This important message highlights three main items regarding Microsoft Teams: (1) The Skype-to-Teams Migration timeline, (2) Microsoft 365 FERPA compliance, and (3) an introduction to the Teams Ambassadors Group.
Skype-to-Teams Migration Timeline
Microsoft is ending support for Skype for Business in January 2024. The University is transitioning phone and chat capability from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams beginning May 17, 2023 and expects to complete the transition by May 31. Once the transition is complete, the Skype for Business application cannot be used for phone calls or chat.
Microsoft 365 FERPA Compliance
To better support the research, teaching, and learning mission of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Technology Services will update features of the Microsoft 365 suite (Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint). These changes come at the recommendation of the Collaboration Portfolio Advisory Group (CPAG) and the Office of the Registrar to better protect student data and make the Microsoft 365 suite compliant with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Three settings changes will be implemented after finals week in May 2023. This timing will allow students and faculty to complete the Spring 2023 semester with minimal impact. We share these with you now to increase your awareness and to provide ample time to support customers to reduce impacts to their day-to-day work. More detailed information will be shared in the coming months.
The three changes being made in May 2023 include:
- Limiting cloud storage integration within Teams to Microsoft cloud storage products (OneDrive, and SharePoint) and U of I Box. Microsoft Teams currently allows non-FERPA-compliant cloud storage integrations with Google Drive, Dropbox, and other solutions, which may put student educational records at risk.
- Establishing a 10-year file retention policy. There is not currently a retention period set for files in Microsoft Teams, OneDrive, or SharePoint. Enabling this feature will help ensure that data is deleted in a timely manner to better protect student information.
- A retention policy establishes a period of time after which select content (as defined by the policy) will automatically be deleted.
- The files retention policy is based upon a file’s Last Modified Date beginning when a file is added to a Microsoft 365 platform (Teams, OneDrive, or SharePoint).
- The file retention policy only applies to files stored in Microsoft 365 platforms (Teams, OneDrive, SharePoint). This includes files shared in chat.
- The file retention policy does not apply to email, channels, chat message text, or files hosted outside the Microsoft 365 platform.
- Disabling integration with unrestricted third-party applications. Microsoft Teams currently allows a customer to integrate any number of third-party applications. This freedom creates an unmanageable data risk to the university.
- After this change is implemented, customers will be able to integrate applications that meet specific UIUC-defined requirements. Those requirements are defined to allow applications with a “low impact” risk.
- A working group will be convened in the coming weeks to determine the exact criteria to evaluate and approve applications that can be integrated.
Additional details on FERPA-related changes and their impacts can be viewed at https://techservices.illinois.edu/microsoft-365-ferpa-compliance-effort.
General Microsoft Teams support can be found at https://techservices.illinois.edu/microsoft-teams.
Teams Ambassadors
We realize there are a lot of moving parts associated with the upcoming changes and that units will require support through the transition. The Teams Ambassadors Group is a volunteer collective of cross-functional staff from campus units who have gathered to support colleges through the Skype-to-Teams migration and Microsoft Teams adoption. Sponsored by IT Council and led Jake Myers (BTAA), the Teams Ambassadors, in concert with Technology Services, are available to support your staff through this process. The Teams Ambassadors group has identified individuals in each unit to help coordinate assistance. Please contact your local IT unit for support.
Future Communications
- Feb. 8 - This message will be shared with select customer groups. Selected groups are identified as those having high support demand with the campus community.
- Feb. 13 – A Mass Mail will be distributed to the campus community informing them of the changes.
- Between February 2023 and May 2023, Technology Services will provide updates and reminders to the community via multiple channels.
