{"id":2838,"date":"2014-12-22T10:02:01","date_gmt":"2014-12-22T15:02:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ipo.info.yorku.ca\/?page_id=2838"},"modified":"2026-03-11T14:57:27","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T18:57:27","slug":"tip-sheet-5-email-management","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/unit\/ipo\/tool-and-tips\/tip-sheet-5-email-management\/","title":{"rendered":"Tip Sheet 5 - Email Management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Using and Managing Email at York<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members of the York community rely heavily on email as a means of communication. Any email that is processed through the University\u2019s servers may be subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). This tip sheet is designed to help staff manage their email records and be aware of privacy and disclosure issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Email as a University record<\/strong>
University records are those records within the University\u2019s custody or control. They include records relating to the University\u2019s operation and administration and records containing information relating to individual faculty, staff and students.
\u2022 University business is often conducted through email and therefore many email messages are University records.
\u2022 An email sent to oneself as a \u201cmemo to file\u201d is considered a University record if it documents University business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disclosure of email<\/strong>
University records, including email, may be the subject of an access request under FIPPA. If personal email messages are mixed with University records, they may be disclosable subject to an access request.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip:<\/strong> Don\u2019t use a private email account for University business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Delete or forward personal email to a private account, or maintain it in a separate folder.
\u2022 Keep personal email to a minimum.
\u2022 Write as though every email message will be disclosed. Don\u2019t say things in an email that you wouldn\u2019t say in a letter or other written communication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Protecting Personal Information in email<\/strong>
Care should be taken that sensitive or personal information contained in email messages is handled appropriately (see Tip Sheet 2 on Confidential Records<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Email is not a secure method of transferring information. Although email sent between @yorku.ca email accounts is encrypted, email messages may be forwarded by others without the sender\u2019s knowledge or inadvertently transmitted to unauthorized recipients, always be cautious about including others\u2019 personal information in email messages.
\u2022 If you must use email to transfer personal, restricted or confidential information, encrypt the email. The Information and Security Office provides instructions on how to encrypt emails using MSO Outlook<\/a> that allows users to share protected email with anyone on any device. The encryption option is supported by both Outlook on the web, as well as the Outlook applications on both Windows and macOS.
\u2022 Communicate confidential information to individuals by using only those technologies endorsed by UIT\u2019s Information Security Office. Review the Guidelines on How to Handle University Data in Microsoft 365.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Composing and sending email<\/strong>
Tip: Maintain a professional tone in email messages. Leave personal comments out of business communications.
\u2022 Limit the message contents to one subject per message. This will make filing email messages easier.
\u2022 Use informative subject lines that accurately describe the message contents.
\u2022 Cc\u2019s are usually used for information and not for action; limit your cc\u2019s to only those who need to know.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Replying to email<\/strong>
Include the previous message in your reply but begin a new message if you want to change the subject. This prevents unrelated subjects from becoming intermingled.
\u2022 If a series of replies or forwards becomes too long to be easily read, take the last message in the series and begin a new message with a part number in the subject line (e.g., Budget planning part 2).
\u2022 Be cautious about opening email or following links from persons or sources you don\u2019t recognize or that appear suspicious.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keeping and filing email messages<\/strong>
Retain messages that are sent and received only if they relate to University business; all other messages can be treated as transitory and deleted (see Tip Sheet 3 on Transitory Records).<\/a>
\u2022 When retaining a series of replies or forwards, keep only the last message as long as the thread is complete and hasn\u2019t been changed in the course of the exchange.
\u2022 Make sure to retain information in the header regarding the sender, recipients, date and time; this helps preserve the context of the message.
\u2022 The email system is not a recordkeeping system. A recordkeeping system organizes records according to a file plan, provides shared access to those who need it, and applies retention and disposition rules.
\u2022 As a temporary measure before filing in a proper recordkeeping system, create folders within the email system that reflect your unit\u2019s file plan. Move email to these folders every day. Then, file email (and attachments) from the folders to your shared drives or the electronic recordkeeping system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tip: Make regular time to manage your email.<\/strong>
\u2022 Keep messages brief and businesslike; avoid personal comments.
\u2022 Treat email records as you would paper records. You don\u2019t keep all your paper records on your desk, so don\u2019t keep all your email in your email inbox.
\u2022 Identify transitory email and delete regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This document has been developed to assist in establishing good practices and procedures. Additional questions or requests for advice on records and information management or information and privacy issues should be referred to the Information, Privacy & Copyright Office: info.privacy@yorku.ca<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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