This publication summarizes federal laws governing record-keeping, reporting, and retention of records typically in the possession of private and public colleges. It reviews relevant requirements of statutory and regulatory laws in regard to student records (transcripts, medical records, admission files, and disciplinary records); employee records (personnel files, affirmative action information, and payroll records); reporting and record-keeping requirements for nonprofit institutions; student financial aid records; records for grants and sponsored research; law enforcement records (campus security and hazing reports); licensure and accreditation records; and miscellaneous records (including voting lists, registration of out-of-state motor vehicles, and records required by the Drug Free Schools and Communities Act of 1988). The publication also discusses privacy and nondisclosure issues in relation to particular types of records, along with specific time periods for record retention, as expressly provided by statute or regulation. An appendix provides an overview of Massachusetts state laws governing record-keeping, reporting, and retention issues for illustrative and comparative purposes. A grid giving citations for federal laws governing record-keeping and reporting requirements is appended. (Contains 76 footnotes.) (MDM)