The File Classification Plan presented here is a model only. It is intended to provide departments with a starting point when designing or revising their own classification systems. The Plan makes no pretense to completeness. It is, however, based on the results of a number of projects we have undertaken with individual departments, our experience with record types common across the university, and comparisons with other universities.
The Plan is organized into 14 subject headings, largely based on common functions. By grouping records together by the function they support, you ensure that records relating to the same activities are located together. This facilitates filing and retrieving records. When you know the activity which generated the record, you know where to file it and where to find it. This means that the right information can be located when it is needed for a specific business purpose.
Within each subject heading, you will find a number of primary classification categories, each of which in turn is broken down into secondary classes. Scope notes are provided for each primary. For detailed explanations and guidelines for adapting the Model Plan to your department's requirements, see How to use the Model File Classification Plan.
By default, records classified under the categories presented here are all scheduled under Records Retention Schedule and Disposal Authority (RRSDA) 1999-005, General Administrative, Program and Subject Files. Exceptions are indicated in brackets with a link to the over-riding RRSDA. Individual departments should also consult any special departmental retention schedules which may have been prepared specifically for their own department and its unique records. To view the Plan, click on any of the 14 subject headings:
Last updated: July 2, 2010