BASICS OF E-MAIL RETENTION

Plano ISD Records Retention Schedule

Page 18 of the Records Control Schedule

E-mail cannot be scheduled as a single record series, but depends on the content and function. Generally, you should keep only those e-mails that are your records. Value of Records – Identify the content and function of e-mails and attachments for record retention requirements. E-mail records follow the same criteria as paper records. Record Copy – Sender copy is the record copy and the sender is custodian of that record copy. Recipient copy is also a record if:

• You need to take action based on message• Message required for adequate documentation of action

 

Administrative Correspondence – Decision making correspondence  Incoming/outgoing correspondence pertaining to the formulation, planning, implementation, interpretation, modification or redefinition of programs, services, or projects and the administrative regulations, policies and procedures that govern them.

 *Apply the Records Control Schedule – once they have met retention, e-mail records should be disposed of or kept permanently according to the retention schedule.

General Correspondence  Non-administrative incoming/outgoing and internal correspondence pertaining to or arising from the routine operations of the policies, programs, services or projects. These records are related to your specific job responsibilities. *Two years

Transitory Correspondence  Routine correspondence, meeting agendas, etc. that have limited and short-lived administrative value only.

*As long as Administratively Valuable (AV)

Delete at any time

Personal e-mailSpamUnsolicited e-mail (vendor ads, news articles, non-work related e-mail from coworkerCCs: E-mail that is the responsibility of someone elseConvenience copies (usually attachments) – record is retained elsewhere

Helpful Hints • Do not combine business and personal e-mail. Work done from personal

accounts should be transferred to the school district system and e-mails not valuable to work should be transferred to personal accounts and never saved. E-mail on personal devices or in personal accounts regarding business is subject to legal discovery.

• Use meaningful subject lines to correctly identify the record. Identify sender, recipient(s) and date and time message sent and/or received

• Set up Folders and Sub Folder to organize e-mail – Identify and categorize according to function and retention schedules. This process makes it easier to find records and delete at the appropriate time

• Preserve the “record-copy” – this is the official copy for reference and preservation to which the retention schedule applies. (Who is the “owner” of the retention for the record?)

• Preserve the thread, not each individual e-mail. The last e-mail in the thread containing the entirety of the correspondence, becomes the record copy.

• Delete email regularly – “Delete Delete”

• Review your Sent folder regularly – clean up threads, apply retention

Questions to ask yourself:

 Is the content related to your job?

Are you the custodian of the record?