Records management and archival practices at Central Philippine University: A basis for a proposal for an archival program to establish the University Archives

Abstract

Records management seeks to efficiently and systematically control the lifecycle of records that are routinely generated as a result of activities and transactions. Records are a vital asset in ensuring that the institution is governed effectively and efficiently, and is accountable to its staff, students and the community that it serves. Records support decision-making, organize documents, provide evidence of policies, decisions, transactions and activities, and support the university in cases of litigation. There have been many instances at the Central Philippine University whereby records were reported to be misplaced or missing thus raising a question on how are records managed and what system and policies are used in terms of records management. This special paper sought to investigate the status of records management at Central Philippine University. The study used the survey research method, with the questionnaire as the primary data collection instrument. The study targeted both administrative and academic (staff/secretary) employees at the Central Philippine University. Purposive sampling was used to select 20 administrative offices and 3 academic department offices, resulting in a total of 23 respondents. The findings revealed that the Central Philippine University still has a long way to go with respect to day-today records management. No formal records management system was identified at Central Philippine University. There also appeared to be no specific policy for records management. There were no qualified records management practitioners at the Central Philippine University, even though there are employees who are hired by the university as so-called 'records officers'. Proper training, workshops and skills in records management are therefore lacking amongst academic and administrative practitioners at Central Philippine University.