Introduction
What happens to an employee's email after they leave SCSU?
Instructions
Mailbox and Account Access for Departing Employees
Account Deactivation and Mailbox Behavior
When an employee's account is disabled—whether due to voluntary departure or termination—you will no longer be able to access their mailbox.
Requesting Temporary Access Extensions
If continued access to Office 365 (including the mailbox) is needed after an employee's departure, the following is required:
- Written approval from both the employee’s supervisor and HR management.
- Note: This extension only applies to Office 365 access. All other accounts and file permissions will be removed on the employee’s last day of employment.
Pre-Departure Responsibilities for Supervisors
Before an employee leaves SCSU, supervisors should:
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Set an Out-of-Office (OOO) Message
Work with the employee to create and enable an appropriate OOO auto-reply.
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Email Forwarding Rule (Optional)
Supervisors may request the employee to set up a rule that forwards incoming emails to a designated coworker or the supervisor.
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Mailbox Export (Optional)
If access to previous emails is needed, contact your technician to export relevant mailbox folders to a .pst file before the employee's departure.
⚠️ Post-departure mailbox access or exports may take a week or more and involve large file downloads. If needed after departure, written approval from the HR Director is required.
Post-Departure Options (With HR Approval)
With written HR approval, the following services can be requested via the appropriate service desk:
- SCSU IT Service Portal
- MinnState IT Service Desk
Available options include:
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Mail Forwarding
Forward incoming emails to another address for up to 90 days.
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Mailbox Export
Provide a full or partial .pst copy of the mailbox to the campus.
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Update OOO Message
Enable or update the OOO reply. The exact message content must be provided.
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OneDrive Access
Grant access to the separated employee’s OneDrive files.
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