E-mail Retention Guidelines
Correspondence conducting official state business may be delivered by surface mail or by e-mail and in both cases constitutes a state record that must be managed accordingly. It is the content and function of a message that determines its retention requirements. Each message must be retained or disposed of according to the University of Texas at Austin Records Retention Schedule (UTRRS). E-mail may be categorized into one of the following UTRRS record series categories:
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Administrative Correspondence, AALL020
Incoming/outgoing and internal correspondence pertaining to the formulation, planning, implementation, interpretation, modification, or redefinition of the programs, services, or projects of an agency and the administrative regulations, policies and procedures that govern them. The administrative correspondence of the president and vice-presidents of the university is subject to archival review.
Retention: Three years. |
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General Correspondence, AALL025
Nonadministrative incoming/outgoing and internal correspondence pertaining to or arising from the routine operations of the policies, programs, services, or projects of an agency.
Retention: One year. |
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Transitory Information, AALL083
Correspondence that would not be classified as general or administrative, and does not pertain to case or project files or other record series listed in the UTRRS may be categorized as transitory. This would include announcements and memos about nonbusiness-related staff events, personal e-mails, unsolicited advertisements, and information announcements (the department/person sending the information announcement should keep one copy). See the UTRRS for more information about transitory information.
Retention: AC—after the purpose of the record has been fulfilled. No Disposal Request is required to dispose of transitory records.
Note: Routinely delete or remove transitory e-mails as soon as they have served their purpose. Be able to demonstrate timely and consistent management and disposition of transitory e-mails |
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Correspondence to be Filed with Case or Project Files
Correspondence that pertains to another record series should be filed with and retained for the same retention period as that series. For example, correspondence about a particular building project would be filed with other documentation about that project under AALL595 Building Project Files and retained for the full 10 years after the completion of the project (AC + 10) retention requirement. Other examples include litigation files, complaint files, and other record series that frequently include collaboration and correspondence.
Caution: An e-mail record may not be destroyed, even if it has met retention requirements, when an action has been initiated or is anticipated against it. Actions may include audits, litigation, public information requests, or administrative reviews. Records must be retained until the resolution of the action and all issues arising from it. |
E-mail Retention Questions
Do I keep incoming or outgoing messages?
Keep an incoming message if you do not respond to it by e-mail. If there is a response, or a series of responses (a thread), keep the last outgoing e-mail showing your final response, or the last incoming e-mail that shows the final resolution of the correspondence. If you forward an e-mail for resolution by someone else, retain the forwarding e-mail.
How do I retain an e-mail?
You may print a hard copy or retain the e-mail in an electronic format. State law requires the retention of transmission data also known as metadata—the data describing context, content, and structure of records—to establish the authenticity and integrity of the record. Data to retain must include, but is not limited to:
- Name of sender
- Name of recipient/addressee(s)
- Date/time the message was sent
- Attachments
Note: State law regarding electronic records requires that electronic records be individually identifiable and retrievable for the entire retention period. Backup tapes cannot be considered a method of retaining e-mail records.
Do I need to submit a request to dispose of official state records request prior to deleting e-mails?
E-mails categorized as AALL083—Transitory Records do not require authorization. All other e-mil records do require authorization to dispose. E-mail correspondence does not need to be listed separately from correspondence delivered or retained in other media formats on the request form.
How do I dispose of e-mail records once I have obtained authorization?
Delete them. Deleted e-mail is retrievable after being deleted from the user mailbox and remains as residual information in university media and hardware for an indefinite period. State law protects the final disposition of any residual Electronically Stored Information (ESI) through regulation of the way media and hardware are destroyed or reformatted prior to release from state custody.
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