† Access to these repositories can be centrally-managed if you use a departmental/shared account.
* These repositories will persist beyond employee separation if you use a departmental/shared account.
- UW Exchange Online
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Description
UW Exchange Online is the University’s Microsoft Office 365 offering for email and calendaring. Most users access Exchange using the Outlook desktop or O365 web app.
Appropriate Use
When suitably configured, UW Exchange Online is appropriate for storage of any type of records.
Management
- Use folders to organize and manage records by type and date range.
- Save attachments outside of email.
- Delete records as they pass retention.
Warnings
Storing records in email typically makes it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any records with continuing retention requirements must be transferred to another employee or stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site or Google Shared Drive. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
Resources
IT Connect - UW Exchange Online
UW General Records Retention Schedule
University of Washington Email Policy
RMS's Email Hub
- UW Gmail
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Description
Gmail is a web-based email and calendaring service provided as part of the Google Apps suite. Through the UW’s contract with Google, UW Gmail provides security safeguards and supports integration with other UW services which go beyond their personal consumer offering.
Appropriate Use
When suitably configured, Gmail is appropriate for storage of most types of records with the exception of HIPAA-protected records.
Management
- Use folders to organize and manage records by type and date range.
- Save attachments outside of email.
- Delete records as they pass retention.
Warnings
Storing records in email typically makes it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any records with continuing retention requirements must be transferred to another employee or stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site or Google Shared Drive. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
Resources
IT Connect - Google G Suite
UW General Records Retention Schedule
University of Washington Email Policy
- UW MWS I: Drive and Windows File Service
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Description
The I: Drive and Windows File Service are both network shared file spaces offered to Managed Workstation Services customers as part of their file services options.
Appropriate Use
When suitably configured, MWS file services are approved only for FERPA-protected student records and records without personal or confidential information; they should not be used to store any financial records containing credit card numbers, research, or HIPAA-protected records.
Management
- Use folders to organize and manage records by type and date range.
- Delete folders as they pass retention.
Resources
IT Connect - MWS File Services
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Managing Nebula (MWS) Drives
- UW MWS H: Drive and UW-IT U: Drive
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Description
The H: Drive is a user-specific network file share offered to Managed Workstation Services customers as part of their file services options. The U: Drive is a similar repository offered by UW-IT to faculty, staff and students. Access for each is tied to the individual user’s UW NetID.
Appropriate Use
These file services are approved only for FERPA-protected student records and records without personal or confidential information; they should not be used to store any financial records containing credit card numbers, research, or HIPAA-protected records. Should only be used for records that have value exclusively to the owner of the drive.
Management
- Use folders to organize and manage records by type and date range.
- Delete folders as they pass retention.
Warnings
It should be noted that storing records in user-specific repositories like the H: and U: Drives makes it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any records with continuing retention requirements must be transferred to another employee or stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site or Google Shared Drive. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
Resources
IT Connect - MWS File Services
IT Connect - U Drive File Storage
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Managing Nebula (MWS) Drives
- Microsoft OneDrive for Business
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Description
OneDrive for Business is the University’s Microsoft Office 365 offering that provides cloud-based file storage to allow online access, file sharing, and document collaboration.
Appropriate Use
When suitably configured, OneDrive for Business is appropriate for storage of any type of records. Individual OneDrive accounts (as opposed to a OneDrive account that is tied to a departmental UW NetID) are best used primarily for working documents and temporary storage.
Management
- Use a departmental/shared UW NetID to host the OneDrive account.
- Manage permissions centrally.
- Use folders to organize and manage records by type and date range.
- Set permissions at the folder level.
- Delete records as they pass retention.
Warnings
It should be noted that limited access permissions can make it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any records with continuing retention requirements must be transferred out of their individually-hosted OneDrive account to another employee or stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site or Google Shared Drive. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
Resources
IT Connect - OneDrive
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Cloud Application Best Practices
- Google Drive
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Description
Google Drive is a cloud-based file storage service provided as part of the Google Apps suite to allow online access, file sharing, and document collaboration.
Appropriate Use
When suitably configured, Google Drive is appropriate for storage of most types of records with the exception of HIPAA-protected records. Individual Google Drive accounts are best used primarily for working documents and temporary storage. Please visit UW-IT's website for up-to-date news, changes and timelines impacting UW Google including storage quotas for individual accounts, and Google Shared Drive availability.
