E-Mail Policy

University use of email

Email is an official means for communication within UJ. Therefore, the University has the right to send communications to faculty, staff and students via email and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.

Assignment of email addresses

Information Technology (IT) will assign all faculty, staff and students an official University email address. It is to this official address that the University will send email communications. This official address will be the email address listed in University directories and business cards.

Redirecting email

The University recommends that faculty, staff and students use the University’s email system; however, faculty, staff or students may have email electronically redirected to another email address. If faculty, staff or students wish to have an email redirected from their official address to another email address (e.g., @gmail.com, @hotmail.com) they may do so, but at their own risk. The University will not be responsible for the handling of email by outside vendors. Having an email redirected does not absolve a faculty member, staff member or student from the responsibilities associated with communication sent to his or her official email address.

Email communications expectations

Faculty, staff and students are expected to check their official email address on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with University communications. The University recommends checking email at least once a day; in recognition that certain communications may be time-critical and respond appropriately and promptly to any request from a University official.

Misuses of email

In general, email is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information unless an appropriate level of security matches its use for such purposes.

Using electronic mail for illegal activities is strictly prohibited. Illegal use includes, but is not limited to: obscenity; child pornography; threats, harassment; theft; attempting unauthorized access to data or attempting to breach any security measures on any electronic communications system; attempting to intercept any electronic communication transmission without proper authority; and violation of copyright, trademark or defamation law.

In addition to illegal activities, the following electronic mail practices are expressly prohibited: entry, examination, use, transfer, and tampering with the accounts and files of others, unless appropriately authorized pursuant to this policy; altering electronic mail system software or hardware configurations; or interfering with the work of others or with University or other computing facilities.

University electronic mail services may not be used for non-university commercial activities, personal financial gain, non-approved charitable activities, or for the advancement of any political agenda.

Electronic mail users shall not give the impression that they are representing, giving opinions, or otherwise making statements on behalf of the University or any unit of the University unless expressly authorized to do so.

University email services may not be used for purposes that could reasonably be expected to cause, (directly or indirectly) strain on any computing facilities, or interference with others’ use of electronic mail or electronic mail systems.

Mass Emailing

Mass email messages are a useful and convenient way of informing the campus community. However, their potential for unnecessarily consuming resources and cluttering campus inboxes require that senders of such messages adhere to some guidelines. As such, mass emails must be approved or sent by authorized users only. A mass emailing is an unsolicited email message sent to a group of otherwise unrelated campus email addresses. For example, sending a message to all faculty or all students would be considered a mass emailing. Whether such messages are sent by using a personally constructed list of addresses or a system-generated list, such as staculty@uj.edu, makes no difference in the effect or applicability of this policy. Sending a message to members of a club or a group of friends does not constitute a mass emailing. Sending messages to groups, committees, or divisions also does not constitute a mass emailing.

Use of university-wide and campus email distribution lists

University email is only for official university business. Use of University-wide email distribution lists should be used for information important to all members of the university community. Use of the distribution lists for personal reasons, community event advertising or other events/information that does not directly involve the entire campus community is prohibited.

Faculty, staff, and student e-mail distribution lists are not made available to outside organizations other than as specified by legal or policy requirements.

Technology Violations

Suspected or known violations of policy or law should be reported to the appropriate supervisory level for the operational unit in which the violation occurs. Alleged violations will be evaluated by the appropriate University authorities and/or law enforcement agencies. Violations may result in various actions, including but not limited to Academic Dishonesty or Code of Conduct proceedings, faculty, staff or student disciplinary action up to and including dismissal, referral to law enforcement agencies; or other legal action.