MARA 210-10
Records Creation, Appraisal and Retention
Spring 2015 Greensheet

Jason Kaltenbacher
E-mail
Office Hours: By appointment. Appointments can be via telephone or online.


Greensheet Links
Textbooks
SLOs
Competencies
Prerequisites
Resources
Canvas
iSchool eBookstore
 

Canvas Information: Courses will be available beginning January 22nd, 12:01am PST unless you are taking an intensive or a one unit or two unit class that starts on a different day. In that case the class will open at 12:01am PST on the first day that the class meets.

You will be enrolled into the Canvas site automatically.

Course Description

Overview of records creation processes; management and documentation of those processes, including forms, mail, reports, reprographics management, document control, legal compliance; basic appraisal concepts; records inventories and retention scheduling; vital records; contingency planning; records disposition; and archives.

Course Requirements

Assignments, Lectures, discussions, assignments, and rubrics will be posted to the Canvas course management system. Links to additional materials will be provided in Canvas as well.

Here is a brief summary of the assignments and points earned:

  • Student Introduction post to discussion board - 20 points
  • Discussion based on material covered - 20 points each X 9 = 180 points
  • Electronic Records Analytical Essay - 100 points (SLO #3)
  • Archival Appraisal Quiz - 50 points (SLO #6)
  • Retention Policy: Project Plan Assignment - 50 points (SLO #7
  • Retention Policy: Functional Analysis & Records Survey Assignment - 100 points (SLOs #24)
  • Retention Policy: Records Series Classification Assignment - 100 points (SLO #4)
  • Retention Policy: Records Retention Schedule Assignment - 200 points (SLOs #2, 4, 5, 7)
  • Final Exam - 200 points (SLO #1)

Total number of points for this class is 1000.

NOTE: For modules with required discussion board postings, students should provide their initial post by Wednesday at midnight (pacific time), to leave ample time for follow-up discussion. Please participate early and actively in the required discussions.

Details for all of the discussions and assignments will be provided in Canvas.

Assignments Due
Unless otherwise noted, each module beings on Monday and ends on Sunday. Assignments will be due by midnight (pacific time) on the due date.  

Course Calendar

Week/Dates Objectives & Readings Assignment
Module 1 (extended week):

Jan. 22 - Feb. 1
Introduction to the concepts of records creation, appraisal and retention; lifecycle of records

Read: Introduction, Ch. 1 & Ch. 2. in the Franks text
Review lecture

Student Introduction

Discussion board
Module 2:

Feb. 2-8
Electronic records, part 1: creation of electronic records; unique characteristics; electronic records management; metadata

Read: Ch. 5 in the Franks text
Review lecture

Discussion board
Module 3:

Feb. 9-15
Electronic records, part 2: electronic content management systems; the capture, storage and tracking of electronic records

Read: Ch. 6 & 7 in the Franks text
Review lecture

Discussion board
Module 4:

Feb. 16-22
Records retention schedules

Read: Chs. 3 & 4 in the Franks text
Review lecture

Electronic Records Analytical Essay; Due: February 22nd
Module 5:

Feb. 23 - March 1
Digitizing and microfilming paper records, preservation and active use

Readings will be provided in class<
Review lecture

Discussion board
Module 6:

March 2-8
Contextual Analysis

Readings will be provided in class
Review lecture

Retention Policy: Project Plan Assignment; Due: March 8th
Module 7:

March 9-15
Functional Analysis; conducting a records survey; classifying records series

Readings will be provided in class
Review lecture

Discussion board
Module 8:

March 16-22
Retention analysis: regulatory requirements for records creation and retention

Readings will be provided in class
Review lecture

Retention Policy: Functional Analysis & Records Survey Assignment; Due: March 22nd
March 23-29 Spring Break + weekend (NO CLASS)  
March 31 Cesar Chavez Day (NO CLASS)  
Module 9:

March 30-April 5
Retention analysis: identifying potential records for legal action

Readings will be provided in class
Review lecture

Discussion board
Module 10:

