The DCA is the steward of the University's permanently valuable records and collections created in any format, ensuring their permanent preservation and accessibility.

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Confidential Records Destruction

In order to protect the University and individuals, essentially all administrative, financial, research, student, and personnel records that need disposal must be destroyed in a confidential manner. This is particularly important for records containing personal information such as birth dates, social security numbers, bank account numbers or other financial information, student grades, personnel, or search committee files.

Destroying records in a confidential manner should be the rule, not the exception.

Only documents that have a wide distribution at the time of their creation, like publications, can be disposed of in the general trash or recycling.

Confidential Destruction Instructions

Many University departments use the Cintas document shredding service to confidentially destroy their records. For many departments employing this service is easier and more cost effective than purchasing and maintaining an office shredder.

  • Call Cintas at (800) 762-6765 and tell them that your office would like to use their records destruction service.
  • Cintas will deliver either:
    * A bin that holds 200 pounds of records. It looks like a large trash bin.
    Or
    * A bin that holds 75 pounds of records. It looks like a stand-up office cabinet and takes up less space than the other bin.
  • Keep the bin in a secure location.
  • Fill the bin with documents that require confidential destruction.
  • When the bin is full call Cintas to pick-up the bin. Alternatively, your department can arrange a regular pick-up schedule with Cintas.
  • Cintas will pick-up the full bin and drop-off an empty bin. It will also leave you with a certificate of confidential destruction.
  • Cintas will:
    * Destroy the records at its plant facility for approximately $35 per bin. It is the same price for the larger or smaller bin.
    Or
    * Destroy the records on-site at Tufts using a confidential destruction truck for approximately $75 for one bin and then $20 per extra bin of records destroyed at the same time.
  • See more information at the Cintas website.

Paper shredders may be a reasonable option for offices that generate a small volume of paper records. However, if you use a shredder, use a cross shredder that cuts paper into tiny squares rather than strip shredders that cut paper into strips.