Document Privacy @ SESP

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Document Privacy @ SESP

The Microsoft suite is Northwestern's primary solution for document storage, collaboration, and privacy.  Navigating Microsoft's services can sometimes feel unnecessarily complex, with a suite of services that share similar names and functionality. Office365, Microsoft365, OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Office.com, OneDrive.com, etc...

Detailed below are the major components of the Microsoft suite and our recommendations for how to best make use of each.

Service Recommendation
SharePoint            All essential files should be stored on a SESP affiliated SharePoint site and managed in accordance with the SESP Document Privacy Guidelines.
OneDrive app                                  Although not recommended, if strongly preferred, files in SharePoint may be synced to your computer with the OneDrive app.
OneDrive account Please do not store any files in your OneDrive account, which will still be of required in the event you leave the university. All files stored in a OneDrive account will be deleted when that individual leaves the university.
Teams Teams is not recommended for document and file storage, but is a good option for group collaboration with real-time chat, group chat, and audio and video conferencing.

SESP Document Privacy Guidelines

  • All essential files should be stored on a SESP affiliated SharePoint site.
  • All SESP affiliated SharePoint sites should be connected to the SESP SharePoint hub site.  https://nuwildcat.sharepoint.com/sites/SESP
  • Each SESP affiliated SharePoint site should have an identified "Data Steward" who is responsible for managing community members access permissions to the SharePoint site.  A list of SESP affiliated SharePoint sites and identified Data Stewards is available @ Self Service Group Management
  • The privacy of folders and files stored on all SESP affiliated SharePoint sites should be managed according to the guidelines documented @ SharePoint Privacy Management @ SESP
  • SESP faculty and staff are strongly recommended to access SharePoint files directly from the SharePoint website.  Files can either be opened from the website or edited directly in your browser.  Instructions for editing files in the browser are available @ Edit a Doc in the Browser
  • If absolutely necessary, files on a SharePoint site can be integrated into the Finder or Files Explorer on your computer by selecting to "Sync" the SharePoint site document library to the OneDrive app on their computer. Instructions for this process are available @ Sync SharePoint in OneDrive
 

Additional Information

SharePoint 

Files and folders stored on a SharePoint site are owned by the university. They will remain accessible to team members even if there are personnel changes.

Each SharePoint site has a dedicated website. You can access all the files and folders for which you have been granted permission through this site. To streamline your workflow, consider creating bookmarks for the sites that you frequently use.

To access files or folders on a SharePoint site requires that the ”Data Steward” of the SharePoint has shared the site to your NetID.  Once your NetID has been given permissions to the site, you can access files and folders on the SharePoint site directly from the SharePoint site’s website or by choosing to sync the site with the OneDrive app on your computer.

SESP has additionally created a SharePoint "Hub" site, which all SESP affiliated SharePoint sites are connected to assist SESP community members in finding the sites to which they have access.

The SESP SharePoint hub is available @ https://nuwildcat.sharepoint.com/sites/SESP  All SESP affiliated SharePoint sites are linked under the appropriate navigation category.

If you currently have or are aware of any SESP essential files or folders which are not currently stored on a SESP affiliated SharePoint site please open a service desk ticket and a member of the SESP tech team will assist in relocating the data.  Please open a ticket @  - Report An Issue

OneDrive app

The OneDrive app, is an application installed on your computer.  You login to the OneDrive app with your Northwestern NetID.  Once logged in, by default OneDrive will sync all files and folders which are owned by your individual or personal OneDrive account.  

In addition to your personal files, the OneDrive app can also be configured to sync files and folders from SharePoint sites which you have permission to access. Instructions for this process are available @ Sync SharePoint in OneDrive

OneDrive Account

All Northwestern community members with a @northwestern.edu email address have an individual or "personal" OneDrive account.

This account has 5 TB of storage space (may decrease in the future) and files stored in this account are not shared to anyone else at Northwestern by default.  All files and folders "owned" by your individual OneDrive are account will be deleted in the event you leave the university.

You may access the files in your individual OneDrive account either through the OneDrive web portal or by having the OneDrive app installed on your computer.

You may share files or folders to other Northwestern community members or external collaborators which are owned by your OneDrive individual account, however, please keep in mind that these files and folders will be deleted in the event you are no longer associated with Northwestern.  To avoid unnecessary disruptions or in the worse case the loss of important files and folders it is critical to ensure that all essential files and folders are stored on a Northwestern SharePoint site.  

The OneDrive web portal may be used for browsing and editing files stored in either your personal OneDrive account or files and folders that have been shared to you.  

SESP does not recommend utilizing the OneDrive web portal.  All essential files should be stored in a SESP SharePoint site, and it is recommended to access these files either directly through the SharePoint site website or configuring the SharePoint site document library to sync in your OneDrive app.

While it is possible to add SharePoint folders to your OneDrive web portal, this is not recommended as it creates more of an opportunity for files to be inadvertently stored in your personal OneDrive account as opposed to a SharePoint folder.

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