UVACollab Transition Checklist
UVACollab is scheduled to retire (opens new window) but will remain available until at least December 2025. The guidance on this page will help you determine what you should do with your UVACollab sites and discover alternative collaboration tools provided by and widely used at UVA.
Select the text of one of the steps below to open a detailed description of how to complete it. To help keep track of where you are in the process, you can check off the boxes as you walk through each step.
Log in to UVACollab (opens new window) and select “Worksite Setup” from the left-hand menu.
Review Retention Requirements
The first thing you should consider is whether any data within your sites should be retained in accordance with the University's retention schedules (opens new window).
The table below lists current retention schedules for some of the most common data stored within UVACollab.
If the data within your sites falls outside of any retention requirements, consider deleting your sites.
Note to Medical Center employees: Documents that support clinical and operational standards at the Medical Center should be migrated into PolicyTech (opens new window) in accordance with Clinical and Operational Document Management Medical Center Policy (opens new window). Contact [email protected] to develop a migration plan. If documents are no longer needed, archive in accordance with Medical Center Records Retention Medical Center Policy (opens new window). For medical document retention questions, contact Ben Smith.
| Content Type | Retention Requirements | Must transition or archive if decision made or course ended in… |
|---|---|---|
| Promotion and tenure | 5 years | 2019 or later |
| Search committee | 3 years | 2021 or later |
| Departmental meeting notes | 3 years | 2021 or later |
| Admissions related | 3 years |
2021 or later |
| Academic courses | 1 year |
Fall 2023 Term Note: Beginning with the 2023 Summer term, all schools previously using UVACollab for course sites officially transitioned to UVACanvas |
| University-level committee commissioned by the President or Provost | Permanent |
If currently active: Must transition. If currently inactive: Must retain for transfer to University Archives. SharePoint or Teams sites are recommended since they allow content to be "tagged" for retention requirements. Contact Records & Information Management for guidance. |
| Faculty and staff senates decisions, meeting notes, other notes | Permanent | Must retain for transfer to University Archives. SharePoint or Teams sites are recommended since they allow content to be "tagged" for retention requirements. Contact Records & Information Management for guidance. |
|
Personnel files |
Various retentions | Contact Records & Information Management for guidance. |
|
Project sites |
For the duration of the project | After the project, retain only the documents needed for reference. For IT projects, retain for the life of the system. Contact Records & Information Management for guidance. |
| Major Initiatives (e.g., course or program approvals) | Permanent | Contact Records & Information Management for guidance. |
For a comprehensive list of retention requirements, refer to the retention schedule database (opens new window), including instructions for how to use the database.
I Need to Move My Site
My UVACollab site is used mostly for...
For files large and small, consider:
For more sophisticated sites with multi-channel communication, synchronous file collaboration, virtual meetings, etc., consider Microsoft Teams, an “all-in-one” tool.
Committees need to comply with the University’s retention requirements. If you must transition, consider:
- SharePoint, if your school or unit has an Intranet site
- Microsoft Teams (opens new window)
- OneDrive (opens new window)
- UVA Box (opens new window)
- Microsoft Groups (opens new window)
- Sympa Lists (opens new window)
I Want to Collaborate With...
UVA Medical Center
The UVA Medical Center and Academic areas have different Microsoft 365 environments. For help, email [email protected] to request a virtual consult.
People External to UVA
For access from outside UVA, OneDrive (opens new window), Microsoft Teams (opens new window), and UVA Box (opens new window) offer collaboration with external users.
Academic Courses
Although UVACanvas (opens new window) is the home to all academic (SIS-rostered) course sites as of Fall 2023, UVACollab will remain available through December 31, 2025 when UVACollab will be retired, and all sites and associated content will be deleted.
In January 2025, new site creation in UVACollab will no longer be possible.
Non-SIS Rostered Courses
To see if UVACanvas Connect (opens new window) may be an option for you or for support selecting a new tool, contact the Learning Technology Services (LTS) Team.
You may have used your UVACollab site mostly for sharing information and updates via announcement or site email. If you are looking for a new tool with this functionality, consider using Microsoft Groups (opens new window) and Sympa Lists (opens new window).
