previous semester), 2024 |
| 2 years | End of last month (or previous semester), 2023 |
| 3 years | End of last month (or previous semester), 2022 |
| 4 years | End of last month (or previous semester), 2021 |
| 5 years | End of last month (or previous semester), 2020 |
| 6 years | End of last month (or previous semester), 2019 |
| 7 years | End of last month (or previous semester), 2018 |
| 10 years | End of last month, 2015 |
| 20 years | End of last month, 2005 |
Retain and dispose of the entire month (or semester). Do not split the month (or semester).
Retention Period begins at the end of the fiscal year
FE = Fiscal Year End
| Retention Period | Dispose of Documents Through This Date |
| FE+1 | August 31, 2023 (FY2023) |
| FE+2 | August 31, 2022 (FY2022) |
| FE+3 | August 31, 2021 (FY2021) |
| FE+4 | August 31, 2020 (FY2020) |
| FE+5 | August 31, 2019 (FY2019) |
| FE+6 | August 31, 2018 (FY2018) |
| FE+7 | August 31, 2017 (FY2017) |
| FE+8 | August 31, 2016 (FY2016) |
Retain and dispose of the entire fiscal year. Do not split the fiscal year.
Retention Period begins at the end of the calendar year
CE = Calendar Year End
| Retention Period | Dispose of Documents Through This Date |
| CE+1 | December 31, 2023 |
| CE+2 | December 31, 2022 |
| CE+5 | December 31, 2019 |
Retain and dispose of the entire calendar year. Do not split the calendar year.
How to Enter Dates on a Records Disposition Log
Column 1
Agency Item Number = Record Series Number
Column 1: Record Series Number
- Agency Item Number = Record Series Number.
- Must use the Records Retention Schedule (RRS) to find in which series your records belong.
- The series number must be entered exactly as it appears on the RRS.
- Group like records together.
- One line per record series is sufficient.
- You do NOT need to list records individually.
Column 2
Record Series Title
Column 2: Record Series Title
- Must use the RRS to find in which series your records belong.
- The record series title must be entered exactly as it appears on the RRS.
- After providing the formal title, you may add additional information.
Column 3
Retention Period
Column 3: Retention Period
- Must use the RRS to find in which series your records belong.
- The retention period must be entered exactly as it appears on the RRS.
Columns 4 & 5
Start and End Dates
Columns 4 and 5
- Start and End Dates of the records you wish to dispose.
- Some retention periods are event-based; use this event date as defined in the RRS and see Event-based Retention information below.
If retention = AC+x, then group records according to the AC event/definition.
- If AC=end of semester, then use semester and year for columns 3 and 4.
| Summer 2020 | Spring 2021 | Fall 2022 |
- If AC=date of separation from department, then use month and year of separation.
| April 2019 | June 2021 | September 2023 |
- If AC=last semester of enrollment, use semester and year of last enrollment.
| Spring 2020 | Summer 2021 | Fall 2023 |
If retention = FE+x, then group records according to fiscal year.
- If you have only one fiscal year of records to dispose:
- Start Date: FY2023 End Date: FY2023
- If you have more than one fiscal year of records to dispose:
- Start Date: FY2022 End Date: FY2024
If retention = CE+x, then group records according to the calendar year.
- Start date should be January 1 of any given year.
Calculating Retention
The retention period (column 3) plus the end date of the records (column 6) should equal a date that has already passed. You must calculate the dates to know if the retention period has expired. Use the Quick Retention Guide dates listed above to help check.
Event-based Retention
For event-based retention, use the EVENT dates, not the dates of the record.
AC = After Completion; see each record series for the specific definition of that event.
For a retention period of AC+5, where AC=date of separation:
- Report disposition by month and year that employee separated.
- Retention = date of separation + 5 years.
- The retention clock starts counting the 5 years on the date of separation. You must use the AC date when figuring out which records to dispose.
- Start Date = [employee separated in] March 2019
- End Date = [employee separated in] June 2024
For a retention period of AC+2, where AC= end of semester:
- Report disposition by semester.
- Retention = end of semester + 2 full years.
- The retention clock starts counting the 2 year retention based on the end of the semester (we typically use the first date of the NEW semester to signify the end of the previous semester retention period, because students have 2 full years to contest a grade).
- Start Date: Spring 2018
- End Date: Spring 2020
If retention period = FE+3, where FE=fiscal year end, then:
- Report disposition by [complete] fiscal year.
- Please do your best to keep the entire fiscal year together and dispose of all at the same time.
- Start Date: September 1, 2010 End Date: August 31, 2013
- Start Date: FY2018 End Date: FY2018
Reminders: Dates Matter!
2022
= entire calendar year, so if you mean calendar year, use CY2022 to clarify.
Spring 2018
= records produced during the entire semester. If retention is based on semester, use the SEMESTER rather than month – it's much easier to use the semester.
April 2021
= a specific month of an event, or the date of a group of records. It's OK to use a month in most cases, but be sure to check the instructions on the RRS to be sure.
May 15, 2022
Retention is not managed by specific date. Standard practice is to manage retention by month, semester, or year. If you mean semester or month, use semester or month.
Length of retention (usually in years) will be calculated according to the completion of the semester/month – which does not happen until the start of the next semester/month.
- Records with an end date of a month will meet retention based on the first day of the next month.
- Records with an end date of a semester will meet retention based on the first day of the next semester.
- Records with an end date of the fiscal year (August 31) will meet retention based on the first day of the new fiscal year (September 1).
- Records with an end date of the end of the calendar year (December 31) will meet retention based on the first day of the new calendar year (January 1).