Research Compliance Retention Schedule

BGSU Schedule of Records Retention

Office: Research Compliance

In accordance with ORC Section 149.33 and Bowling Green State University Board of Trustees, a schedule of Retention and Destruction for the following records is hereby established. The records covered by this schedule, upon expiration of the retention period, shall be destroyed unless otherwise specified. No record shall be destroyed that pertains to any pending claim, action, litigation, or request.

Approvals:

Department Official: Signed
Date: 04/16/2015

Records Manager: Signed
Date: 04/17/2015

Schedule Number	Record Series Title	Main Format(s)	Retention Period
General Administrative Records
106-01	Correspondence A. Routine/Transient: Referral letters, requests for routine information or publications provided to the public by an agency that are answered by standard form letters B. General: Includes internal letters and memos; also correspondence from various individuals, companies, and organizations requesting information pertaining to agency and legal interpretations and other miscellaneous inquiries. This correspondence is informative, (it does not attempt to influence policy). C. Executive: Deals with significant aspects of the administration of the offices. Includes information on policy, program, fiscal or personnel matters.	Paper/Email Note: Contact the University Records Manager for help with email management. Also see the electronic records tutorial.	A. Retain until no longer of administrative value, then recycle or delete from email client B. 1 year, then recycle or delete from email client. C. Retain 3 years (if email retain in email client), then delete or export from email client and retain until no longer of value
106-02	Governance Documents: Minutes and agendas of departmental committees A. Human Subjects Review Board B. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee C. Institutional Biosafety Committee	Paper/Electronic	A. Retain 3 years, transfer to University Archives B. Retain 6 years; destroy minutes, transfer agendas to University Archives C. Retain 3 years, transfer to University Archives
106-03	Transient Documents: Electronic or written records that have a very short-lived administrative, legal, or fiscal value. May include, but are not limited to: post-it notes, routing slips, telephone messages, e-mail or voicemail, copies, notes or drafts used in the production of public records, and surveillance videos.	Paper/Electronic	Until no longer of value or superseded, then recycle or delete
Human Subjects Review Board (HSRB) Records
106-04*	A. HSRB Files Administrative records on medical and nonmedical human subjects for research studies. These include petition form, approval and continuing review documents, amendments, surveys, protocols written by principal investigators and related correspondence, application files, program evaluations, consent forms, and other records produced. Includes expedited and full board files. B. Exempt HSRB Files Exempt from federal regulations. C. Withdrawn HSRB Files	Paper/Electronic	A. Retain while active plus 5 years, then shred/delete* B. Retain 3 years after completion / expiration / discontinuation / determination date, then shred/delete* C. Retain 1 year from withdrawal date, then shred/delete*
106-05*	HSRB Continuing Review Listings List of potential/current projects	Paper/Electronic	Retain until no longer of administrative value, then shred/delete*
106-06*	HSRB Monthly Project Reports Notification to members of reviewed projects	Paper/Electronic	Retain 3 years, shred/delete*
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Records
106-07*	Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) Action on Protocol Applications Includes actions on applications by IACUC at regularly scheduled meetings and outside scheduled meetings	Paper/Electronic	Retain Active + 3 years, shred/delete*
106-08*	IACUC Protocols – Approved Request for permission to use laboratory animals in experiments; describes the experiment and the treatment of animals	Paper/Electronic	Retain 3 years after the protocol retirement date, shred/delete*
106-09*	IACUC Protocols – Withdrawn	Paper/Electronic	Shred/delete 1 year after withdrawal date*
106-10*	IACUC Annual Reports To OLAW, USDA, other outside entities	Paper/Electronic	Retain 6 years, shred/delete*
106-11*	Semiannual Animal Care & Use Program/Facilities Review Materials Includes formal reports and supporting documents, as well as PI-specific deficiency reports and completed room inspection sheets.	Paper/Electronic	Retain 5 years, then review for continuing administrative value. If no longer of value, shred/delete*
106-12*	USDA Inspection Reports	Paper/Electronic	Retain 6 years, shred/delete*
Institutional Biosafety Records
106-13*	Institutional Biosafety Committee Project	Paper/Electronic	Retain while active + 3 years, shred/delete*
106-14*	Institutional Biosafety Committee Annual Report To the National Institute of Health or other outside entity.	Paper/Electronic	Retain 5 years, shred/delete*

*For these record series, a Certificate of Records Disposal (CRD) must be filled out prior to disposal. The specific college/department must retain the CRD on file for 10 years after the date of disposal, and a copy of the CRD must be sent to the University Archives. Confidential paper records must be disposed of through Certified Document Destruction, Inc., and must be scheduled through the University Records Manager (372-9614).

Note:

University records include all information, regardless of format (paper, electronic, microform, etc.), created or received by a university office that documents the functions, policies, procedures, decisions, operations or other activities of the office. Retention periods apply to records regardless of format.

Comments

The University Archives will only collect record series 106-02. Other historic items listed on the university’s General Retention Schedule may also be collected, at the discretion of the archives.
Storage of inactive/non-permanent records is available at the University Records Center.
Other common records that may not be listed on this schedule may be on the university’s General Retention Schedule; offices may use retentions listed on the General Retention Schedule for records not listed on their departmental schedule.

Updated: 03/05/2026 10:46AM