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Email Acceptable Use

JSCC Policy Number: Not Yet Assigned

TBR Policy Reference: Not Yet Assigned

TBR Guideline Reference: Not Yet Assigned

Approved By: Dr. Allana Hamilton

Original Date Effective: 2010-08-05

Last Modified: 2019-09-06

Responsible Office: Office of Information Technology

E-mail is a critical mechanism for business communications at Jackson State Community College. However, use of Jackson State Community College (JSCC) electronic mail systems and services are a privilege, not a right, and therefore must be used with respect and in accordance with the goals of Jackson State Community College.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to outline appropriate and inappropriate use of Jackson State Community College's e-mail systems and services in order to minimize disruptions to services and activities, as well as comply with applicable policies and laws.

This policy applies to all e-mail systems and services used by JSCC, all e-mail account users at JSCC and all company e-mail records.

Email Access

All employees of JSCC and students are entitled to an e-mail account. E-mail accounts will be granted to third party non-employees on a case-by-case basis. Possible non-employees that may be eligible for access include but not limited to Contractors (e.g. Bookstore).

E-mail access at JSCC is controlled through the individual's Netlogon. It is the responsibility of the employee to protect the confidentiality of their account and password information.

JSCC's Access Control Policy provides information pertaining to email and account management. JSCC is under no obligation to store or forward the contents of an individual's email inbox/outbox after the term of their employment has ceased.

General Expectations of End Users

Important official communications are often delivered via e-mail. As a result, employees of Jackson State Community College with e-mail accounts are expected to check their e-mail in a consistent and timely manner so that they are aware of important company announcements and updates, as well as for fulfilling business- and role-oriented tasks. E-mail users are responsible for mailbox management, including organization and cleaning. If a user subscribes to a mailing list, he or she must be aware of how to remove himself/herself from the list, and is responsible for doing so in the event that their current email address changes.

E-mail users are also expected to comply with normal standards of professional and personal courtesy and conduct.

Appropriate Use

Individuals at JSCC are encouraged to use e-mail to further the goals and objectives of Jackson State Community College. The types of activities that are encouraged include:

  • Communicating with fellow employees, business partners of JSCC, and clients within the context of an individual's assigned responsibilities.
  • Acquiring or sharing information necessary or related to the performance of an individual's assigned responsibilities.
  • Participating in educational or professional development activities.

Inappropriate Use

Jackson State Community College's e-mail systems and services are not to be used for purposes that could be reasonably expected to cause excessive strain on systems. Individual e-mail use will not interfere with others' use of JSCC's e-mail system and services. E-mail use will comply with all applicable laws and all JSCC/TBR policies.

The following activities are deemed inappropriate uses of Jackson State Community College systems and services and are prohibited:

  • Use of e-mail for illegal or unlawful purposes, including copyright infringement, obscenity, libel, slander, fraud, defamation, plagiarism, harassment, intimidation, forgery, impersonation, soliciting for illegal pyramid schemes, and computer tampering (e.g. spreading of computer viruses).
  • Sending confidential information (such as social security numbers, grades, credit card numbers, etc.) is prohibited.
  • Use of e-mail in any way that violates JSCC's policies, rules, or administrative orders.
  • Viewing, copying, altering, or deletion of e-mail accounts or files belonging to JSCC or another individual without authorized permission.
  • Sending of unreasonably large e-mail attachments. The total size of an individual e-mail message sent (including attachment) should be 25 MB or less.
  • Opening e-mail attachments from unknown or unsigned sources. Attachments are the primary source of computer viruses and should be treated with utmost caution.
  • Sharing e-mail account passwords with another person, or attempting to obtain another person's e-mail account password. E-mail accounts are only to be used by the registered user.
  • Excessive personal use of JSCC's e-mail resources. JSCC allows limited personal use for communication with family and friends, independent learning, and public service so long as it does not interfere with staff productivity, pre-empt any business activity, or consume more than a trivial amount of resources. JSCC prohibits personal use of its e-mail systems and services for unsolicited mass mailings, non-JSCC commercial activity, political campaigning, dissemination of chain letters, and use by non-employees.

Monitoring and Confidentiality

The e-mail systems and services used at JSCC are owned by the College. This gives JSCC the right to monitor any and all e-mail traffic passing through its e-mail system. While JSCC does not actively read end-user e-mail, e-mail messages may be inadvertently read by IT staff during the normal course of managing the e-mail system.

In addition, backup copies of e-mail messages may exist, despite end-user deletion. The goal of the backup of email at JSCC is for disaster recovery purposes only. Users are responsible for archiving their emails onto their hardware if they need to retain.

If JSCC discovers or has good reason to suspect activities that do not comply with applicable laws or this policy, e-mail records may be retrieved and used to document the activity in accordance with due process.

Use extreme caution when communicating confidential or sensitive information via e-mail. Keep in mind that all e-mail messages sent outside of JSCC become the property of the receiver. A good rule is to not communicate anything that you wouldn't feel comfortable being made public. Demonstrate particular care when using the "Reply" command during e-mail correspondence.

Reporting Misuse

Any allegations of misuse should be promptly reported to the OIT Director. If you receive an offensive email, do not forward, delete, or reply to the message. Instead, report it directly to the Director of Information Technology.

Disclaimer

JSCC assumes no liability for direct and/or indirect damages arising from the user's use of JSCC's e-mail system and services. Users are solely responsible for the content they disseminate. JSCC is not responsible for any third-party claim, demand, or damage arising out of use the JSCC's e-mail systems or services.