FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS’ ACADEMIC RECORDS
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Record keeping in an organizational set-up is very important and cannot be overemphasized. This is because continuity depends on availability of useful records of past activities. In a complex organization like that of the university, it is not possible to keep every information in the brain because the volume of information is heavy, therefore records must be kept. The keeping of records predated the existence of man. For instance, in Genesis l and 2 God kept a chronological record of all his creations of the world from day one when he created the heaven and earth to the seventh day when he rested from all his works which he had made. In Nigeria, Education law demands that every educational institution should keep certain school records such as log book, admission register, visitors book ,inventory book, account book etc The keeping of record is oen organized around a life cycle that all records should follow viz-creation, storage, retrieval (for use as needed), retention and disposition which includes protecting all vital documents (records). According to the International Organization for Standardization 2001, record can be defined as information created, received and maintained as evidence and information by an organization or person in pursuance of legal obligation or in the transaction of business. Mbiti (1978) sees school records as comprising all the books and files or other document containing information relating to what goes on in that school, who is in the school as well as what type of property the school owns. According to the Fund and Wagnalls Standard Desk Dictionary (2000), record is an account in writing or other permanent form serving as a memorial or authentic evidence of facts or events. It is regarded as information handed down or preserved. Record management is the practice of maintaining the records of an organization from the time they are created up to their eventual disposal; this may include –classifying, storing, securing and destruction (or in some cases, archival preservation) of records. Record management is primarily concerned with the evidence of an organization’s activities and is usually applied according to the value of the records rather than their physical format. In the past, record
management was sometimes used to refer to only to the management of records which were no longer in everyday use but