According to Faulhaber (2019), records management is a must-have function for industries, charitable
organizations, government agencies, civic groups, medical, commerce, financial, schools, colleges, and
universities, and other types of entities that generate information that must be kept for a specific
amount of time. As explained by Lush and Young (2019), keeping records straight is not only good
business practice, but also necessary for running a productive, well-functioning company. The foundation
for business intelligence and the ability to make data-driven decisions that affect the bottom line is
having a proper record management system. Moreover, academic records management is an essential
tool in the university administration's effective and efficient operations of students' records (Seniwoliba
et al., 2017)
Faulhaber, P. (2019, March 3). The definition of records management. Bizfluent. Retrieved February 20,
2022, from https://bizfluent.com/about-5144277-definition-recordsmanagement.html
Effective records management is one of the strategies for ensuring quality assurance in higher education
management (Joy & Agala, 2019). Records help with decision-making, documenting public operational
processes, providing evidence of policies, decisions, transactions, and activities, and assisting the
university in legal cases (Giba-Fosu, 2020). Thus, all universities must take responsibility for the proper
storage and management of their records.
Joy, N. C., & Agala, H. O. (2019). Quality assurance in the management of Nigeria university education.
Advances in Social Sciences Research Journal, 6(8), 240–247. https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.68.6872
Clear, consistent, and organized records are essential for keeping compliance and avoiding future issues
(Heaney, 2021). For example, developing effective office filing policies can make it easier to locate
important documents. No matter how much documentation is completed on computers, there will
always be a portion that must be printed and filed by hand. Regardless of how detailed an office filing
policy is, someone must be responsible for implementing it daily for it to be effective (Root, 2019). This is
important as Yuee (2020) emphasized that losing important and sensitive data can have a significant
impact on business operation. Backups ensure that at least one additional copy of important files can be
easily restored if the originals are lost or damaged (Castagna, 2021). For instance, if computer crashes, a
copy of document can be saved (Davis, 2021a).
Heaney, J. (2021, June 7). What is the importance of record keeping? Walden. Retrieved February 20,
2022, from https://waldenenvironmentalengineering.com/environmentalservices-blog/the-importance-
of-record-keeping/
The management of an institution's records determines its reliability and trustworthiness. As such,
records must be stored in a safe environment that ensures accessibility and protects records from
environmental damage (Kaboyo, 2019). According to Nabwami (2018), a well-kept record can protect the
institution in situations where the legal defense of their actions is required. Documentation also ensures
a level of professionalism and evidence of practice improvement.
Kaboyo, D. (2019). Assessment of storage and retrieval practices in records management at ministry of
information, communications technology and national guidance. Makerere University.
http://dissertations.mak.ac.ug/handle/20.500.12281/7894
