Digital Departure for Employees

Navigating the Process

This is a resource to help separating employees and their supervisors plan for technology support before they leave the university. The following pages review important information about how to navigate the technological transition that occurs when someone leaves the university.  Technology only plays a small part in this process so it is recommended that you consult with Human Resources (HR) to ensure that all other items are handled correctly.  Make sure to review the HR Separating Employees Checklist before proceeding with this page. Here are a few important contact points that you may use along the way:

General HR Questions:

HR Benefits & Retirement

HR Employee Relations

HR Payroll

Technology Checklist for Separating Employees

When someone is planning to leave the university, there are a series of technology-related items that everyone should prepare for in advance.  The supervisor of the employee is ultimately responsible for ensuring that these tasks are completed prior to an employees last day.  It is extremely important that you begin working on this process as soon as it is identified that a user is leaving a position, even if they are just moving to another opportunity on campus. 

Employee Checklist (download form)

NOTE:  Do NOT wait until your last day to begin this process.

  • Tip:  Develop an operational reference guide on the processes that you handle on a regular basis.  Make sure to include step-by-step instructions and information about how to get access to the systems or services that you use.  Here are some things to focus on:
    • Major technology items that will impact the office when you are gone.
    • Specialized applications/systems in which you have served as the subject matter expert on.
  • Meet with with your manager and develop a transition plan regarding access and data in advance.
  • Consider the following items that may need attention before your last day of work:
    • Data:
      • Box – Transition ownership (they must be made owners and not just co-owners) of files and folders in Box.com to other employees.
      • Computer Files – Move needed data to a Commonfile (group/departmental) share that others can access.
      • Shares – Move needed data from your Homefile (also called your M: Drive) to a Commonfile (group/departmental) share that others can access.
      • Qualtrics – Transition ownership of surveys over to other employees.
      • Other Applications – Function/role-specific data needs to be discussed and shared as appropriate. 
    • Email:
      • Forward over important communication or create a shared mailbox if large amounts of data need to be moved. 
      • If you are a TCU Alumi who graduated after January 2013, and you desire ongoing access to a TCU-provided email account, you will need to ask the IT Support HelpDesk to transition your mailbox over to the student O365 email system.
      • Email Out of Office Auto-Reply – Set up an Out of Office Auto-Reply message in advance so that people are aware of who to contact after your last day.
      • Get any generic mailboxes or distribution lists that you own moved over to other employees.
      • If you are a current student but intend to continue in your program after your last day of work, please reach out to HR Employee Relations to discuss extra steps required to prepare for this transition.
    • Desk Phone – Share any important voice messages and set-up your phone to have calls forwarded another employee who will take your calls going forward. 
    • Voicemail – You may want to consider turning off the voicemail option or setting it up to notify someone else if a message is left on your desk phone.
    • Release TCU Owned iOS Devices – Erase personal data and remove the equipment from your iCloud account.
    • Non-Standard Systems – Consider online videos (YouTube and Panopto), social media accounts, third-party/external websites/portals and any passwords that may need to be shared.

Supervisor Checklist (download form)

NOTE:  Do NOT wait until their last day to begin this process.

  • Meet with your employee to review their business/technical processes.  It is important to develop an action plan, with deadlines, to ensure operational continuity.
  • Consider the following items for the employment transition prior to the employee’s last day:
    • Data:
      • Do they store data in Box.com?
      • Do they store data in their Homefile (M: Drive) or a Commonfile (group/departmental) share?
      • Do they store data on their local computer that you need to access?
    • Email:
      • Do they have emails in their personal account that need to be saved or archived?
      • Do they manage a departmental email mailbox?
      • Do they manage an email distribution list(s)?
      • Do you need them to setup an Out of Office Auto-Reply on their mailbox in advance?
      • Do they need to add a note to their signature line notifying future contacts of their upcoming separation.
    • Other:
      • Do they have Qualtrics surveys that need to be transferred?
      • Do they have all of their TCU-owned equipment to return?
      • Do they have their work processes written down and documented to share?
      • Do they have a desk phone that needs to be retrieved/forwarded?  If so, who will answer their phone calls upon their departure?
      • Do they have personal information that they need to transfer to a personal drive?
      • Do you plan to have them continue working with the university in an unpaid capacity as an associate?
      • Do they have access to social media, online videos (YouTube or Panopto), third-party websites/portals or other job-specific data that needs to be transitioned over?
      • Do they have a desk phone that needs to be forwarded to another location and the name/vm PIN need to be reset?
      • Have you submitted termination paperwork to HR and requested the removal of extra access from an employees account to IT before their last day (be sure to give enough lead time to allow this to successfully take place)?