Management
- Use individual Google Drives to retain working documents and transitory records.
- Use folders to organize and manage records by type and date range.
- Delete records as they meet retention.
Warnings
It should be noted that limited access permissions can make it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any records with continuing retention requirements must be transferred out of their individually-hosted Google Drive account to another employee or stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
In 2021, Google announced significant revisions to their education offering. With the new contract between the UW and Google, UW-IT was able to extend timelines and provide users the gift of time to make changes. Please visit UW-IT's website for up-to-date news, changes, and timelines.
Resources
RMS Google Changes Project Mainpage
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Cloud Application Best Practices
- Box / Dropbox / etc.
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Description
Box and Dropbox are popular examples of cloud-based services that allow for storing, accessing, and sharing of files as well as document collaboration.
Appropriate Use
Because the University does not have a contract with these companies and because of security and privacy concerns, these services should be implemented only after careful departmental consideration when other options cannot be made to work. Even under the best of circumstances, these unaffiliated third-party apps should be used only sparingly and for brief temporary storage recognizing that they create significant legal risk for your office and the University.
Warnings
It should be noted that limited access permissions can make it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any records with continuing retention requirements must be transferred to another employee or stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site or Google Shared Drive. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
Resources
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Cloud Application Best Practices
- Microsoft SharePoint Online
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Description
SharePoint Online is the University’s Microsoft Office 365 offering that provides cloud-based file storage to allow online access, file sharing, and document collaboration along with various opportunities for integration and automation.
Appropriate Use
When suitably configured, SharePoint is appropriate for storage of any type of records. It is up to the department to ensure their SharePoint site has properly implemented the necessary security for the records it contains.
Management
- SharePoint offers several tools for organizing and managing different types of records throughout their lifecycle (folders, content types, metadata fields, retention tags, etc.).
- Retention rules can be configured to automatically delete records as they pass retention.
- It is important to spend time properly configuring your SharePoint site before you begin using it.
Warnings
It should be noted that limited access permissions can make it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
All of the above information also applies to departmentally-hosted SharePoint sites provided proper security and backup procedures are implemented.
Resources
IT Connect - SharePoint Online
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Automating Retention in SharePoint
- Microsoft Teams
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Description
Teams is the University’s Microsoft Office 365 offering that provides a shared online workspace with business messaging, video conferencing, and document sharing and collaboration built in.
Appropriate Use
Teams builds off of the functionality of SharePoint Online (see above) so everything that is true for SharePoint Online applies to Teams as well.
Management
- Communications made using the messaging feature in Teams are records with retention requirements and are subject to public records law.
- Best practices include limiting chat messaging to transitory exchanges and using channels to organize and delete messages. Chats in Microsoft Teams are subjected to an automated deletion policy 30 days after sent/received. Posts in channels are not subjected to the automated deletion.
- Files created and uploaded in Teams should be managed using the built-in SharePoint functionality.
Resources
IT Connect - Microsoft Teams
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Best Practices for Team Communication Platforms
Records Management Services - Automating Retention in SharePoint
- Slack
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Description
Slack is a cloud-based communications app that serves as a hub for business messaging, video conferencing, and document sharing.
Appropriate Use
Because the University does not have a contract with Slack Technologies and because of security and privacy concerns, this application is not appropriate for use with University records containing personal or confidential information including any credit cards, student/academic, research, or HIPAA-protected records.
Management
- Communications made using the messaging feature in Slack are records with retention requirements and are subject to public records law.
- Best practices include limiting messaging to transitory exchanges and using channels to organize and delete messages.
- Because Slack provides few tools for managing uploaded files, best practice is to attach files only sparingly and to instead use hyperlinks to externally-stored documents whenever possible.
Warnings
It should be noted that limited access permissions can make it difficult for others in your office to access these records and can increase the burden of responding to public records requests, litigation, or audit.
Before an employee separates from your office, any attached files with continuing retention requirements must be transferred out of Slack to be stored in a centralized location such as a network drive or SharePoint site or Google Shared Drive. UW-IT does not automatically preserve these records on your behalf.
Resources
UW General Records Retention Schedule
Records Management Services - Best Practices for Team Communication Platforms
Records Management Services - Cloud Application Best Practices