Palm Beach State College Board Policy

Title: Public Records – Management, Retention and Disposition

Policy Number: 6Hx-18-1.24

Legal Authority: Chapter 119 FS, 1002.22 FS, 1006.52 FS, 257.36 FS, 6A-14.047 FAC

Date Adopted/Amended: Adopted 6/19/2001; Amended 11/19/2024

 

Palm Beach State College shall comply with state statutes, administrative rules, and the Florida Department of State Records Retention Schedule in the creation, management, retention, and disposition of public records.

  1. “Public records” means all documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of physical form, characteristics, or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by the college.
  2. “Electronic records” made or received in the transaction of official business of the college are public records and shall be maintained and produced for inspection upon request in the same manner as other public records. Electronic records include data files and databases, machine-readable indexes, word processing files, electronic spreadsheets, electronic mail and messages (e-mail), as well as other text or numeric information.
  3. All public records, regardless of form, are open to public inspection unless the legislature has specifically exempted them from disclosure. All public records in the custody of the college shall be open for personal inspection by any person, at reasonable times and under reasonable conditions.
  4. College custodians of public records shall furnish copies of public records upon request and upon payment of a charge, as authorized by law, for the cost of duplication and labor. Requests for public records shall be responded to on a timely basis in a manner that maintains the confidentiality of records made confidential by law and recognizes exemptions from the requirements of the public records law.
  5. All requests for student records are to be directed to the Vice President of Student Services. All other requests for records, other than student records, are to be directed to the Office of the General Counsel.

Any other provision of law to the contrary notwithstanding, any record required to be kept by Palm Beach State College may be reproduced in an electronic document management system, to comply with applicable public record and retention laws, and the original of the record may thereupon be disposed of as the college sees fit.