Important Concepts

“Supervisors – Not taking action before an employee leaves the university will dramatically increase the difficultly of accessing this information later on. Do not wait until the last minute.”

“Employees – Make sure to remove any personal data from your shares, computers or other locations before you leave the university. IT will NOT be able to help you identify ways to transition your data to personal storage locations.”

Access to TCU Systems After You Leave

Once you leave the university and a termination PAF has been processed by HR, you will automatically lose access to all of your TCU technology services. There are a few exceptions: 

Retirees – May retain access to a TCU email account and eduroam wireless when on campus.  If a retiree needs access to other services, then paperwork can be submitted to HR to make them an associate.  Be sure that the employee has transitioned over email communication that is important to business continuity prior to their departure.

Emeritus Faculty/Staff Retirees – Individuals with the honorific designation may also, retain access to a TCU email account and eduroam wireless when on campus.  Keep in mind that once the Board of Trustees approves their Emeritus status (generally in the spring semester after retirement) they can request access to various IT-related systems as specified in the TCU Faculty/Staff Handbook.  This access is not granted automatically and must be requested on a case-by-case basis.  These services might include access to shares, box, zoom, the VPN, qualtrics, printing services, and etc.  Keep in mind that some services may require you to have a campus department sponsor the costs of the service if on-going billing or equipment purchases are required. 

Alumni (Graduated after January 2013) – Employees that graduated from the university after January of 2013 are eligible to retain their TCU email address like other students.  Make sure to reach out to the IT Support HelpDesk before this employee leaves to transition your mailbox over to a student Office 365 account. 

NOTE:  It is very important to work with IT to put in requests to remove specialized access for departing employees before their last day of employment. Do not wait to reach out to consult with IT about what needs to be done. 

Requesting Access to Data AFTER an Employee Leaves

Once an employee’s paperwork is processed with HR, then an account cleanup process begins and you generally only have 30 days to take action before the data is gone.  If you need access to data that was not addressed before an employee left the university, then you will have to go through a review process with HR Employee Relations and IT Security to get approval (filling out this form will initiate the process and you will get a copy of the request via email).  Please, understand that this will be a slow process as it was your responsibility as a supervisor to complete this work before your former employee left. 

NOTE:  The former employee’s supervisor should be the person filling out this form and only after you have taken steps to get data transferred over using the methods listed above. 

Third Party Data Access Request
Do you need data from a share like homefile, commonfile, Qualtrics or Box.com? (Select One)
Do you need data from the user’s computer? (Select One)
Do you need data from the former employee’s email account? (Select One)
Do you need new email to the former employee’s address forwarded to a new location? Note: This can’t be done for retirees and alumni (post 2013) as they still have access to their accounts. (Select One)
Do you need an Out of Office (OOO) message applied to a former employee’s account? Note: This can’t be done for retirees and alumni (post 2013) as they still have access to their accounts. (Select One)
I am the supervisor of this former employee.
I am unaware of any legal or employee relations issues that may prohibit me from requesting access to this type of data at this time. (Select One)
I understand that data retrieval and investigation is time consuming, and that lack of action on my part as a supervisor (before the employee left) could result in a chargeback to the department to complete this request.
I understand that requested data may only be given to me directly and that I will be responsible for distributing it to others.
I understand that it is my responsibility to review any data that is given to me to ensure that personal or private information is not shared with others.

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