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Submit a Records Destruction Request (RM-3)

Updated 

Summary

Before destroying records, employees must complete a certificate of records destruction form (RM-3) with signed approval by the university's Records Officer in accordance with state law and university policy. Records must NOT be destroyed until the Records Officer's signed approval has been received. 

Environment

University employees, faculty members and hospital employees. All record formats including paper, digital and physical media.

Solution

"Public record" or "record" means recorded information that documents a transaction or activity by or with any public officer, agency or employee of an agency. Regardless of physical form or characteristic, the recorded information is a public record if it is produced, collected, received or retained in pursuance of law or in connection with the transaction of public business. The medium upon which such information is recorded has no bearing on the determination of whether the recording is a public record. Code of Virginia § 42.1-77

 

Steps:

  1. Lauch Form - Visit this link to start the request form: https://go.vcu.edu/rm-3
  2. Enter Recipients - Fill in the name and @vcu.edu email address for each recipient described below and click [Begin Signing] to complete the request:

    • Person Completing Form: Enter your name and email.  

    • Approving Official: Any VCU employee in your department, who can confirm the accuracy of the records destruction request and is responsible for signing line 7.  This recipient should be the same as the Person Completing Form unless your department requires a specific Approving Official such as a manager or department record coordinator. 

    • Records Officer: The designated VCU employee responsible for approving all RM-3s and signing line 8.  This recipient has been pre-populated and is not displayed below.  

    • Destruction Affirmed By: This recipient will be responsible for confirming the record destruction has occurred and signing line 9.  A VCU employee is recommended, and this may be the same recipient as the Person Completing Form if you will be responsible for destroying the records or coordinating destruction/deletion with a third party. Vendor destruction certificates are not an acceptable alternative.

  3. Complete the RM-3: 

    • Sections 2 - 6 will be completed by the Person Completing Form recipient.

    • Section 6 “Records to be Destroyed” must contain the exact information provided to us by the Library of Virginia’s record retention schedules. 
      • Schedule and Records Series Number: In column a, use the exact schedule and records series numbers as found on the Library of Virginia’s record retention schedules.  The GS number series is the schedule number and the six digit number following is the records series number.

      • Records Series Title: In column b, use the exact records series titles provided on the Library of Virginia’s retention schedules.  If this information is different from what the Library of Virginia dictates, the form will be rejected until revisions are made.  Please keep in mind that these forms are public records held by the Library of Virginia for decades, so please do not include personal identifying information or account information as notations in this column.

      • Date Range: In column c, the date range should contain the earliest month and year and the latest eligible destruction month and year.  You do not need to account for any gaps in time in between, as this will be reflected in your volume. Please keep in mind that because the Library of Virginia uses month and year format rather than a month, day and year, the month that is eligible for destruction cannot be reported until the following month.  For example, records that expire in January 2018 cannot be destroyed until February 2018 or later.

      • Location: In column d, the “Location” is optional.  Feel free to provide the record’s physical location such as an application name, building name, room number, or off-site vendor name. 

      • Volume:  In column e, you must use the proper volume and format for each records series.  If a records series is both paper and electronic, you must report each format on a single line.  Please reference the volume equivalency table provided by the Library of Virginia to account for your records accurately.

      • Destruction Method: In column f, the Destruction Method refers to how you will be destroying your records.  If the record disposition is confidential, the only acceptable manners are shred, pulp, incinerate or delete.  If the record disposition is non-confidential, you may recycle, trash, or delete but can also list a confidential record disposal method as well.  Please do not elaborate on the method beyond those discussed in this module.

    • Click [Finish] button to submit the request.

    • After submitting the request, the RM-3 is emailed to the VCU Records Management Office for review.

  4. Records Management Office Review: 
    • The Records Management Office will review the RM-3 and notify the Person Completing Form recipient if any changes are required.  

    • If changes are necessary, the request will be declined, and an email will be sent to the Person Completing Form recipient with a voided reason.  Changes must be submitted to a new request.  

    • If no changes are necessary, the RM-3 is emailed to the Approving Official for signature.

  5. Approving Official Signature:
    • The Approving Official will receive an email notification from VCU RECMAN.

    • After the Approving Official signs line 7 and selects [Finish] button, the RM-3 is emailed to the Records Officer for signature.

  6. Records Officer Signature:
    • The Records Officer will receive an email notification from VCU RECMAN.

    • After the Records Officer signs line 8, the noted records are approved for destruction.

    • The RM-3 is emailed to the Destruction Affirmed By recipient for signature.

  7. Record Destruction:
    • The Destruction Affirmed By recipient will receive an email notification from VCU RECMAN.

    • The Destruction Affirmed By recipient will coordinate the destruction of the noted records.

    • After confirming the noted records have been destroyed, the Destruction Affirmed By recipient signs line 9 and selects [Finish] button.

  8. Request Completion:
    • A copy of the completed RM-3 is emailed to all recipients.  

    • The VCU Records Management Office will process and submit the official RM-3 to the Library of Virginia.

 

Notes:

  •   Incomplete requests will expire after 365 days. 

 

 

Additional Information

Keywords: records rm-3 destruction destroy