Panopto Content Retention Policy – University of Lincoln

Panopto is the University of Lincoln’s lecture recording and video hosting platform. The Panopto tool is integrated with Blackboard, meaning that each module and programme site is automatically given a ‘folder’ where staff (and students if permitted for assessment purposes) can record and upload video content as part of the module content.

Panopto has two types of storage for video content and the University of Lincoln implements content retention rules to manage recorded videos in line with the JISC data retention guidance and to meet its obligations regarding digital security. The two types of storage are:

• Stored Videos: A video that is immediately available to watch by a member of staff or a student who has access to it.
• Archived Videos: A video that is available to watch by any member of staff or a student who has access to it on-request, following a delay of between 1 and 48 hours whilst it is retrieved from the archive (depending how long it has been in storage).

Content Retention Policy

Panopto Module/Programme Folders

These folders are automatically created by the Panopto integration for Blackboard. Each module and programme ‘site’ in Blackboard has its own Panopto folder where instructors can record and upload video content and make it available to students. Only those enrolled on the Blackboard ‘site’ have access to the videos in these folders.

The content retention rule for these folders is as follows:

1. Any stored video not viewed within 14 months is moved into archive.
2. Any archived video created more than 7 years ago and that has been in archive for more than 3 months to be permanently deleted.

Personal Folders (known as ‘My Folder’)

Staff and student users can request a personal folder (known as ‘My Folder’)that allows them to record and upload video content to a private space, perform any editing as required, then move or transfer the video to a different folder such as a module or programme folder.

1. Any stored video not viewed within 18 months is moved into archive.
2. Personal folders are exempt from automated deletion rules.

Restoring a Video from the Archive

1. If your Panopto folder contains archived video you will see a storage box icon displayed to the right-hand side of an eye icon (see the image below for an example of this). Selecting the storage box image will filter the page to display videos that have been moved into archive within this folder.

2. Your archived video(s) will now appear within the Panopto Folder, the thumbnail image will appear greyed out and there will be an Archive icon over it. When hovered over, you can select the Restore from Archive button that appears. This will commence the restore process.

3.  Archived content that is in the process of being restored will not show the Restore from Archive option but instead will display the message: Video restore from the archive started (archive start date and time). Video will be available for viewing in… with the time remaining until the video is restored. The video restoration will take up to 48 hours. An email will be sent indicating that the video has been restored. 

When will a video be re-archived after you restore it?

• If you or another user watches the video within 30 days of the restore taking place then it will not be archived again until it meets the original content retention rule, for example in a Panopto Module Folder this will be after 14 months of not being viewed.
• If you or another user does not watch the video within 30 days of the restore taking place then it will be moved back into archive automatically.

If you would like to understand in more detail what options are available for restoring content from Panopto please see the following web link: How to Restore Archived Content (panopto.com)