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Records Management

Disposal of Records

Most temporary inactive university records are stored in the George Mason University Records Center until they are eligible for disposal in accordance with state requirements. After the state-mandated storage time for inactive temporary records in records management has passed, the Records Manager sends the necessary paperwork, an RM-3 form ("Certificate of Records Destruction"), to the authorized departmental representative for signature. Both the Records Manager and the department representative must sign the form before any further action can follow.

Please note that if any records are still under audit, lawsuit, etc., at the time of the scheduled disposal date, then those records cannot be destroyed until a specified amount of time after the resolution of all such pending or ongoing action.  Contact the University Records Manager  if you have questions about records disposal procedures or if your records require customized disposal.

After the Records Manager receives back the signed RM-3 form with departmental approval for records destruction, then the records are disposed of in the appropriate manner as specified in the RM-3 form as per state guidelines: 

• Regular GMU paper records are disposed of by recycling (also known as waste or pulping).
• Paper records with any privileged or confidential information, such as SSN, G-number, personnel information, grades, or credit card information, must be disposed by shredding. Either RM staff or a bonded records disposition company handle all shredding.
• Commonwealth guidelines (General Schedule 110) stipulate that electronic records must be "wiped" clean or the storage media physically destroyed; basic deletion of confidential or privacy protected files is not sufficient. 

After the disposal process is complete, the completed RM-3 form is sent to the Library of Virginia, as required by the Commonwealth, and a copy is retained in the GMU Records Management Office.

If you receive a request to produce or retrieve a record  that has already been disposed in accordance with the standard disposal process, contact the University Records Manager to obtain a copy of the pertinent RM-3 form ("Certificate of Records Destruction") completed at the time of disposal. The RM-3 documentation  authenticates the destruction of the record(s) in question in accordance with Commonwealth regulations.

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Fenwick Library, Room C204. MSN 2FL. TEL 703.993.2201. FAX 703.993.8911. Email

Last updated: May 2008