April 6-12
Retention analysis: determining operational value for the retention of records

Readings will be provided in class
Review lecture

Discussion board

Retention Policy: Records Series Classification Assignment; Due: April 12th
Module 11:

April 13-19
Retention analysis: archival appraisal of records

Read: Ch. 10 in the Franks text
Review lecture

Archival Appraisal Quiz; Due: April 19th
Module 12:

April 20-26
Vital records policy; continuity planning

Read: Ch. 8 in the Franks text
Review lecture

Retention Policy: Records Retention Schedule Assignment; Due: April 26th
Module 13:

April 27 - May 3
Implementing records management policies and strategies

Read: Ch. 9 in the Franks text
Review lecture

Discussion board

Final Exam made available to Students on Monday, April 27th - Two weeks to complete
Module 14 (extended week):

May 4-13
Course Wrap-Up Review lecture

Discussion board

Final Exam; Due: May 13th

Please complete the SOTES (Student Opinion of Teaching Effectiveness) by May 13th

**No Class: Monday-Sunday, March 23 - 29, 2015 (Spring Break)

**No Class: Monday, March 31, 2015 (Cesar Chavez Day)

Grading

  1. Course grades are determined by the accumulation of 1000 possible points, distributed as outlined above under the course calendar.
  2. This class follows the standard iSchool Grading Scale. 
  3. Late assignments will not be accepted after 5 days past the due date. Late assignments submitted after the assignment deadline will receive a 10% point reduction for each day up to 5 days based on the total point value of the assignment. For example, a 200 point assignment would have a daily 20 point reduction; a 100 point assignment would have a daily 10 point reduction; a 50 point assignment would have a daily 5 point reduction. No points will be awarded after 5 days late.
  4. Discussion board postings will not be accepted for credit after the module's discussion has ended.
  5. All course materials must be completed by the last day of the class.

Course Workload Expectations

Success in this course is based on the expectation that students will spend, for each unit of credit, a minimum of forty-five hours over the length of the course (normally 3 hours per unit per week with 1 of the hours used for lecture) for instruction or preparation/studying or course related activities including but not limited to internships, labs, clinical practica. Other course structures will have equivalent workload expectations as described in the syllabus.

Instructional time may include but is not limited to:
Working on posted modules or lessons prepared by the instructor; discussion forum interactions with the instructor and/or other students; making presentations and getting feedback from the instructor; attending office hours or other synchronous sessions with the instructor.

Student time outside of class:
In any seven-day period, a student is expected to be academically engaged through submitting an academic assignment; taking an exam or an interactive tutorial, or computer-assisted instruction; building websites, blogs, databases, social media presentations; attending a study group;contributing to an academic online discussion; writing papers; reading articles; conducting research; engaging in small group work.

Course Prerequisites

Demonstrated computer literacy through completion of required new student online technology workshop

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

  1. Articulate the roles of context and function in identifying and analyzing records for purposes of creation and retention.
  2. Perform environmental and functional analyses of an organization for the purposes of establishing context for the records of the organization.
  3. Communicate the issues surrounding the creation and capture of records in an age of electronic media.
  4. Apply the tool of functional analysis to identify and define records series for the purposes of records retention.
  5. Identify regulatory requirements for records creation and retention, evaluate the potential need for records in legal actions; and determine operational requirements for the retention of records.
  6. Apply the fundamentals of archival appraisal to the records of an organization.
  7. Create records retention schedules and document the associated analysis and appraisal.

Core Competencies (Program Learning Outcomes)

MARA 210 supports the following core competencies:

  1. C Describe the evolution of systems that manage data, information, communication, and records in response to technological change.
  2. D Apply basic concepts and principles to identify, evaluate, select, organize, maintain, and provide access to physical and digital information assets.
  3. E Identify the standards and principles endorsed and utilized by data, archives, records, and information professionals.
  4. H Describe current information technologies and best practices relating to the preservation, integrity, and security of data, records, and information.

