What is it?
The Data Retention initiative is a multi-phase effort to improve how UNCG manages institutional data across Microsoft 365 services.
It introduces product features, guidance, and lifecycle rules that help the University meet legal and operational requirements while allowing faculty and staff to continue managing their own files and email.
The approach emphasizes shared stewardship of institutional data.
- ITS provides the systems, safeguards, and retention frameworks required for compliance and risk management.
- Faculty and staff manage their own files and emails, deciding what information should be kept, organized, or removed.
Over time, the project will introduce features and processes that help ensure University data is managed responsibly and sustainably.
Scope
It focuses primarily on institutional data stored in Microsoft 365 services:
- Microsoft Outlook
- OneDrive
- Teams
- SharePoint
The initiative also reinforces guidance about where institutional data should be stored.
- OneDrive — Individual working files
- SharePoint — Departmental or institutional records
- Box — UNCG’s designated platform for research data storage. Box is reserved for research-related data and should not be used for general file storage.
Why are we doing it?
UNCG stores a large and growing amount of institutional data across email, files, and collaboration platforms. Managing that data responsibly helps protect the University and ensure institutional systems remain sustainable over time.
Key goals of the initiative include:
- User Control
Updating retention configurations allows users to regain storage space when files they delete are permanently removed after the required retention period. - Compliance
The approach aligns with UNC System records retention requirements and legal obligations and has been reviewed by UNCG General Counsel. - Risk Management
Retaining large amounts of unnecessary or outdated data can increase legal, security, and privacy risks. Responsible data management helps reduce those risks. - Storage Sustainability
University storage demand continues to grow each year. Managing long-term data growth helps ensure campus systems remain sustainable and available. - Operational Efficiency
Reducing outdated or unnecessary files makes it easier to locate current information and improves the overall usability of institutional systems.
Campus Feedback Update
Over the past several weeks, members of the UNCG community reviewed and responded to the proposed Data Retention approach. Faculty, staff, and governance groups shared thoughtful feedback about how retention policies could affect teaching, research, and day-to-day work.
We appreciate the time and care that went into this feedback.
From the beginning, this effort was introduced as a proposal intended to start a campus conversation. Based on what we heard, the approach has been refined to better balance responsible data stewardship, institutional compliance requirements, and the operational needs of our academic community.
How the Proposal Changed
Several elements of the original approach were adjusted in response to campus feedback.
The most significant change is the removal of the previously proposed short-term automatic deletion of inactive files, shifting the model toward user-managed data stewardship within a long-term data lifecycle.
The table below highlights the key differences between the original proposal and the revised approach.
Proposal Comparison
| Topic | Original Proposal | Revised Proposal |
|---|---|---|
| Inactive File Deletion | Automatic deletion of files after 5 years of inactivity was proposed. | Short-term automatic deletion removed. |
| Long-Term File Lifecycle | Five-year inactivity deletion was proposed. | Files may be removed after 10 years of inactivity beginning Oct. 1, 2027. |
| Email Retention | Email retained for 5 years. | Email retained for up to 10 years. |
| Storage Management | Storage reduction driven primarily through automated lifecycle rules. | Storage managed through guidance, quotas, and user-managed cleanup. |
| User Control | Lifecycle rules were primarily system-driven. | Shared stewardship model. |
| OneDrive Quota | No proposed change. | Default quota adjusted from 3 TB to 1 TB. |
| Email Management Tools | Limited tooling described. | Archive features and retention labels available. |
What This Means For You
Day-to-day work will remain largely unchanged for most faculty and staff. The revised proposal focuses on providing clearer features and guidance to help the University meet legal and operational requirements while preserving flexibility for teaching, research, and administrative work.
Key improvements include:
- Clearer guidance on where different types of data should be stored
- Features that help users organize and manage email over time
- Limits that encourage responsible use of shared storage
OneDrive and SharePoint
Under the revised proposal:
- Users manage their own files and folders, deciding what should be kept or deleted.
- Users receive notifications when storage reaches 90% capacity. (Already in place)
- The default OneDrive storage quota will adjust from 3 TB to 1 TB. (Effective Jul. 1, 2026)
Long-term lifecycle
Files that have not been opened or interacted with for 10 years may be automatically removed as part of the University’s long-term data lifecycle. Opening or interacting with a file resets the activity period. (Effective Oct. 1, 2027)
Outlook (Email)
Tools will help users organize and retain important email while ensuring the University meets legal and public records requirements.
- Users may archive messages or folders to organize email they wish to keep. (Effective May 11, 2026)
- Users can apply retention labels to designate messages or folders for long-term preservation. (Effective May 11, 2026)
- Messages placed in Deleted Items remain there for 60 days before the folder is automatically emptied. (Effective May 11, 2026)
Retention requirements will apply
Messages older than 10 years may be automatically removed unless they have been labeled for preservation. (Process begins Oct. 1, 2027)
What Happens Next
We welcome one final round of feedback from the campus community before implementation moves forward.
Submit feedback: Data Retention Project Feedback Form
Final feedback deadline: Friday, Mar. 27, 2026
Following this review period, the implementation timeline will proceed in phases. The new email and file lifecycle framework is currently planned to begin October 1, 2027.