PROFILE: Meet UC’s New Manager of the University Records Program
Are your record-keeping practices up to par? Janice Schulz can help.
| Janice Schulz |
Does the term “retention schedule” sound familiar to you? If so, Janice Schulz is on the lookout for it. Schulz is the new University Records Manager and Archives Specialist, joining the UC community last month.
Part of the function of the Archives and Rare Books Library, located on the eighth floor of Blegen Library, the University Records Management Program was established in 1979 in accordance with Ohio and federal law. The program’s primary objectives are to:
Promote efficiency by removing inactive or obsolete records from offices (clearing out the clutter and allowing more space for you)
Protect the university by following guidelines established by the Ohio law
Preserve the history of the university in one central location, appropriately the University Archives
“We’re still working on getting retention schedules from a lot of places and I’m still working on getting to meet and know the people in charge of managing the records in the individual departments across the university,” Schulz explains.
Without an approved records retention schedule, Schulz says offices cannot dump or destroy any records. On the other hand, the folks who save everything can end up with a major space problem. Plus, they can increase legal liability. Through the guidelines of the records management process, offices can actually reduce the amount of space taken up by various records series.
“Also, one thing people mistakenly believe is that when you talk about inventory programs, you’re documenting every piece of paper and every single folder, which is not the case,” Schulz says, adding that there’s a form on the Web site of the University Records Management Program that can help. The procedures are simple and can be accomplished in a relatively short period of time.
Schulz comes to UC after previously spending five years as a programmer/analyst for the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. She says her new job at UC is a perfect fit. “I was interested in working in records management at a major university, and it’s not a field that is very open, so this was the perfect opportunity for me. And, with my interest in history as well, I’m also looking forward to working in archives.”
In fact, Schulz is already planning on pursuing a UC bachelor’s degree in history. She already holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration/marketing. She also is a genealogist, pursuing her own Croatian heritage as well as doing professional work. In addition to its various archival and book holdings, the Archives and Rare Books Library also has public records that are helpful to people who are pursuing the history of their family as well as local history.
Her final advice for departments up to their ears in the clutter of records? “Call me. If you don’t have a retention schedule in your office or you don’t know who the records officer is in your department, or if you have any questions about records management, like where to even begin, contact me, because that’s what I’m here for.” This fall, Schulz will resume presenting semi-annual records management workshops for university offices. Her office number is 513-556-1958 and her e-mail is Janice.Schulz@uc.edu
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