Description
This series consists of the official administrative files of the University, which date back to the formation of the Developmental Council. Each item consists of a number of paper sheets or brochures contained in an official file folder. A number of the early files do not have covers on the folders and so are very fragile. The files have been created by numerous different administrative areas within the university (generally located in the Chancellery) and relate to all manner of university business, including property, courses, faculties, schools, alumni, finance, marketing, media, research and legal matters. Each folder has been registered on TRIM. This is where all files are listed and should be managed where necessary. Although added to by numerous different officers within the administration, the files have been primarily managed by the Registry / Records (agency 180). Due to the changes in the various records control systems over time, however, the file numbers of the administrative files present a particular challenge as they are not always uniform. The majority of file numbers on TRIM have six digits, but the majority of pre-1999 transfers to the Archives have eight digits. The different digit numbers result from the previous RMS system which had two separate databases, one for the files kept in Archives and one for files kept in Records. File numbers for records on the RMS Records database had six digits, whereas file numbers for records on the RMS Archives database had eight digits. When both RMS databases were amalgamated on TRIM all files kept the numbers they had on their respective RMS databases at the time ie files located in Archives kept eight digits and those located in Records kept six digits. Records transferred to the Archives since the amalgamation of the databases on TRIM have kept their six digits. When RMS was introducted, UNSW was using an annual single numbering system for the administrative files. However, many files did not have six digits, consisted of several parts (A, B, C, D...) or had an old UNSW file number consisting of a composite number (eg 59/065/77347). To enter file details on RMS, file numbers were altered as follows: -for files with less than six digits: for the Records RMS database if they were old files and had five digits they had a zero added in front. If they were part of the single annual running number the zero was added after the first two digits (which indicate the year). But all files which were entered on the Archives RMS database had their zeros added in front of the file number to make up the eight digits (eg a file with number 85889 would have been entered on the Archives RMS database as 00085889 by Archives staff, whereas if it were part of the Records RMS database it would have been entered as 850889 by Records staff). -files which consisted of several parts were top numbered with numbers starting with 37 or 33 apart from the last part which retained the original file number without the letter, but with zeros added if necessary. -for files with composite numbers only the last number, ie 77347 of 59/065/77347, was used to identify the file on the RMS system, with zeros added if necessary. Records that were transferred to the Archives have not been physically top numbered. Therefore files which have eight digits on TRIM only have six or less digits or a composite number written on their file cover. In addition these files have no eight digit barcode. Some, which were part of the Records RMS database before they were transferred to the Archives, have a six digit barcode. On transfer to the Archives these files received an additional two zeros in front of their six digit file number. This former numbering practice means that the barcode reader cannot read these files for use in TRIM. Some of the files also initially had photographs attached. In cases where they have been removed, these are listed in series 1752.
