EMAIL
MANAGEMENT
Email
Members of the University of Regina community rely heavily on email as a means of communication
Email is used for two purposes;
• quick, convenient method to transfer ephemeral information
• increasingly, becoming ‘formal business’ records which are evidence of important transactions
This guide sheet is designed to help staff manage their email records and be aware of privacy and disclosure
issues
Any email that is processed through the University’s servers may be subject to the Freedom of Information and
Protection of Privacy Act
University records are those records within the University’s custody or control.
These basic guidelines are intended to assist staff create, compile and manage email records that are
deemed university records and to be aware of potential privacy and disclosure issues
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Email as a university record
Identify emails that constitute a university record
Generally speaking, records relating to the University’s operation and administration
• to university-related business/activities of individual faculty, staff and students are university
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records (based on the definition in RIM Policy GOV-070-005)
• Email communications that document actions or decisions related to university business are
university records
When it comes to identifying emails as university records ask; was it created or received in the conduct of
university affairs?
• Does it document/facilitate: a function of the university; an action taken or decision made; the
formulation of policy or decision-making process; a change to organisation policy or procedure;
does it have financial or legal implications (e.g. a contract, a grievance case, or a personnel file)?
• Is it required for the operation or administration of normal business functions?
• Does it need to be approved by or reported to another individual or internal or external body?
• Does it set a precedent?
• Is it governed by any legislation specific to your organization?
• Does it affect or protect the rights and entitlements of faculty, staff, students of the university ?
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http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/records/electronicrecords/docs_pdfs/EmailManagement-­‐v5-­‐march2012.pdf viewed at 4:10 on 4/230/2013. 2
Certain categories of records will typically be important to identify and manage as university records These include: policies and
directives; work schedules and assignments; substantive drafts of documents circulated, for approval or comment; any document
that initiates, authorizes, or completes a business transaction; final reports or recommendations; correspondence, memos, or
messages about agency business; agendas and minutes of meetings; internal publications
Conversely, certain records can be identified as “housekeeping” or non-university records and should be routinely destroyed when
no longer needed: circulated information received for information only, e.g. listservs, internal circulars, bulletins; trivial work-related
material, such as reminder notes or room bookings; copies of documents or publications kept for reference purposes, as long as the
official copy resides in a central recordkeeping system; preliminary drafts and working papers not significant to decisions made;
advertising material received where no action was taken; private or personal correspondence, received at work but not affecting
official duties
Records and Information Management Program
2013
EMAIL
MANAGEMENT
v
Keep university emails separate from personal/non-university emails
Composing emails
Encourage the creation of better emails
• keep emails brief
• keep emails business-like
Users are responsible for the creation/drafting of appropriate content of electronic messages (should be
based on same consideration given for other written communications to an important audience)
Refrain from content that is misleading, incomplete, inaccurate, fraudulent, harassing, embarrassing,
sexually explicit, profane, obscene, intimidating, defamatory, or that violates any laws or regulations
Do not send via electronic messages a) confidential or personal employee information; b) proprietary
data, trade secrets or other institutional confidential information; c) privileged provider-client information
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Maintain a professional tone in email messages. Leave personal comments out of business
communications. Limit the message contents to one subject per message.
This will make filing email messages easier. Use informative subject lines that accurately
describe the message
content’s are usually used for information and not for action; limit your cc’s to only those who
need to know.
Disclosure of email
University records including email, may be the subject of an access request under the Freedom of
Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)
If personal email messages are mixed with university records, they may be subject to an access request.
Don’t use a private email account for university business
Delete or forward personal email to a private account, or maintain it in a separate folder
Keep personal email to a minimum.
Write as though every email message will be disclosed.
Don’t say things in an email that you wouldn’t say in a letter or other written communication
Protecting personal information in email
Care should be taken that sensitive or personal information contained in email messages is handled
Appropriately
Messages sent on campus using the University’s network are considered secure. However, always be
cautious about including others’ personal information in email messages, since email messages may be
forwarded by others without the sender’s knowledge or inadvertently transmitted to unauthorized
recipients
Email messages sent to non-U of Regina email accounts are not secure for transmitting personal,
sensitive or confidential information
Records and Information Management Program
2013
EMAIL
MANAGEMENT
v
Keep university emails separate from personal/non-university emails
Email Management
Emails identified as university records
• Retain messages that are sent and received only if they relate to university business; all other
messages can be treated as transitory and deleted
• When retaining a series of replies or forwards, keep only the last message as long as the thread
is complete and hasn’t been changed in the course of the exchange
• Make sure to retain information in the header regarding the sender, recipients, date and time; this
helps preserve the context of the message
Assign university business-related emails to central recordkeeping system
A recordkeeping system organizes records according to a file plan, provides shared access to those who
need it, and applies retention and disposition rules.
The email application is not a recordkeeping system
Keeping ALL emails, forever (in your Inbox or archived in GroupWise) is;
Retaining emails based on pre-set storage quotas for individual accounts is;
Retaining emails based on file size or file format is;
NOT email management
NOT email management
NOT email management
Email Retention and Disposal
Make regular time to manage your email
Routinely remove ephemeral and non-university records from the electronic messaging system
As a temporary measure before filing in a proper recordkeeping system, create folders within the
email system that reflect your unit’s file plan.
Email management should be based on functions/business purpose for which email has been
created/compiled
Create folder structure in email system (GroupWise) that reflects approved records schedules
Manage email(s) in context with other university records to which they relate
Regularly transfer university emails from user’s Inbox to shared/centralized/managed recordkeeping
system of the business unit
If you have an electronic recordkeeping system, file email (and attachments) in that system.
If you have a paper based recordkeeping system, periodically print and file the email (and attachments)
and then delete them from the email system
Transfer “university record” emails from inbox to;
1) shared file folder/directory
2) documents/records management software (if used by business/academic unit)
Records and Information Management Program
2013
EMAIL
MANAGEMENT
3) repository or collaborative technology (such as Microsoft Office SharePoint)
4) print it out and manage as hardcopy file
v
Keep university emails separate from personal/non-university emails
Records and Information Management Program
2013