Student Organizations

Donate Student Organizations Records

Tufts Archival Research Center (TARC) collects “inactive” organizational records — that is, documents and other materials that you consult once a year or less, and preserves, describes, and makes accessible the records for future organization members and researchers.

By transferring your group’s inactive records to TARC, you’ll ensure that future group members have a place to turn when they:

Have questions about past projects and events
Want to find historical facts or photos to promote the group
Want to reach out to group alumni for reunions or fundraising

What does TARC collect?

Documentation about your organization, its work, and its role in the Tufts community, including:

Charters, constitutions, bylaws, and member handbooks
Publications, such as newsletters, produced by your group
Meeting minutes and agendas
Correspondence (including email!)
Membership lists
Photographs (print and digital) of your group and events
Audio and video (analog and digital) recordings of events
Event flyers, posters, and promotional materials
Scrapbooks
Websites, blogs, and social media

Explore a selection of existing collections of student organization records to better understand what you might transfer:

Ready to transfer your organization’s records?

Contact TARC (archives@tufts.edu) for information and advice about transferring your group’s records. We may also ask you to sign a deed of gift form if this is your first time transferring records to us.
A deed of gift is a formal and legal agreement between the donor and the repository (Tufts Archival Research Center) that documents the transfer and lays out intellectual property rights. The donor can choose one of three options related to intellectual property rights:
- Give all intellectual property rights that the donor possesses to the University;
- Retain intellectual property rights but grant a perpetual, world-wide, royalty-free license to use and reproduce the Property in any medium for educational, research, University public relations and other non-commercial purposes; or
- Retain all intellectual property rights.

Pack your records in sturdy boxes with handles. Contact TARC if you need boxes.
Label each box with your organization’s name, the date, and the name of a contact person.
File any loose papers in folders.
Make a contents list for each box including titles of each folder/item and the start and ends dates of the material.
Schedule a time to drop off your boxes at TARC.

Organize your electronic records just as you would your paper records. That means similar items, such as meeting minutes, should be kept in their own folder and clearly labeled. Create a standardized way of naming your organization’s files.
Contact TARC to set up a Box folder. Simply drag and drop your files to upload contents to the TARC.
Contact TARC to arrange for archivists to collect your group’s web presence.

Pass information about your records to your new members.
Create a schedule or policy for your organization that will prompt future group officers to transfer new records to TARC on a recurring basis (the end of each academic year).
Designate a group historian or archivist to document your group’s work and serve as your liaison with TARC.

Visit TARC

Archivists are here to help with questions about your group’s history. When you need to consult your records, TARC staff can help you arrange a research visit to the Tufts Archival Research Center Reading Room, located at Tisch Library, Level G. Your records may be stored off-site, so we may need a day or two of advance notice to prepare for your visit. Contact us at archives@tufts.edu or 617-627-3737.

Ask an Archivist