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ShredFest heads to Oxford on May 16

by Randy Hollowell, IT Services

On April 22, Miami held the first part of ShredFest 2019 at the Middletown and Hamilton campuses under near-perfect conditions. Hopefully, the weather will be just as cooperative on May 16 when the event takes place in Oxford.

“We couldn't have asked for better weather for the shred event at the regional campuses this year,” noted event organizer Connie Johnson, information security analyst III within IT Services. “It was a first that both campuses came in with the same shred weight at each location.”

Document shredding truck at Middletown campus in April, 2019This year seven people dropped off documents for shredding in Middletown, with a total weight of 1,302 pounds. That amount was basically equaled in Hamilton where 16 people took part. The 2,602 pounds shredded at the regionals this year is a ShredFest record, eclipsing the old mark of 2,050 pounds shredded in 2017.

Johnson is excited about the prospects for day two of the event. “If the Oxford event is as successful as past years, this could be another record year.”

The mobile shredder from Document Destruction will be visiting the Oxford campus Thursday, May 16 (during finals week), between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. at Cook Field (near Pulley Tower).

ShredFest is your opportunity to bring confidential office and personal documents for secure, on-site shredding. (It is advised that you separate your personal and Miami documents before you bring them to the shred event.)

Last spring, 146 people attended the event and shredded over 9,700 pounds of documents. That surpassed the previous year’s mark of about 8,950 pounds at this annual event, co-sponsored by IT Services and the office of general counsel.

According to Johnson, outdated paper documents can pose a significant risk for identity theft. “Anything that has a signature, an account number, social security number, or medical information poses a risk. During ShredFest, people drop off old bank statements and checks, ATM receipts, credit card receipts, address labels from junk mail, old utility bills, and outdated tax forms just to name a few items,” noted Johnson.

Johnson says that providing an annual shredding service for the campus and for the community helps to cut down the risk of data loss and provides a secure way to dispose of sensitive documents. “When people drop items off at the event, they tell us it gives them a sense of relief to finally get rid of old documents they no longer need and peace of mind that they are disposed of securely,” she said.

If you are not totally sure what personal documents should be shredded, or how long you should hang on to personal information, the Federal Trade Commission has a great guide for helping make that decision.

Please note that university documents must have reached the end of their retention period and be accompanied by a signed Records Disposal Form. The Miami University Records Retention Schedule and disposal forms are available from the office of general counsel website.

For more information on the ShredFest event, please visit MiamiOH.edu/UIT/ShredFest or contact Connie Johnson (IT Services).

For questions regarding document retention, contact: Aimee Smart (Office of General Counsel).

Electronics Recycling

If you have a need to recycle university-owned computers or peripherals, please use the Request Recycling form.

For information about where to recycle personal electronics such as computers and televisions, as well as fluorescent light bulbs and batteries, please visit the Butler County Recycling website.