Part-Time Affiliate Faculty

Record Retention

While there are no specific guidelines on how long you should retain final exams and grade information, a good rule of thumb is the appeal guidelines.  Final exams are problematic because, unlike other semester exams, students usually do not have an opportunity to review the final exam before grades are submitted and the semester ends.  Undergraduate or graduate students may appeal a grade up to no later than four months after the grade was issued. There is a process that is subsequently followed.  

Thus, the minimum rule of thumb would appear to be one semester to hold final exams and any other evidentiary documentation that supports a student grade. Of course, documentation could be kept longer, if one wishes.  For example, many Loyola professors keep gradebooks indefinitely. For summer courses, holding the evidence through the end of the fall term should suffice.   You also should speak to your department chairs regarding any department-specific guidelines that may apply or if you need your files to be stored for you.