FILES

As department chair you are responsible for all files that are departmental in nature such as faculty recruiting and hiring files, faculty review files (third-year, tenure, special, etc.), departmental budget files, and departmental review files. It is your responsibility as chair to see that these files are maintained in a safe and secure location and kept up-to-date. When it is time for you to relinquish the chair, the files should be transferred to your successor. Many departments have centralized filing, in the keeping of the department assistant, but it is important that sensitive files remain confidential and accessible only to the chair of the department.

One frequently asked question is how long one must keep files, particularly those related to a job search. According to the Human Resources Office, the rule of thumb is three years, at which time all dossiers, etc., can be destroyed confidentially (shredded). Personnel files, department review files, and other departmental files should be kept as long as they are useful. The College Archivist would be happy to consult about which files should eventually be transferred to the archives and which could eventually be destroyed.