91ɬÂþ

To provide ownership, allowable use, privacy, and retention guidelines for all users of 91ɬÂþ (91ɬÂþ) electronic mail facilities.

Applies to all students, faculty, staff, contractors, consultants, temporary employees, guests, volunteers, and all other entities or individuals with access to electronic mail provided by 91ɬÂþ.

91ɬÂþ email facilities: Includes all facilities, technology, information resources, and computing and electronic communication devices, hardware, software, and services required to accomplish the processing, storage, transmission, and communication of electronic mail, whether individually controlled or shared, stand-alone, or networked.

Electronic mail (email): A message distributed by electronic means from one user to one or more recipients via a network.

Official 91ɬÂþ email account: Account with email address of the form @cwi.edu or @my.cwi.edu. An Official 91ɬÂþ email account is provided to faculty, staff, students, and other individuals granted email privileges at 91ɬÂþ.

User: Anyone who uses 91ɬÂþ’s information technology resources, even if they have no responsibility for managing the resources. This includes students, faculty, staff, contractors, consultants, and temporary employees.

Policy 

91ɬÂþ provides 91ɬÂþ email facilities that enable email communication by users. The use of 91ɬÂþ email facilities is expected and encouraged to facilitate the exchange of useful information in support of 91ɬÂþ’s mission. Members of the 91ɬÂþ community are expected to use 91ɬÂþ email facilities in a responsible and ethical manner.

Guidelines

Ownership Of Electronic Mail System

91ɬÂþ email facilities are owned by and the property of 91ɬÂþ. Email is an official means for communication at 91ɬÂþ. Therefore, 91ɬÂþ has the right to send communications to users via official 91ɬÂþ email accounts and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read by users in a timely fashion. 91ɬÂþ reserves the right to operate its email facilities as needed for its educational and administrative services.

Allowable Use 

91ɬÂþ email facilities are provided for activities and associated administrative functions supporting 91ɬÂþ’s mission. Any use of 91ɬÂþ email facilities should be related to 91ɬÂþ business, including academic pursuits. The use of 91ɬÂþ email facilities for teaching and learning is encouraged. Incidental and occasional personal use of 91ɬÂþ email facilities may occur when such use does not increase costs for 91ɬÂþ or interfere with 91ɬÂþ’s mission or operations. Such incidental use is subject to the provisions of this policy.

Users of 91ɬÂþ email facilities may redirect communications from an official 91ɬÂþ email account to another email address but will retain the responsibility to monitor official communications. Any user who forwards his/her 91ɬÂþ email to another email address expressly assumes all responsibility for delivery beyond the @cwi.edu or @my.cwi.edu domains. 91ɬÂþ is not responsible for forwarded e-mail from other e-mail systems.

Uses Not Allowed 

91ɬÂþ email facilities shall be used in an ethical and responsible manner. The following are prohibited uses of 91ɬÂþ email facilities:

• To threaten, harass, or intimidate others.
• To conduct non-91ɬÂþ supported fundraising or public relations activities.
• To transmit statements to incite violence or promote the use of weapons.
• For purposes prohibited by law, regulation, or 91ɬÂþ policy.
• To send e-mail that appears to be from someone else (spoofing).
• To violate the privacy of any student or employee.
• To assist in breaching computer system security.
• To conduct private business operations not connected with 91ɬÂþ projects.
• For electoral or issue-oriented political campaigning.
• To send large volumes of unsolicited email (spam) across systems.

Public Record & Privacy

While 91ɬÂþ respects the privacy of users and does not wish to inspect or monitor the use of 91ɬÂþ email facilities routinely or to be the arbiter of message content, users should not have any expectation of privacy or confidentiality as to any e-mails sent or received using 91ɬÂþ email facilities or an official 91ɬÂþ email account. As a public institution of higher education, 91ɬÂþ is subject to the public records laws of the state of Idaho. Any e-mail sent by users at 91ɬÂþ may be considered a public record subject to public disclosure as required by law. Use of private email in any manner for 91ɬÂþ-related purposes may cause that e-mail account to be subject to public records laws.

91ɬÂþ reserves the right to access messages and data stored on or transmitted using 91ɬÂþ email facilities or official 91ɬÂþ email accounts at any time for purposes including but not limited to:

• Complying with legal requests for information.
• Rerouting or disposing of undeliverable mail.
• Maintenance of computer system security.
• Investigating reports of violation of policy or law.
• Troubleshooting hardware and software problems.

Message Retention

The nature of email messages makes them difficult to rely upon as a permanent record. Email communications at 91ɬÂþ are not considered to be record copies and are transitory, held for convenience, and may be deleted. Users should be aware that messages may or may not be permanent. Also, the confidentiality of any message should not be assumed. Even when a message is deleted, it may be possible to retrieve and read that message. 91ɬÂþ reserves the right to review and retrieve email communications for all lawful purposes. In addition, 91ɬÂþ may be required to put a hold on certain email communications to prevent their deletion. Affected users will be advised of any such hold.

Violation Of Policy

Any violation of this policy may result in corrective action up to and including termination of employment and/or suspension or expulsion in the case of a student.