AC26 | Session 21
No Drama, No Trauma: Ensuring that Record Disposition is Defensible
Target: Federal, Tribal, State, Local, Public Institutions of Higher Learning
Focus: Archives, Records Management, Technology/Tools
Levels: Beginner
GARA: "Retention & Disposition" OR "Digital Repository Management" 
Overview

Defensible disposition is the justifiable disposal of records that no longer need to be retained according to approved Retention and Disposal Schedules and that are not subject to legal holds. Defensible disposition is authorized, irreversible, and auditable. To ensure the process is defensible, custodians need standard operating procedures that confirm the correct records were identified as eligible, disposal activities were authorized, documented for auditing, and executed through transparent, predictable, and consistent steps with built-in quality controls.

The State of Michigan Records Management Services (RMS) was established by Michigan law in 1952 and brings over 70 years of experience delivering defensible disposition for paper and electronic records. RMS supports government agencies in managing records and information in effective, cost efficient, and legally compliant ways across all levels and branches of Michigan government.

RMS has operated a records center since 1954 with capacity for more than 500,000 cubic feet of records. The State Records Center receives and disposes of approximately 20,000–30,000 physical containers annually. RMS also supports electronic document management through Content Manager; as of 2025, the system housed 49.5 million records (33 TB), supporting 4,400 users across 140 agencies.

Over time, RMS developed process maps, SOPs, and detailed instruction manuals with built-in quality controls to ensure eligible records are destroyed defensibly. These manuals are supplemented by tracking tools, document templates, communication templates, and filing systems that support each disposal cycle end-to-end.

RMS is also developing tools and approaches to help IT teams adopt defensible disposition practices for applications that create and store electronic records. Because disposition is rarely defined as a business requirement during system acquisition and development, systems often lack the controls and procedures needed for systematic disposition and legal holds. Michigan is working with multiple teams to define requirements, adopt planning forms, and publish model workflows that promote quality control and defensibility.

Attendees will benefit from Michigan’s extensive experience and will receive procedures and tools they can adapt to their own organization for both paper and electronic records disposition.

Presenters
Caryn Wojcik
Caryn Wojcik
Senior Government Records Analyst, State of Michigan, Records Management Services
Caryn Wojcik is the Senior Records Analyst for the State of Michigan Records Management Services. She began working for the State of Michigan in 1996 and is responsible for developing Retention and Disposal Schedules, supporting information governance initiatives, and training government employees on best practices for records management.

Ms. Wojcik earned her bachelor’s degree in history (1993) and master’s degree in information and library science (1995) from the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor) and is a Certified Archivist (Emeritus). She served as Secretary to the NAGARA Board (2003–2012), was elected to the NAGARA presidential track in 2019, served as President (2020–2021), and currently serves as the NAGARA representative on the NHPRC.

 

Megan Malone
Records Analyst, State of Michigan, Records Management Services
Megan Malone is a Records Analyst at the State of Michigan Records Management Services, where she develops retention schedules and provides records management expertise to state and local government agencies. She earned an MLIS and a certificate in Archival Administration from Wayne State University (Detroit), and is a Certified Archivist.