Records Management Practices and service delivery in the Academic Registrar's office at the All Saint's University Lango

Abstract

The delivery of effective services in a university relies on its ability to manage records through appropriate records management practices. This study sought to examine the existing records management practices at the Academic Registrar’s office (ARO) at All Saints University Lango (ASUL), and how they affect service delivery. The objectives were to determine what types of records were being generated and their formats, examine the records management practices, challenges faced and recommend strategies for improvement. A case study design with a qualitative approach was employed in the study, purposive and convenient sampling was used to select the study respondents. Data was collected from 13 respondents that included the registrars, records staff, secretaries, IT support team, and the students. This was done through interviews, participant and direct observation, and document analysis. The study found that ARO generated different types of records which included policy documents, results, academic programs, reports, individual student files among others. The study established that as much as the ARO had accumulated a huge collection of academic records, there were no appropriate records management practices in place; the storage conditions were poor and files were packed and stored on the floor. It was also found that the academic records in most of the office sections were not properly arranged. The staff managing the academic records had limited records and archives management knowledge and skills which affected service delivery. The study recommended that ASUL should recruit professional records management personnel to manage the academic records and train all the ARO staff in issues of records management practices to ensure effective service delivery.

Keywords: records management, records management practices, academic records, university records, All Saints University Lango (ASUL), Academic Registrar’s Office (ARO)