Spring 2021
INF 389E Introduction to Records Management
Synchronous class meetings conducted online.
DESCRIPTION
Records Management is the “field of management responsible for the efficient and systematic control of the creation, receipt, maintenance, use, and disposition of records…” (ISO 15489). This course introduces the principles and practices involved in managing physical and digital records and information in private and public sector organizations.
COURSE NOTES
This course (INF389E: Introduction to Records Management) introduces the principles and practices involved in managing analog and digital data, information, and records in private, not-for-profit, and public-sector organizations. Becoming a distinct profession in the 1950s, traditional drivers for Records and Information Management (RIM) programs include the need to control the creation and growth of records and information, safeguard vital information, preserve corporate memory, and foster professionalism in the running of a business. RIM is now part of broader Information Governance (IG) initiatives which seek to improve organizational information management as a way to meet government oversight and industry regulation, to utilize information as an asset and as a strategic resource, and to manage business continuity concerns. Records and Information Managers work across sectors and industries including government (federal, state, local, criminal justice), education (colleges and universities), consumer goods and services (communications, real estate, non-profit, retail, media, food, hotel), energy (petroleum, utilities), financial and business services (banking, accounting, insurance), contractor Industries (government, employment), product and technical services (high tech, manufacturing, design, engineering, construction, transportation), legal (law firms), and the health Industry (health care services, pharmaceuticals). This semester the course will put a particular focus on (1) challenges and opportunities in managing information in a time of global crisis and (2) building resilience in your own RIM career. Over the course of the semester topics covered will include: managing structured and unstructured information, types of data/record/information systems, value propositions for RIM and IG, ethics and the RIM profession, information auditing and risk management, project management, business process modeling, classification schemes, RIM in the cloud, blockchain, e-discovery, information and system security, business continuity planning, storage and digital preservation, and corporate archives. By the end of the course students will be able to: Understand national and global policies and trends that impact information governance and the records and information management profession Understand and analyze the impact (practical, economic, and social) that records management and information governance have in organizational environments and government settings Understand the history of the RIM profession and the traditional and emerging roles and responsibilities of the records and information manager, and articulate the similarities and differences between RIM and other information professionals Understand and analyze the practical, legal, and ethical issues involved in implementing a records and information management program across the records lifecycle Understand and articulate policies and procedures for managing active and inactive records and gain firsthand experience of designing an effective digital record keeping system Gain familiarity with the concepts, tools, processes, and national and international standards that enable records managers to carry out their job in a competent and comprehensive manner
PREREQUISITES
Graduate standing.
RESTRICTIONS
iSchool students prioritized during earlier registration periods. Additional seats may become available for outside students in a later period.