Textbooks

Required Textbooks:

  • Franks, P. (2013). Records and information management. ALA Neal-Schuman. Available through Amazon: 1555709109arrow gif indicating link outside sjsu domain

Grading Scale

The standard SJSU School of Information Grading Scale is utilized for all iSchool courses:

97 to 100 A
94 to 96 A minus
91 to 93 B plus
88 to 90 B
85 to 87 B minus
82 to 84 C plus
79 to 81 C
76 to 78 C minus
73 to 75 D plus
70 to 72 D
67 to 69 D minus
Below 67 F

 

In order to provide consistent guidelines for assessment for graduate level work in the School, these terms are applied to letter grades:

  • C represents Adequate work; a grade of "C" counts for credit for the course;
  • B represents Good work; a grade of "B" clearly meets the standards for graduate level work;
    For core courses in the MLIS program (not MARA) — INFO 200, INFO 202, INFO 204 — the iSchool requires that students earn a B in the course. If the grade is less than B (B- or lower) after the first attempt you will be placed on administrative probation.  You must repeat the class the following semester. If -on the second attempt- you do not pass the class with a grade of B or better (not B- but B) you will be disqualified.
  • A represents Exceptional work; a grade of "A" will be assigned for outstanding work only.

Students are advised that it is their responsibility to maintain a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA).

University Policies

General Expectations, Rights and Responsibilities of the Student

As members of the academic community, students accept both the rights and responsibilities incumbent upon all members of the institution. Students are encouraged to familiarize themselves with SJSU's policies and practices pertaining to the procedures to follow if and when questions or concerns about a class arises. See University Policy S90-5 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S90-5.pdf. More detailed information on a variety of related topics is available in the SJSU catalog at http://info.sjsu.edu/web-dbgen/catalog/departments/LIS.html. In general, it is recommended that students begin by seeking clarification or discussing concerns with their instructor. If such conversation is not possible, or if it does not serve to address the issue, it is recommended that the student contact the Department Chair as a next step.

Dropping and Adding

Students are responsible for understanding the policies and procedures about add/drop, grade forgiveness, etc. Refer to the current semester's Catalog Policies section at http://info.sjsu.edu/static/catalog/policies.html. Add/drop deadlines can be found on the current academic year calendars document on the Academic Calendars webpage at http://www.sjsu.edu/provost/services/academic_calendars/. The Late Drop Policy is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/aars/policies/latedrops/policy/. Students should be aware of the current deadlines and penalties for dropping classes.

Information about the latest changes and news is available at the Advising Hub at http://www.sjsu.edu/advising/.

Consent for Recording of Class and Public Sharing of Instructor Material

University Policy S12-7, http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/S12-7.pdf, requires students to obtain instructor's permission to record the course and the following items to be included in the syllabus:

  • "Common courtesy and professional behavior dictate that you notify someone when you are recording him/her. You must obtain the instructor's permission to make audio or video recordings in this class. Such permission allows the recordings to be used for your private, study purposes only. The recordings are the intellectual property of the instructor; you have not been given any rights to reproduce or distribute the material."
    • It is suggested that the syllabus include the instructor's process for granting permission, whether in writing or orally and whether for the whole semester or on a class by class basis.
    • In classes where active participation of students or guests may be on the recording, permission of those students or guests should be obtained as well.
  • "Course material developed by the instructor is the intellectual property of the instructor and cannot be shared publicly without his/her approval. You may not publicly share or upload instructor generated material for this course such as exam questions, lecture notes, or homework solutions without instructor consent."

Academic integrity

Your commitment, as a student, to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. The University Academic Integrity Policy F15-7 at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/docs/F15-7.pdf requires you to be honest in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at http://www.sjsu.edu/studentconduct/.

Campus Policy in Compliance with the American Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need to make special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 at http://www.sjsu.edu/president/docs/directives/PD_1997-03.pdf requires that students with disabilities requesting accommodations must register with the Accessible Education Center (AEC) at http://www.sjsu.edu/aec to establish a record of their disability.

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