Authorization for the Wellesley College Archives
The Board of Trustees, recognizing the need for a formal records management and archival policy for the preservation and availability of the official records of Wellesley College for administrative, fiscal, legal, and historical purposes, hereby adopts the following policies for the management of College records and the collection and preservation of papers, records and documents by the Wellesley College Archives.
All employees of the College, including members of the faculty to the extent that their responsibilities include nonteaching or administrative duties of either a continuous or occasional nature (such as acting as chair of a department or serving on departmental or College committees), are responsible for observing the following policies:
1. Records created by employees of Wellesley College in the course of the College’s academic and administrative operations, and by faculty in their administrative roles, are the property of Wellesley College. (For definition of "records" see Wellesley College Records Management Policy.)
2. Retention of College records is governed by the Wellesley College Records Management Policy, administered by the Records Management Officer.
3. The Archivist is responsible for determining which College records have permanent or enduring value, and for arranging, in consultation with the Records Management Officer, for the transfer of such records to the Archives.
The Archivist will consult with the appropriate administrative officers regarding any special conditions of access that may be placed on any category of records maintained in the Archives due to legal constraints, privacy considerations, or other legitimate reasons. It is understood that in the absence of specific restrictions, all materials transferred to the Archives will be open to researchers. Records preserved in the Archives may be retrieved by the office of origin at any time for its own use, but shall be returned to the Archives when no longer needed by the office of origin.
The Archives will preserve the records of the Board of Trustees transferred to the Archives by the Clerk of the Board. Access to these records shall be governed by the Board of Trustees.
As a supplement to the College’s official records, the Archives may also receive and preserve personal papers of faculty members, administrative officers, members of the Board of Trustees, alumnae, students or student groups, and employees, in cases in which the Archivist determines that preservation of such records in the Archives is warranted.
Voted by the Board of Trustees, September 21, 1983; amended April 11, 2008.