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UNIVERSITY POLICY 

To identify, collect, preserve and make accessible appropriate archival records that document the history of UMDNJ and its antecedent institutions.

II.       ACCOUNTABILITY

Under the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the University Librarian shall ensure compliance with this policy. The Head of the Department of Special Collections and Archives shall implement this policy.

III.      APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all Schools, healthcare facilities, and administrative offices of the University.

IV.      DEFINITION

Archives:  the official records of the University retained and preserved because of their enduring historical value. The Archives are administered by the University Libraries and are located in the George F. Smith Library of the Health Sciences, Newark. Department of Special Collectionsand Archives staff determine the historical value of official records through a standard appraisal process. Archives are usually, but not limited to, records created or received during performance of official duties by the senior officers of the University. "Archives" also refers to the physical repository where archival records are held.

V.       POLICY

A.       The UMDNJ Archives, organized in 1980, and now known as the Stanley S. Bergen, Jr., MD University Archives, is a repository for inactive records of historical value that document the mission and activities of UMDNJ and its antecedent institutions: Seton Hall College of Medicine and Dentistry, New Jersey College of Medicine and Dentistry, and the College of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

B.       The University Libraries Department of Special Collections collects, preserves, administers and provides access to archival records and supports research on these records in order to promote an appreciation for the history of the University and its contributions to medicine, dentistry, public health and the health sciences.

C.       In addition to archival records (as defined in section IV.), the archives also contain the following:

1.       University publications: Annual reports, bulletins, bylaws, catalogs, charters, commencement programs, handbooks, manuals (policies and procedures), minutes (UMDNJ Board of Trustees, School-based faculty council/organization meetings), news releases and clipping files, official UMDNJ publications, photographs, reports, rules and regulations, student newsletters and publications, yearbooks, other ephemeral items, oral histories, audio and video formats.

2.       New Jersey Medical History Manuscript Collection: This collection consists of personal papers, association/organization records, collections and manuscripts of faculty members, individuals, and organizations.

D.       Access to Records:

1.       The UMDNJ University Libraries are committed to making research materials available to users in accordance with the standard professional policy on access adopted jointly by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) and the American Library Association (ALA). UMDNJ Archives will balance the researcher's need for access with the needs for confidentiality of persons and institutions whose activities are reflected in the material. Consequently, the use of some materials in UMDNJ's Archives, especially those of recent date, is subject to restrictions.

2.      UMDNJ archival records are available in accordance with the following rules and regulations of the University Libraries:

a.        UMDNJ policy is guided by relevant Federal and State laws, including but not limited to, the New Jersey Open Public Records Act, the New Jersey Right to Know Law, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and the Freedom of Information Act.

b.        Institutional records will normally remain open unless the office of origin has determined that certain records should be restricted for a limited period.

c.         During the restricted period, the records will only be available to the office of origin, the staff of the Archives, and senior officers of UMDNJ as needed.

VI.      PROCEDURE

Access to records during the restricted period (other than office of origin, the Archives staff, and the officers of UMDNJ):

By Direction of the President:

______________________________________
Vice President for Academic Affairs

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