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Retaining large amounts of unnecessary or outdated data can increase legal, security, and privacy risks.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Reducing outdated or unnecessary files makes it easier to locate current information and improves the overall usability of institutional systems.
Updated Approach
Faculty, staff, and governance groups shared thoughtful feedback about how retention practices could affect teaching, research, and day-to-day work.
We appreciate the time and care that went into this feedback.
Based on what we heard, the approach was refined to better balance responsible data stewardship, institutional compliance requirements, and the operational needs of our academic community.
Key elements of the updated approach include:
- Short-term automatic deletion of inactive files has been removed.
- Files may be removed only after 10 years of inactivity as part of the University’s long-term data lifecycle. (Beginning Oct. 1, 2027)
- Email may be retained for up to 10 years.
- Storage management will focus on guidance, quotas, and user-managed cleanup.
- Faculty and staff continue managing their own files and email.
- Default OneDrive quotas will adjust from 3 TB to 1 TB.
- Archive features and retention labels will help users organize and preserve important email.
What This Means For You
Day-to-day work will remain largely unchanged for most faculty and staff.
The updated approach focuses on helping users better organize, manage, and retain institutional data over time while supporting the University’s legal and operational requirements.
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
- 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. 9, 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)
Features 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
The new email and file lifecycle framework is currently planned to begin October 1, 2027.
Training and Documentation
ITS is developing training materials and documentation to help faculty and staff understand the features and retention features introduced as part of the Data Retention initiative.
Additional resources will be added as new features and guidance become available.
- Cloud Storage at UNCG: Learn best practices for managing files in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Box, including organizing files, sharing content, applying sensitivity labels, and supporting retention requirements and long-term data stewardship.