FAQs

Please note that the McGill University Archives does not hold medical records from affiliated McGill University hospitals (MUHC) or other health care institutions. If you are requesting a patient file, you will need to contact the attending physician, hospital or clinic responsible for the file. 

A Manuscript Group consists of a private archival fonds or a grouping of papers according to the dominant theme of the records. Here is the list of MUA’s Manuscript Groups. 

A Record Group is a way MUA organizes its institutional records. Assigned by Archives staff, these groupings are based mainly on the University's organizational structure and help bring together records from the same administrative or academic unit (faculty, department or office). Here is the list of MUA’s Record Groups. 

Personal records should be stored on approved personal storage platforms, such as Google Drive or Dropbox. OneDrive may be used to store individual professional documents, such as CVs, templates, and training materials, as well as working papers and draft versions of University records. 

Official/Final versions of University records and regulated data, however, should not be stored on OneDrive or local hard drives. To ensure security, compliance, and business continuity, these records should be stored in approved collaborative and secure repositories, such as SharePoint or Documentum. 

For more guidance on how to manage your digital records please refer to our Digital Records Storage Guidelines.

Emails are considered University records and must therefore be managed in accordance with the University's records management practices.

We invite you to consult the Email Management Guidelines developed by the McGill University Archives for guidance on the classification, retention, and disposal of emails, as well as employees' responsibilities regarding records management.

The MURRS (McGill Records Retention Schedule) is a compilation of rules guiding when and if records can be destroyed.​  MURRS is in compliance with provincial legislation requiring public bodies to have a records retention schedule. 

As a McGill unit head or employee, you have a duty to ensure the security and management of records according to the MURRS and to comply with the policies and procedures of the University Archives. 

Here’s a chart to provide an overview of the typical content of a retention rule: PDF of the chart

It refers to: All records created and/or accumulated by the University or affiliated bodies, including but not limited to faculties, departments, institutes, schools, and centers of research or services; and all records created and/or accumulated by all persons employed by the University in the performance of their duties as University officials, professors, or administrative and support employees.​ 

Yes, destruction of University records requires the joint written authorization of the University Archivist and the office responsible for the records. Please consider the following key points to help ensure a smooth and efficient destruction process: 

1. Group records by activity or record type. For example, do not mix accounts payable records with personnel files. 
2. Verify retention requirements. Consult the MURRS or the Classification Guide to confirm that records have reached the end of their retention period and determine whether your office is the primary or secondary office of record. 
3. Prepare an accurate file list. Submit an inventory of the records to be destroyed using the approved template: Box file listing template
4. Allow sufficient processing time. Submit your request at least five (5) working days before the planned destruction date to allow for review and issuance of the destruction authorization memo. 
5. Please note that MUA will issue guidelines on the destruction of digital records at a later date. 

The complete destruction guidelines can be found here: Destruction guidelines