General Overview

  1. What is the new process for managing inactive Microsoft Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, and Modern SharePoint sites?
    1. ITS is implementing an automated notification process for Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, and SharePoint sites with 18 months of inactivity. Owners of impacted resources will receive email notifications prompting them to take action to retain access. If no action is taken, impacted resources will be removed from access and deleted.
  2. What is the retention timeline for inactive resources?
    1. This process will operate on an automated, rolling schedule. Microsoft 365 will continuously evaluate resources for inactivity and initiate removal actions on a daily basis. The timeline is as follows:
      1. 18 months of inactivity: Triggers the expiration process.
      2. Oct. 12, 2025 (and beyond): Automated notifications begin for identified owners of inactive Teams, Microsoft 365 Groups, and SharePoint sites.
      3. Nov. 11, 2025 (and beyond): Inactive resources will begin to be removed from access through a daily, automated process.
      4. Post-Removal: Resources are placed in a 90-day holding period, during which owners may request restoration by contacting Crimson Service Desk.
      5. After 90 Days: Resources are permanently deleted, including all associated content across Outlook, SharePoint, Teams, and Power BI.
  3. Can I set reminders or automate renewal to avoid expiration?
    1. Automated renewal settings are not currently available. However, setting calendar reminders to check Teams, Groups, or SharePoint sites periodically, or assigning multiple owners to ensure someone is available to take action, can assist with avoiding resource expiration.
  4. Why is ITS implementing this new process?
    1. ITS is introducing this formal lifecycle management process to address critical Microsoft 365 storage overuse. This process ensures WSU retains only active collaboration spaces and reduces overall storage usage. The 18-month inactivity threshold helps preserve resources tied to annual or seasonal university processes while allowing ITS to manage unused content more efficiently.

 Ownership

  1. How will I know if I own an inactive Team, Microsoft 365 Group, or SharePoint site?
    1. Owners of inactive resources will receive automated 30-, 15-, and 1-day advance email notifications. Each notification will note when a resource is set to expire. Examples of the messaging included in these email notifications are below. If not visible on this page, please review the example emails on the ITS website.
    2. Example of Microsoft expiration email for WSU account
    3. Example of Microsoft expiration email for general account
  2. How do I check if I am an owner of a Team, Group, or SharePoint site?
    1. Ownership can be confirmed by visiting the resource directly.
      1. Teams: Open the Team in Microsoft Teams, select the ellipsis (…) next to the Team name, choose Manage Team, and view the Owners tab.
      2. Microsoft 365 Group: In Outlook Web Access, navigate to Groups, select the group, and view the Members tab to see owners.
      3. SharePoint Site: Go to the site, select Settings > Site Permissions, and view the listed owners.
  3. Will I receive notifications if I am not the owner of an inactive resource?
    1. No, only owners of inactive Teams, Groups, or SharePoint sites will receive the expiration email notifications.
  4. What should I do if I receive a notification but cannot access the resource?
    1. Confirm you are signed in to Microsoft Teams, Outlook, or SharePoint directly with your WSU account. If access issues persist, please contact Crimson Service Desk before the expiration date.
  5. What happens if a resource has no owner?
    1. ITS will have visibility into ownerless resources when the automated notifications begin. If Microsoft is unable to identify an active owner of a Team, Group, or SharePoint site, ITS will be notified. ITS will then manually identify and contact someone within the associated department or area to ensure appropriate action can be taken. ITS will make every effort to reach out to a relevant contact before resources are permanently deleted.
  6. Can I transfer ownership before expiration?
    1. Yes, this is recommended if the current owner is leaving the university or changing roles. Assigning a new owner can be completed within Teams settings, SharePoint settings, or via Group settings.

Preserving a Resource

  1. What actions count as “activity”?
    1. Activity within the impacted Team, Group, or SharePoint site resets the 18-month inactivity clock. This includes:
      1. Team: Visiting a channel or selecting Renew Group in the email notification.
      2. Group: Reading or writing a group message, or “liking” a message (in Outlook Web Access).
      3. SharePoint: Viewing, editing, downloading, moving, sharing, or uploading files.
  2. What happens if no action is taken after receiving a notification?
    1. If the owner does not take action:
      1. Resources will begin to be removed from access starting Nov. 11.
      2. Resources will be held for 90 days.
      3. After 90 days, resources and all associated content is deleted, including:
        1. Emails and conversations in Outlook
        2. Files and libraries in SharePoint
        3. Channels and files in Teams
        4. Dashboards and reports in Power BI
  3. Who can request restoration of a removed resource?
    1. Only the owner of the resource may request restoration during the 90-day holding period. Requests must be submitted to Crimson Service Desk.

Deleting a Resource

  1. Who can assist me with deleting a Microsoft Team, Microsoft 365 Group, or SharePoint site that I no longer need?
    1. If you received an expiration email and determine that the resource is no longer needed, please forward the expiration email for that specific resource to crimsonservicedesk@wsu.edu and request its deletion.
  2. I reviewed my expiring Microsoft Team and no longer need it. How can I delete it?
    1. If you are the owner, you can permanently delete a team in Microsoft Teams from the desktop application or via the web. Please review instructions for deleting a Microsoft Team.
  3. I reviewed my expiring SharePoint site and no longer need it. How can I delete it?
    1. If you are the owner, please review instructions for deleting a SharePoint site.
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