1.0 Scope
1.1 This standard applies to student Microsoft 365 email accounts provisioned through APSU identity management processes and defines retention and deletion timelines based on enrollment and separation status.
1.2 This standard does not establish records retention requirements for the content of email messages. Records retention requirements remain governed by applicable university policy, records management requirements, and legal or regulatory obligations.
2.0 Purpose
2.1 The purpose of this standard is to establish requirements for retention, transition, and deletion of APSU student email accounts in support of security, operational efficiency, and appropriate lifecycle management of university-provided accounts.
3.0 Responsibility
3.1 Office of Information Technology (OIT):
3.1.1 OIT shall maintain processes used to provision, transition, and delete student email accounts.
3.1.2 OIT shall administer account lifecycle changes based on student status information received from authoritative systems.
3.1.3 OIT shall communicate timelines and technical limitations related to account access and deletion.
3.2 Students:
3.2.1 Students are responsible for managing content within their APSU email accounts.
3.2.2 Students shall transfer or preserve personal or academic email content prior to account deletion timelines.
3.2.3 Students shall comply with university policies governing acceptable use of email services.
4.0 Approval Authority
4.1 The Chief Information Officer, or designee, is the approval authority for this standard and any substantive revisions.
5.0 Standards
5.1 Active student email accounts shall be provisioned and managed through APSU identity and account management processes during periods of enrollment.
5.2 Graduated students shall be provided an APSU email account in a separate tenant. Email content from the original student account will not be automatically migrated. Graduates shall have 18 months to copy or transfer desired content before the original account is permanently deleted.
5.3 Student email accounts for individuals who withdraw or do not graduate will be retained for 12 months following the student’s last date of attendance, after which the account and mailbox shall be deleted.
5.4 Once a student email account is deleted and Microsoft purge timelines have passed, the mailbox and its contents will not be recoverable through standard administrative processes.
6.0 Procedures
6.1 Account provisioning: Student email accounts shall be provisioned upon enrollment through APSU identity management processes.
6.2 Graduate account transition: Upon confirmation of graduation, the student email account will transition to a separate tenant account. The original mailbox will remain available for up to 18 months for user-managed content transfer. No automated migration shall occur.
6.3 Non-graduate account deletion: For students who withdraw or do not graduate, the email account will be retained for 12 months after the last date of attendance and then deleted. The mailbox shall be subject to Microsoft purge timelines following deletion.
6.4 Recovery limitations: Once Microsoft purge timelines have passed, deleted student mailboxes shall not be recoverable.
7.0 Associated Documents
7.1 APSU Policy 4:029 Acceptable Use of Information Technology Resources
8.0 RECORD RETENTION TABLE:
| Identification |
Storage |
Retention |
Dispostion |
Protection |
| NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
8.0 REVISION HISTORY:
Date: Rev. Description of Revision:
6/1/2026 Initial Release
***End of Standard***