Definitions 

Academic Administrator – An Academic Staff Member who is appointed to an administrative role in an Academic Unit or is appointed to a senior administrative office and is therefore excluded from MUNFA as per Appendix A of the MUN-MUNFA Collective Agreement. This includes acting and interim appointments. 

Shared Mailbox – A shared mailbox is a mailbox that multiple users can access to send and receive email messages. A shared mailbox is used when you want to collaborate with others using a common email address (e.g. help@mun.ca) and/or when the user(s) accessing a mailbox change periodically (e.g. dean@mun.ca). 

Requirement 

To ensure continuity of institutional knowledge, proper retention of University Records, and compliance with information management obligations, special guidance applies to University mailboxes used by Academic Administrators (e.g., Deans, Associate Deans, Department Heads). The Unit Head is responsible for ensuring that the role-based Shared Mailbox for their role and any other Academic Administrators who report to them is properly managed throughout the lifecycle of the appointment in accordance with the Information Management policy.

Separation of Email for Dual Roles

Academic Administrators are required to use distinct University mailboxes for different roles (e.g., faculty vs administrative). This separation enhances security, improves access control during transitions, and supports proper handling and disposition of University Records. 

Because faculty may retain their Official University Email Account for life, Units must ensure that University Records do not remain within a faculty member’s Official University Email Account, particularly when those records arise from administrative responsibilities.

Exit or Transition of Administrators

An Academic Administrator’s access to a Shared Mailbox is terminated when that person ceases to act in that role. Before an Academic Administrator leaves a role, the departing and incoming/acting Academic Administrator should, where possible and appropriate, jointly review the role-based Shared Mailbox. University Records with ongoing value should be kept in the Shared Mailbox or transferred to an approved records management system. If applicable, any University Records contained in the departing individual’s Official University Email Account that relate to that individual’s administrative responsibilities as an Academic Administrator must also be transferred to an approved records management system and removed from that individual’s Official University Email Account prior to the end of the appointment. 

All information contained within a Shared Mailbox is owned by the University.