2006-2007 Student Handbook - University of the Incarnate Word

Routine monitoring of e-mail messages by university managers will not occur. E-mails are consideredprivate and confidential unless the author has given permission to make them available to others. Theuniversity, however, cannot guarantee the privacy or confidentiality of e-mail messages. Because e-mailsare transmitted and received in an electronic environment, there is always the possibility of messages goingastray.E-mail messages are organizational records because they are processed using university IT assets andreside on a shared university filing system. Therefore, they are subject to review and disclosure, but onlywhen a legitimate business need prevails and with specific authorization and controls. Rules for universityaccess and disclosure are listed below.E-mail messages should meet the same standards for distribution or display as if they were documentsprepared in writing. All email messages should clearly and accurately identify the author. E-mails that areforwarded should not be altered to change the text of the original author without their permission. Messagesshould not be written that are unethical, irresponsible or which the author would not want posted on abulletin board, used in a lawsuit, or shared with the wrong person. Language should be chosen carefully soas not to embarrass the receiver or the author at a later time. Messages written in anger are often the sourceof later embarrassment for the author.Usage of E-MailPermissible use of e-mail encompasses support of university business including academic andadministrative functions by authorized users.E-mail has the potential for abuse. Prohibited uses of e-mail include exploitation of university e-mailsystems for personal or commercial purposes not related to university business, copyright violations,deliberate interception of e-mail, and the opening of undelivered e-mail, except by authorized personnel tocorrect misrouting.E-mail will not be used to intimidate, degrade, demean, or harass others or to interfere with their ability toconduct university business or academic functions. E-mail will not be constructed so as to appear that ithas been sent by someone else. Opening others’ e-mail to satisfy curiosity unrelated to university businessis prohibited.Use of e-mail to promote or send pornography is prohibited, as is use of e-mail to distribute computerviruses or worms. Distribution of chain letters by e-mail is prohibited because this practice causesexcessive network traffic and loads on computing system assets.University Access and DisclosureThe Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) was passed by Congress in 1986. The ECPA madeinterception of electronic communications on a public or private network without proper authorization anillegal act. Under the ECPA, e-mails were afforded the same protections as given private telephoneconversations. The EPCA protects internal systems, such as those used by the UIW, from unauthorizedinterception by outside sources. However, the ECPA does permit messages that are stored on internalsystems to be accessed by authorized personnel without violating the Act.The university reserves the right to access and disclose the contents of e-mail messages under certainlegitimate circumstances. Such circumstances may include an investigation triggered by indications ofmisconduct, to protect institutional, student, faculty or staff health and safety, as needed to protect theacademic mission of the university or to locate substantive information not available by other means,among other circumstances. Additionally, the university may access and disclose e-mail information inresponse to legal processes and to fulfill obligations to third parties.92