Management Workshop A product of the Managing the Digital University Desktop Project

Are messages records? At UNC, all messages are considered public records, except personal (NCGS 132-1: All documentary material, regardless of format, made or received in connection with university business) At Duke, all messages are considered university records, except personal

When is an a record? Messages with continuing value: approve or authorize actions or expenditures; are formal communications between staff, such as correspondence or memoranda relating to official business; signify a policy change or development; create a precedent, such as messages issuing instructions or advice; relate to the substantive business of the work unit or University; involve negotiations on behalf of the University; have value for other people or the work unit as a whole.

What to do with s that are records Do they have continuing value? Retain in paper or electronic format until no longer administratively useful, then either destroy or transfer to University Archives according to records schedule. Would they pose a risk to the University if they could not be accessed? Do not delete unless retained in acceptable paper format. For records management info, at UNC-CH call or At Duke call

Print? Send to Archives according to your office’s records retention schedules. Keep along with other records in a specific records series. Electronic? Maintain in a format in which you can potentially transfer to the Archives when appropriate University policies have been established. Native file formats accessible only as long as application supported. Open format increases chances of access in the future.

When in doubt, print it out!

What about s that are not records? Delete and purge messages with short-term value, such as: News bulletins, circulars, meeting notices, copies of documents, drafts Those created solely as part of preparation for other records Personal messages and announcements not work related Junk mail

Delete spam or junk mail as quickly as possible University has spam filters Contact information technology staff in your department for information on how to set spam filters Dealing with Spam

Tips for thwarting viruses: Don’t open an attachment from someone you don’t know. If you are unsure of an attachment, call your Systems staff – they can try to determine if it’s legitimate. Banks, credit card companies, and financial businesses will NEVER ask for personal information in an . Don’t be fooled by official-looking . Don’t be fooled by official-looking messages from University departments, particularly ITS Messaging Services, which threaten to suspend your account(s). Don’t click on that ‘unsubscribe’ link in a spam message – it only tells the spammer you’re still there.

is managed by its content, not its format.

Handout: Keep or delete? Subject: Can you meet me for lunch? Subject: Memo re new travel policy Subject: Curriculum Committee meeting minutes Subject: New policy on vacation leave Subject: Listserv messages 7/10/05 Subject: Instructions for filling out travel form Subject: Pick up some bread for supper? Subject: Sorry I missed class this week Subject: Information for annual report Subject: Negotiations with a records storage company

Why do you need to keep certain s? Document day-to-day office operations Preserve the history of your department Document business decisions and discussions Provide access during official actions or litigation

Why do you need to delete certain s? Ensure privacy and security by maintaining in one place If committee records, primary keeper is committee chair Certain s can increase risk for the University if kept longer than required Help conserve University resources by using less server space

What should you keep? Does it have continuing or permanent value? If yes, keep and maintain according to records retention schedule. If no, delete and purge once its value ends. Who else received this message? Only primary keeper is responsible for maintaining record copy. Is it a work in progress (draft)? In most cases, final version is sufficient for long-term retention.

What should you delete? Personal messages - Minimal and retained only as long as necessary Messages with short-term value - Delete and purge once their purpose has concluded. Includes: messages re: scheduling of meetings, day to day office communications, drafts, class s that may be important for the semester, but unnecessary once the semester ends Messages distributed to a number of staff for information only – Includes: news bulletins, listserv messages, “informational” s

What to do with attachments? If and attachment have continuing value: Save the and attachment together in original format within the context of your software on the server Save the attachment in another location (hard drive or network space) Print the and attachment and save them in paper format

Where should you store ? University server (Advantages – accessed from multiple locations through webmail, more secure, backed up regularly. Disadvantages – may run out of allotted space) Local machine (Advantages – avoid filling up allotted server space. Disadvantages – may not be backed up regularly, not available through webmail) Disks or cds (Advantages – good for inactive or infrequently accessed messages. Disadvantages – messages more difficult to locate, media may degrade or become obsolete)

Print – Can be sent to Archives according to records retention schedule. Print out important s and keep along with other records in a specific records series. Electronic – Must be maintained in a format in which you can potentially transfer to Archives when appropriate University policies have been established. If saved in native file formats, accessible only as long as application supported. If saved in open format, such as ASCII text, better chance for access/preservation in future, but lose original formatting. A word about formats

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 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 your IT staff.

Questions?

How should you organize your ? 1) No filing strategy: Creating no folders, keeping all s in inbox Advantages: Requires little effort, owner can locate certain messages by using search engine or remembering when specific received. Threading feature can also be used, if available. Disadvantages : Over time, more difficult to recall when certain s received, more difficult to retrieve w/out subject folders. May be difficult for your successor, colleagues, or an archivist to make sense of s in the future. May keep more s than you need to.

Organizing (cont.) 2)Filing system: Simple filing scheme based on topical areas. Can incorporate your office’s records retention and disposition schedule. Advantages: Provides complete view of all s on a particular topic, provides context for a set of messages, allows for quick retrieval, allows others to make sense of your s, reduces clutter in inbox Disadvantages: Takes time and discipline to maintain

Organizing (cont.) 3) Combination of filing system and usage of inbox Delete s you don’t need to keep on a daily basis File s you know you want to keep and don’t have to follow up on s left in your inbox should be s you need to act upon or on which you need resolution

Folder Structures Geographic area or location – Example: Travel Reports - England Numbers or symbols – Example: NSF-001 Dates – Example: March 2004 Subjects – Example: Budgets, Courses/Elem Chinese Sender – Example: John Smith Records series – Example: Annual Reports

Handout: Filing Practice Folder Names Subjects Exams Spring 2005Memo from Dean Lewis Annual Reports LIS 690 Exam NSF GrantsTravel form, Toronto trip Travel reports – CanadaNSF_ c2 Correspondence with DeanAnnual report attached

Access and Security Policies concerning privacy Duke: UNC: s that mix business and personal messages are considered public records! Who can view your ? Who “owns” your ?

Confidentiality Issues Policies? Safeguards? Never send Social Security or credit card numbers in an ! Faculty/student communications At Duke: erpa.htm At UNC:

Top 10 Tips for Use 10. Be careful when opening from an unknown sender. The message could be spam or could contain a virus. 9. Use subject lines that are indicative of the content of your message and that the person who receives the can use to retrieve it. 8. Use university-sponsored systems sparingly to send or receive personal . Use discretion when mixing personal and work-related messages.

Top 10 Tips (cont.) 7. Take time to compose a thoughtful response before sending an . Proofread your for spelling errors, grammar, and punctuation before sending it. 6. When sensitive issues need to be discussed, face-to- face conversation or a telephone call may be a better communication choice than . Remember that the security of your cannot be ensured. 5. Do not put anything in an message that you would not want to see printed in tomorrow’s newspaper or displayed on a bulletin board.

Top 10 Tips (cont.) 4. Manage based on its content, not space quotas. Retain and dispose of messages according to established records retention guidelines. 3. Everyone receives that may pose personal or institutional risks. These s should be removed from the system as soon as possible and according to law. 2. For most people, much of the that they receive is not too important, but everyone receives a small percentage that is. You should take special care with these important s to make sure that they are secure, retrievable, and preserved over time.

Top 10 Tips (cont.) 1. does not manage itself. Be a proactive manager of your inbox and manage your messages in a way that is most effective for you. This may involve filing significant messages or a combination of filing in folders and using the inbox to store messages.

A Final Thought “Making duplicate copies and computer printouts of things no one wanted even one of in the first place is giving America a new sense of purpose.” -- Andy Rooney

Questions? For more information: