E-mail Policy
Introduction
With the availability of expanding access to electronic
communications, including electronic mail (e-mail), comes the need for policy
to inform members of the Langston University community (all those individuals
who are using e-mail on university-issued accounts) on issues of appropriate
use, privacy, and access to electronic mail services. This document provides
policy guidelines regarding the use of this technology in pursuit of the goals
of the University. This policy refers only to unopened e-mail which has not
been stored or saved. Additionally, it is not applicable to application and
document files, networked or shared files, or databases. Federal and state laws
governing electronic communication technologies and the material transmitted
using these technologies is constantly undergoing review and development. Policy
statements in this document will change in response to changes in law and
further development of electronic communications technology.
This policy will apply to ALL electronic mail accounts
established by
I. Appropriate Use
A. As with other University resources, e-mail is
made available to faculty, staff, and students to further the teaching,
research, service, and extension goals and mission of the University. Use of
the University's e-mail services, therefore, is intended to be in furtherance
of such goals and mission and not for extracurricular purposes. Individuals may
not use e-mail for entrepreneurial activities except in cases of
University-sanctioned activities. Specifically prohibited is the selling of
access to the Internet by any member of the University community.
B. No one
shall be added to an e-mail mailing list for any purpose other than official
University business without his or her consent. Mailing lists may be used only
for their intended purposes.
C.
Occasions arise when an individual may wish to solicit goods and services or to
offer them to other members of the University community. For example, faculty
and staff may wish to advertise a home for rent to incoming faculty or incoming
faculty may wish to solicit rentals from the campus community. For such
purposes, Usenet news groups or bulletin boards are available on University
computer systems.
D. All
materials sent by campus e-mail must be attributed to the individual, office,
or organization sending the material. It is a violation of this policy to
originate e-mail in such a manner as to create the impression to the recipient
that the mail was originated from another source or individual.
II. Issues Related to Privacy
A. General Policy Statements.
1. Users of University electronic mail services
are placed on notice that under the Oklahoma Open Records Act all records that
are created by, received by, under the authority of, or coming into the
custody, control, or possession of the University or University officials are presumptively
categorized as public records. Such records include messages stored in an
electronic or magnetic format. All e-mail communications, therefore, unless
subject to a specific statutory privilege, are subject to production under the
Oklahoma Open Records Act and, when relevant, to discovery in civil litigation.
The federal Electronic Rights to Privacy Act will, in some instances, provide
such a privilege to electronic mail which has not been opened. The University
will observe and follow the requirements of all applicable state and federal
statutes relating to privacy concerns regarding electronic mail.
2. For the purposes of this policy statement, the
terms "unopened e-mail," "electronic mail which has not been
opened," or similar references, applies only to electronic messages
received by a user but which have not been opened by the user. Once a message
is opened by the user it is no longer considered "unopened," even if
such message has not been moved or otherwise stored in another location.
B. Individual Expectations.
1.
E-mail messages shall be delivered to the addressees and not censored or
interfered with in any way by the University.
2.
Individually addressed e-mail communications may not be intercepted by any
third party except as noted below. This does not prevent persons who have
legitimately received electronic mail messages from forwarding such messages on
to third parties.
3. Users of the University's e-mail services are
required at all times to observe all laws relating to copyright, trademark, and
trade secrets protection.
4. Account holders may not use encrypting
programs when engaging in e-mail communications except as specifically
authorized in advance in writing by ITS (Information Technology Services).
C.
University Requirements.
1. University
officers and supervisors shall have the right to read any e-mail when written
permission for such access has been given by the individual.
2. Under
certain circumstances the LU Postmaster(s) alternate(s), or the Information
Technology Services, ITS, may, in the course of his or her professional duties,
access an individual's e-mail for legitimate management or maintenance
purposes. The Director of ITS may designate in writing the identities of all
such persons to the Chief Information Officer for approval.
3. If an
occasion arises when a University officer or supervisor believes that access to
an individual's e-mail account is required for the conduct of University
business, the University individual is not available, and a system
administrator is required to access the individual's e-mail account, the
following procedure shall be followed:
a. The University official or supervisor shall secure
permission to access the e-mail account from the ITS Director.
b. An appropriate form completed with the signature of the
Chief Officer for the area shall be presented to the system administrator
allowing the system administrator to proceed to access the e-mail account.
c. The individual whose e-mail account has been accessed
will be notified as soon as possible by copy of the above referenced form.
Where necessary to ensure the integrity of an investigation into the use of
University computing resources, such notice, with the approval of the Chief
Officer of the area, may be delayed until such time as such investigation would
no longer be compromised.
4. Prior to termination or resignation, faculty
and staff members shall make all e-mail files related to University business
available to his or her supervisor.
5. On termination or resignation, the
individual's e-mail account will be terminated by the Information Technology
Services (ITS) Department and all information not retained by the supervisor
will be deleted.
III. Access to University Electronic Mail Accounts
A. Individuals who desire to have e-mail accounts
established on their behalf shall make application to the Information
Technology Services (ITS) Department. Requests from faculty, non-faculty staff,
and students asking for the establishment of an e-mail account normally will be
honored. However, such an account is a privilege extended by the University and
may be withdrawn by ITS at any time without prior
notice. The establishment of an e-mail account does not grant or guarantee
unlimited or unrestricted opportunities to use the e-mail account.
B. While account holders may expect reasonable
access to e-mail, this cannot be guaranteed to be available
at all times and in all circumstances.
C. Violation of this Policy Statement may result
in the loss of e-mail privileges at
IV. Objectionable Material, Violations and Sanctions
A. The University cannot
protect individuals against the existence or receipt of material that may
offend them. Those who make use of electronic communications are warned that
they may willingly or unwillingly come across, or be recipients of, material
that they may find offensive. Members of the University community are expected
to demonstrate good taste and sensitivity to others in their communications.
B. It is a
violation of this policy to use e-mail to libel, harass, or threaten other
individuals.
C. Users of
campus communications are subject to all applicable local, state, and federal
laws and regulations, and