Beginning on Sept. 3, Outlook emails in the Deleted Items folder will be deleted automatically after 30 days.

Why is CU System adopting this procedure?

The University of Colorado System Administration aims to be good data stewards. System Administration reviewed data retention standards and found email retention practices were not specifically delineated. An accumulation of emails can pose a risk to data security and regulatory compliance.

By setting up the automatic permanent deletion of 30-day-old deleted emails, CU hopes to:

• Better optimize storage usage.
• Enhance CU’s data security.
• Mitigate the risk of sensitive information being wrongfully accessed.

As a reminder, all emails sent or received through CU’s email system are university property. Email messages may be considered “public record” under section 24-72-203, C.R.S., and subject to public disclosure. Please be aware that the content and tone of a message could be made public and should always be professional.

How will CU System employees be affected?

Employees should be minimally affected. Important emails should not be stored in the Deleted Items folder. Employees have 30 days before the automated deletion to recover inadvertently deleted emails.

The Junk Mail folder already has this procedure in place; 30-day-old junk emails are automatically deleted. It may be wise to check both folders regularly.

Can an email that was automatically deleted from the Deleted Items folder be recovered?

 After the automated 30-day deletion, emails are recoverable for another 14 days before being permanently deleted from the server. 

How to recover email deleted from Outlook (desktop version)

1. Go to your Deleted Items folder in Outlook.
   
2. Click the blue Recover items recently removed from this folder link at the top of your deleted messages.
   
3. A pop-up window will display emails deleted in the last 14 days. Select the email you want, click Restore Selected Items, and then click Ok.
   
4. The recovered email can be found in your inbox now.

How to recover email deleted from Outlook (web version)

1. Log in to Outlook on the web.
2. Select the Deleted Items folder in the left-hand menu.
3. Above the message list, select Recover items deleted from this folder.
   
4. Select the email you want to recover.
5. Right-click on the selected email to open the menu. Select Restore.
   
6. The recovered email can be found in your inbox now.

Questions? Please contact the UIS Service Desk at help@cu.edu or 303-860-HELP (4357).