What we acquire

SFU Archives' mission is to create a first-class facility for students and faculty in support of teaching and research at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Our Acquisition Mandate guides staff in selecting records for acquisition, including records offered by donors. Under this Mandate, we acquire three major categories of records:

1. University records

The official records of the University, including those created by the Board of Governors and Senate, university committees, faculties, departments and administrative offices. These records form the corporate memory of Simon Fraser University and are valuable in understanding the University's essential activities, legal obligations and responsibilities. They also document how the University has developed and grown over time.

University records are acquired by SFU Archives through the University's Records Management Program.

2. Campus community records

Records not created by the University, but document the wider university community. Such records include those donated to us by campus community organizations that are closely affiliated with SFU, but are separately incorporated bodies. Examples include the SFU Student Society, the SFU Childcare Society, the SFU Faculty Association, and the SFU Women's Centre.

We also acquire, through donation, the private papers of prominent, individual faculty, students and staff.

The acquisition of records created by campus community organizations and individuals enriches our understanding of the broader university community, supplementing SFU's corporate historical record.

3. Private records

Records that support research interests at the University in a wide variety of academic fields, including history, English literature, gender, sexuality and women's studies, geography, sociology and anthropology, communications, and fine and performing arts. These records are donated to us by organizations, private individuals, and families and include the records of collectives, non-profit societies, professional associations, labour unions, politicians, artists, feminists, architects, activists, and private citizens.

Learn more about these records in our Private Records Acquisition Strategy.