Transcript Are email messages records? - Northern Michigan University

Retention and
Disposition
Are e-mail messages public
records?
 At NMU, all email messages composed and
maintained on University hardware are considered
public records
 Michigan law defines a legal public record as those
materials created, received, and filed in an office
supported by tax dollars. MCLA 18.1284(b) and
15.232(c)
 MCLA 18.1285 – Records Retention and
Disposition Schedules
 Records Media Act (116) 1992
 NMU Board of Trustee Policy on Archives and
Records Management (1991)
What is an “official” and
authentic University record?
 Records that document an official activity, function, or
business transaction.
 Content: Factual information in the record that
documents University business
 Context: Information that shows how the record is
related to the business of the office and/or department
and other records
 Structure: Technical characteristics of the records,
such as file format, data organization, page layout,
hyperlinks, headers, and footnotes
Typical email records with
continuing value
 Policy and procedure directives
 Agendas and minutes of meetings
 Documents related to legal and audit issues
 Final reports or recommendations
 Documents that approve or authorize actions and
expenditures
 The email is a formal communication between staff,
such as correspondence or memoranda relating to
official business
Message with Continuing Value
 To: Joe
 From: Jim
 Date: February 13, 2007
 Subject: Contract
Please change the fourth paragraph in contract
#10775 to read, “payment must be received within
30 days,” removing the phrase “60 days.”
Message with Continuing Value
 To: Mark
 From: John
 Date: February 18, 2007
 Subject: Appointment
This is your official notification of your appointment
to the Public Safety Advisory Committee. Your
responsibilities will include . . .
Typical records without continuing value or
“transitory”
 News bulletins, circulars, meeting notices, copies
of documents, drafts
 Those created solely as part of preparation for
other transitory records
 Personal messages and announcements not work
related
 Junk mail
Transitory message
 To: Staff
 From: Janet
 October 10, 2007
 Subject: Staff Meetings
The staff meetings will be held on Tuesday mornings
from now on instead of Thursday afternoons.
Transitory message
 To: Debbie
 From: Jim
 Date: August 2, 2007
 Subject: Supplies
I noticed that there are no more blue ink pens in the
supply cabinet. Can you please order more? Thanks.
Disposition?
 Print out and file a hard copy in an appropriate
filing system and according to the established
records retention schedule.
 Delete if the record has met its retention
schedule or is transitory.
 Transfer record series of continuing value or
those that have not yet met their retention
schedule to the University Records Center for
final disposition.
Who is Responsible for Retention
and Disposition?
 Records: Senders are the “person of record”
 Records: Recipients may need the record to support
business functions
 Transitory Records: Recipient retains until task or
activity is completed
 Non-records: Informational copies do not need to be
retained
E-mail Retention Checklist
Ask yourself the following questions:
 Does this record have an approved retention schedule?
 Do I need to keep this message to document my work? Is it
evidence?
 Is the message string completed, or could additional messages
follow that I will want to retain?
 Are the other records about this topic/issue/case kept in a
hardcopy file or an electronic file?
 Is this a message that my co-workers are receiving too? Am I
responsible for retention or is someone else responsible?
 Should this message be stored in a shared file? Do my co-
workers need to access it?
What to do with attachments?
If email and attachment have continuing value:
 Save the email and attachment together in
original format within the context of your email
software on the email server
 Save the attachment in another location (hard
drive or network space)
 Print the email and attachment and save them
in paper format - PREFERRED
A word about printing
Print version must include:
 Addresses – not names of distribution lists – of
specific recipients (the “To:”)
 Including addresses in “cc:” and “bcc:” fields
 Addresses of the sender (the “From:”)
 The subject line
 The body of the email message
 All attachments
 The date and time the message was sent and/or
received
For directions on how to turn on full header info, consult the
University Archivist
When in doubt, print it out!