ARCHIVES

No: S-6
Date: March 28, 1988-Rev. (1)

1. The archivist is responsible for records which have been transferred to the unit archives. The archivist advises departmental and other administrative officers on the control and disposition of records as defined by state law. The university legal custodian of records, however, has final authority with respect to the disclosure of records under Wisconsin Public Records Law.
   
   
2. When the administrative officer of a department or other office desires to deposit records in the archives, the officer first consults with the archivist to make arrangements for proper packing and transfer.
   
   
3. No department or other office may destroy any records without the permission of the archivist. The latter consults with the State Public Records and Forms Board to establish retention and distribution schedules. This board meets four times annually so departments and offices wishing to destroy or discard records should plan well in advance.
   
   
4. No records or publications transferred to the archives may be used outside the premises of the archives by any office other than the office of origin. The latter may withdraw on indefinite loan any records which it has transferred.
   
   
5. The office of origin may specify whether its records may be freely used by other persons, or it may impose restrictions on their use. If considered necessary, records may be sealed before they are deposited, together with a descriptive inventory; or they may be designated as confidential, to be used only upon written authorization of the responsible office of the office of origin. However, the university legal custodian of records shall be the final authority relative to the disclosure of such records.
   
   
6. Policies Governing Use of the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Archives

   a)   The University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee maintains archives to preserve the historical records of the university, to facilitate efficient records management,       and to serve historical research and scholarship. All university records, including those housed in the archives, are by statute under the control of the
         Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System.

   b)   Certain portions of various categories of records (pertaining to individual students, faculty members, and other personnel of the university) are likely to be       confidential and privileged, subject to a case-by-case determination by the university legal custodian of records.

   c)   Access to confidential records as determined by the archivist may be obtained if:

   1. The request has the approval of the relevant university office (college, department, or other subdivision) whose records are involved.
      
      
   2. Where the request is not approved by the relevant university office, the formal denial of access must be reviewed and confirmed or overruled by the university legal custodian of records in writing.

   
   d)   Records currently in the possession of the various university offices and not housed in the archives are under the immediate physical custody of the offices       concerned rather than the unit archivist. Upon request, the archivist will endeavor to secure specific current records or true copies of same for use by       researchers in the archives subject to the provisions of the Wisconsin Public Records Law, the general guidelines outlined above, and any other policies       that  may be established by the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System or the university administration governing the use of university       records. Such requests to the archives staff must be for specific records because the archivist staff cannot handle general requests for indiscriminate         inspection of all kinds of current files.

   e)   The facilities and services of the archives are intended primarily for the use of University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee staff in its operation of the university.       Research in the archives by others is welcomed, subject to available resources and the Wisconsin Public Records Law.