The Archives Policy of Saint Francis University (SFU) has been formulated with the intention of ensuring that archival records of enduring historical value will be collected, organized, preserved, and properly utilized in research, teaching, learning and administration and that the history of SFU, Caritas Bianchi College of Careers (CBCC) and Caritas – Hong Kong will be duly documented.
The SFU Archives is committed to the proper management of all archival records possessed by the University. Its key responsibilities include:
- performing the assessment and selection of archival records for permanent retention;
- organizing and preserving archival records;
- providing access to archival records in compliance with the institutional policy and legal regulations;
- promoting the archival materials to the stakeholders and the general public; and
- serving as a node in the archival network of Caritas – Hong Kong and providing support for the Caritas Academy in archival management.
This policy applies to all staff, students, and stakeholders of SFU.
Records of enduring value which document the history of SFU, especially those which are related to the University’s key functions, operations, procedures, policies, decisions, and official activities, will be selected for inclusion in the University Archives. Materials which are not directly relevant to SFU’s history but which are profoundly valuable for research, teaching and learning might be acquired and housed in the Special Collection.
Specific categories of archival records or materials to be gathered include but are not limited to:
- documents (meeting records, policy statements, strategic plans, official correspondence, reports of units and Schools);
- publications (prospectuses, calendars, annual reports, newsletters, promotion leaflets);
- photographs and videos;
- digital materials; and
- artifacts and memorabilia which pertain to the history of SFU and CBCC.
For the purposes of this policy, the following definitions are used:
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Active records / current records |
Records that are used with sufficient frequency by units or Schools |
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Archival records |
Inactive records of the activities of an organization carrying enduring value that should be permanently preserved |
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Archives |
The storage unit that houses archival records of the parent institution |
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Appraisal |
The process of determining which records or materials have historical value and should be permanently preserved as archival records and which records or materials should be discarded |
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Disposal |
The destruction of records, especially inactive records, or the transfer of these records to the SFU Archives |
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Inactive records |
Records that are no longer used in the regular course of business in units or Schools |
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Office of origin |
The administrative units, departments or Schools in which a set of records is created or received and is accumulated during the course of business. |
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Records |
Recorded information that is created or received and maintained by an organization or person in the transaction of business or the conduct of affairs and is kept as evidence of such activity |
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Records Retention and Disposal Schedule |
A set of authorized instructions for categorizing records and for determining the period of retention or the manner of disposal |
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Special collection |
A collection of any records and heritage materials created by and acquired from external sources that add value to the core collection. Sometimes it is called “collected archives” |
This Policy will be periodically expanded and reviewed to ensure its continued relevance and effectiveness.
Updated: July 2025