Acceptable Use of the College Email Policy

Purpose of the Policy


There is an expanding reliance on electronic communication among students, faculty, staff, and administration at Guilford College. This is motivated by the convenience, speed, costeffectiveness, and environmental advantages of using e-mail rather than printed communication. Because of this increasing reliance and acceptance of electronic communication, e-mail is considered an official means for communication at Guilford College.

Implementation of this policy ensures that students, faculty, and staff have access to this critical form of communication. For the majority of students and employees, this will not represent any change from what is currently done; it will, however, ensure that all students and employees can access, and be accessed by, e-mail as the need arises.

Scope

This e-mail policy provides guidelines regarding the following aspects of e-mail as an official means of communication:

  1. College use of e-mail;
  2. Assignment of e-mail addresses;
  3. Use of and responsibilities associated with assigned e-mail addresses;
  4. Expectations of e-mail communication between faculty, staff and students;
  5. Uses of e-mail communication

Policy

  1. College use of e-mail: E-mail is an official means for communication at Guilford College. Therefore, the College has the right to send communications to students, faculty and staff via e-mail and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.
  2. Assignment of e-mail addresses: Information Technology & Services (IT&S) will assign students, faculty and staff an official College e-mail address. It is to this official address that the College will send e-mail communications; this official address will be the address listed in the
    college directory.
  3. Redirecting of e-mail: E-mail can be electronically redirected to another e-mail address. If a student, faculty, or staff wishes to have e-mail redirected from his or her official address to another e-mail address (e.g., @aol.com, @hotmail.com) they may do so, but at his or her own risk. The College will not be responsible for the handling of e-mail by outside vendors or by email redirected to another account. Having e-mail redirected does not absolve a student, faculty or staff from the responsibilities associated with communication sent to his or her official e-mail address.
  4. Expectations regarding use of e-mail: Students, faculty and staff are expected to check their official e-mail address on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with College communications. It is recommended that e-mail is checked once a week at a minimum; in recognition that certain communications may be time-critical.
  5. Educational uses of e-mail: Faculty may determine how e-mail will be used in their classes. It is highly recommended that if faculty have e-mail requirements and expectations they specify these requirements in their course syllabus. Faculty may expect that students' official e-mail
    addresses are being accessed, and faculty may use e-mail for their courses accordingly.
  6. Appropriate use of e-mail: In general, e-mail is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information unless its use for such purposes is matched by an appropriate level of security.
    7.  
    • Confidentiality regarding student records is protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). All use of e-mail, including use for sensitive or confidential information, will be consistent with FERPA.
    • E-mail shall be the sole method for notification of any judicial actions taken by the College
     
  7. Mass Email & Unsolicited Email: Guilford College uses e-mail as the means for communicating important daily information to students, faculty and staff. The Guilford Buzz is the approved method for distributing such mass electronic communication. While faculty, staff and students can maintain personal group lists, those lists should not be used to send unsolicited email that violates any of the college’s handbooks. Use of groups within Guilford’s electronic directory without approval of the President of the college is forbidden. (At this time, the only approved group use is faculty approval to email the faculty group. All other group usage should be pre-approved.)This policy will be reviewed as needed. Students, faculty or staff with questions or comments about this policy should contact Director, Information Technology & Services.