Policy Statement:

The purpose of this email retention policy is to establish guidelines for the retention and management of Outlook mail within Rockhurst University. This policy ensures that emails and associated documents are retained for a period of two years, aligning with our data retention requirements and compliance obligations.

Scope:

This policy applies to all employees, students, contractors, and any other personnel who have access to and use Outlook mail within Rockhurst University.

Policy Guidelines:

  1. Retention Period:
    • All Outlook mail, including emails, attachments, and associated metadata, will be retained for a minimum of two years from the date of creation or receipt.
    • After the two-year period, emails and their attachments will be eligible for deletion unless specific legal, regulatory, or business requirements dictate otherwise.
  2. Email Categorization and Classification:
    • Users should exercise good judgment when categorizing and classifying emails.
    • Utilize appropriate folders, tags, or labels to organize emails based on their nature, relevance, or departmental requirements.
    • Ensure that emails are properly classified to facilitate efficient retrieval and compliance with retention policies.
  3. Email Deletion:
    • At the end of the two-year retention period, emails will be subject to deletion unless they fall under specific legal, regulatory, or business requirements that mandate their preservation for a longer period.
    • Users are responsible for periodically reviewing their mailbox and deleting any irrelevant or unnecessary emails that do not need to be retained as per the two-year retention policy.
  4. Legal Holds and Litigation:
    • In the event of a legal hold or pending litigation, the two-year retention period may be suspended, and emails relevant to the matter must be preserved until further notice.
    • Users must promptly communicate any legal hold notices to the designated personnel responsible for email retention.
  5. Backup and Recovery:
    • Regular backups of Outlook mail will be performed to ensure data integrity and facilitate recovery in case of accidental deletion, system failure, or disaster.
    • Backups should be retained for a period aligned with the two-year retention policy to ensure recoverability if needed.
  6. Employee Responsibilities:
    • Users are responsible for managing their mailbox and adhering to this email retention policy.
    • Users should familiarize themselves with and follow the procedures outlined in this policy.
    • Failure to comply with the policy may result in disciplinary action.
  7. Communication and Awareness:
    • This policy will be communicated to all employees, faculty, staff, and relevant stakeholders.
    • Training and awareness programs will be conducted to educate users about their responsibilities regarding email retention and management.

Review and Audit:

This email retention policy will be reviewed periodically to ensure its effectiveness and compliance with evolving legal, regulatory, and institutional requirements. Regular audits will be conducted to monitor adherence to the policy and identify areas for improvement.

Approval:

This policy has been reviewed and approved by the appropriate authority at Rockhurst University. Any questions or concerns regarding this policy should be directed to the designated contact or department responsible for email retention.