Research Guides: GW Archives and Records Toolkit: Student Organizations

Records that students create

When evaluating the records of your organization, there are a few questions to consider:

What types of records might you be creating during your classes or while meeting in your student groups? And are those worth saving?
What is completely unique to your student group and how will those in the future understand?
Does this impact the work of the organization, the community or the university as a whole?

As you review and think about these materials, if you have any questions - don't throw it out! Keep the items and talk to the University Archivist. Once something is thrown out it is gone.

Records to keep

Records to keep might include:

Charter, Bylaws and other foundational documents
Meeting minutes and agendas
Photographs and scrapbooks
Publications produced by the student organization like newsletters and other informational documents
Membership lists and rosters or registers kept from meetings
Promotional materials such as posters or event flyers

Things you might not need to keep:

Artifacts such as plaques or trophies
Drafts, worksheets and duplicate copies of materials
Financial documents such as cancelled checks or banking notes

Spotlight

Student Collection Spotlight

The University Archives does contain a number of student organizational records. Included are:

There are also many publications created by and for students throughout the decades, many of which are available through the Short Run Publications records.