����̽̽

Stored communications: for the purposes of this University Operating Procedure, “stored communications” refers principally to 

1. e-mail messages, and their attachments, sent to or from a ����̽̽ e-mail or network account; 
2. phone/voice-mail messages stored on media maintained by, and available to, the University’s Telecommunications and Network Services;
3. phone/voice-mail messages stored as e-mail attachments, or text messages transmitted by phone and stored centrally; and
4. generally, all messages that are stored on and retrievable from ����̽̽-owned or -managed systems or services.

Most stored communications sent or received by ����̽̽ employees (including faculty, staff, temporary employees as well as students when conducting university business) are public records under the Vermont Public Records Act, and members of the ����̽̽ community should not presume that their stored communications are private. Stored communications will be reviewed according to ����̽̽’s Records and Documents Requests.

Requests or demands for access to, or copies of, stored communications, from whatever source, internal or external, must be referred immediately to the Chief Privacy Officer (CPO).  The CPO or their designee, with the advice of the Office of General Counsel (OGC), will oversee the response to all requests for stored communications.

The CPO will consult with the Chief Information Officer (CIO) or their designee to arrange for the retrieval of those messages that are appropriate for disclosure. Questions about retrieval or disclosure will be resolved by the CPO, in consultation with OGC. Retrieval or disclosure decisions are subject to the final approval of the Provost.

These same procedures will apply to requests to “freeze” the contents of an e-mail or ����̽̽ network account or to preserve a snapshot of the contents of e-mail folders or other electronic communication storage location.

This University Operating Procedure is not intended to govern internal requests that are directed to unit or central business managers or to the account holder who has sent or received the requested message.

If there is any question as to whether a request or demand calls for a “stored communication” as defined in this operating procedure, the request should nonetheless be directed to the CPO or to OGC.

Training will be provided on an as-needed basis as determined by the Approval Authority or the Responsible Official.