ACL Document Retention and Destruction Policy

1. Policy and Purposes

This Policy represents the policy of the Association for Computational Linguistics (the "organization") with respect to the retention and destruction of documents and other records, both in hard copy and electronic media (which may merely be referred to as "documents" in this Policy). Purposes of the Policy include (a) retention and maintenance of documents necessary for the proper functioning of the organization as well as to comply with applicable legal requirements; (b) destruction of documents which no longer need to be retained; and (c) guidance for the Executive Board and staff and other constituencies with respect to their responsibilities concerning document retention and destruction. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the organization reserves the right to revise or revoke this Policy at any time.

2. Administration

2.1 Responsibilities of the Administrator

The organization's Secretary shall be the administrator ("Administrator") in charge of the administration of this Policy except for financial documents which shall be the responsibility of the association's Treasurer. The Administrator's responsibilities shall include supervising and coordinating the retention and destruction of documents pursuant to this Policy and particularly the Document Retention Schedule included below. The Administrator shall also be responsible for documenting the actions taken to maintain and/or destroy organization documents and retaining such documentation. The Administrator may also modify the Document Retention Schedule from time to time as necessary to comply with law and/or to include additional or revised document categories as may be appropriate to reflect organizational policies and procedures. The Administrator is also authorized to periodically review this Policy and Policy compliance with legal counsel and to report to the Executive Board as to compliance. The Administrator may also appoint one or more assistants to assist in carrying out the Administrator's responsibilities, with the Administrator, however, retaining ultimate responsibility for administration of this Policy.

2.2 Responsibilities of Constituencies

This Policy also relates to the responsibilities of board members, staff, volunteers and outsiders with respect to maintaining and documenting the storage and destruction of the organization's documents. The Administrator shall report to the Executive Board (the board members acting as a body), which maintains the ultimate direction of management. The organization's staff shall be familiar with this Policy, shall act in accordance therewith, and shall assist the Administrator, as requested, in implementing it. The responsibility of volunteers with respect to this Policy shall be to produce specifically identified documents upon request of management, if the volunteer still retains such documents. In that regard, after each project in which a volunteer has been involved, or each term which the volunteer has served, it shall be the responsibility of the Administrator to confirm whatever types of documents the volunteer retained and to request any such documents which the Administrator feels will be necessary for retention by the organization (not by the volunteer). Outsiders may include vendors or other service providers. Depending upon the sensitivity of the documents involved with the particular outsider relationship, the organization, through the Administrator, shall share this Policy with the outsider, requesting compliance. In particular instances, the Administrator may require that the contract with the outsider specify the particular responsibilities of the outsider with respect to this Policy.