If you don’t see your site type listed above, determine what alternative platform will work best for you by reviewing a full list of UVA-provided collaboration tools, including recommended tools and feature comparisons. See UVA Collaboration Tools (opens new window).
I Do Not Need My Site Anymore
If you or your collaborators need to access the files on your site after 2025, based on the Retention Requirements above, you must transition your site to an alternative platform.
Note to Medical Center employees: Documents that support clinical and operational standards at the Medical Center should be migrated into PolicyTech (opens new window) in accordance with Clinical and Operational Document Management Medical Center Policy (opens new window). Contact [email protected] to develop a migration plan. If documents are no longer needed, archive in accordance with Medical Center Records Retention Medical Center Policy (opens new window). For medical document retention questions, contact Ben Smith.
You can delete your sites by following the instructions at How do I delete a site? (opens new window)
Note: If need be, you can restore a site for up to 12 months after you delete it.
For a smooth transition, ensure users know the site will be moving to a new tool. Use these communications templates or write your own:
Sites retiring in 2025
This site is scheduled for retirement and is no longer being updated. It will be deleted when UVACollab retires at the end of 2025. See how to download files from UVACollab (opens new window). If you have questions, please email [your UVA email].
Sites moving to OneDrive
Files in [Site Name] are moving to OneDrive. Site members will receive a notification with a link to access the files. If you would like to request access, please email [your UVA email]. If you are experiencing technical issues, contact the UVA Help Desk for assistance.
Sites moving to Teams or Groups
[Site Name] is moving to [Microsoft Teams/ Groups]. Site members will receive a notification with a link to access the new [Team/ Group]. If you would like to request access, please email [your UVA email]. If you are experiencing technical issues, contact the UVA Help Desk for assistance.
Dear Colleague,
In the coming weeks, I plan to move files from [Site Name] in UVACollab to my OneDrive site. OneDrive will become the new home for these files moving forward.
When these files are ready for you to access, you will receive an email notification that I have shared these files with you. Follow the link in that email to access OneDrive by logging in using your UVA [email protected] email and password (forgot password?) or, if you are external to UVA, the email address that receives the notification.
If you are new to OneDrive, you may find this resource helpful as you get started: OneDrive (Microsoft 365).
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions about the files. If you have trouble accessing the files or are experiencing other technical issues, contact the UVA Help Desk for assistance.
Best Regards,
[Your Name]
Dear Colleague,
In the coming weeks, I plan to move [Site Name] from UVACollab to Microsoft Groups. Groups will become our new platform for collaboration moving forward.
When the Group is ready for you to access, you will receive an email notification that you have been added to a new Group. Follow the link in that email to access the new Group site by logging in using your UVA [email protected] email and password (forgot password?) or, if you are external to UVA or have been added as a guest, the email address that receives the notification.
If you are new to Groups, you may find these resources and tutorials helpful as you get started: Learn About Microsoft 365 Groups and Teams & Groups FAQs (Microsoft 365).
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions about the site. If you have trouble accessing the site or are experiencing other technical issues, contact the UVA Help Desk for assistance.
Best Regards,
[Your Name]
Dear Colleague,
In the coming weeks, I plan to move [Site Name] from UVACollab to Microsoft Teams. Teams will become our new platform for collaboration moving forward.
When the Team is ready for you to access, you will receive an email notification that you have been added to a new Team. Follow the link in that email to access the new Teams site by logging in using your UVA [email protected] email and password (forgot password?) or, if you are external to UVA or have been added as a guest, the email address that receives the notification.
If you are new to Teams, you may find these resources and tutorials helpful as you get started: Microsoft Teams (Microsoft 365) and Teams & Groups FAQs (Microsoft 365).
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me with questions about the site. If you have trouble accessing the site or are experiencing other technical issues, contact the UVA Help Desk for assistance.
Best Regards,
[Your Name]
For links to more information about setting up the recommended tools, see UVA Collaboration Tools (opens new window).
For more advanced support, email [email protected] to request a virtual consult.
You are done. Great job!