Administrative Procedures & Guidelines Official Use of Student Email

GENERAL TOPIC: Student Email	DATE ISSUED:
SUBJECT: Official Use of Student Email	ALSO SEE:
RESOURCE CONTACT: Vice President of Administrative Services	Links in References section of this document
PROCEDURE REVIEW: As Needed

Purpose of the Operating Procedure

Due to increased advantages of and reliance on electronic communication linking students, faculty, staff, and administrators at Pierce College District, email is designated to be an official means of communication. This operating procedure details how students can access college-provided email accounts and establishes guidelines for appropriate use of student email by college employees for official college purposes.

Scope

The official use of student email operating procedures establishes requirements regarding:

• College use of email;
• Assignment of student email addresses;
• Student responsibilities associated with assigned email addresses; and
• Expectations related to email communication among faculty, staff and students.

Operating Procedure

1. District College use of email
   Email is an official means of communication for the Pierce College District. The College has the right to communicate with students via email and the right to expect those communications to be read in a timely manner. Pierce College District use of email will adhere to all Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines as they pertain to confidentiality and sharing of student information.
   
   
2. Assignment of student email addresses
   Once a student has enrolled for their first quarter, Pierce College Institutional Technology Services will assist them in setting up an official College email address. This email address will be used to send College communications and it is the official address that will be listed in the College's student directory.
   
   After the first full academic quarter of enrollment, a student's email address will remain valid for one year following their last academic quarter at Pierce College. If a student does not complete a full initial quarter of enrollment, their email address will be removed from the system by the end of that quarter.
   
   
3. Redirecting student email
   Students are strongly encouraged to use their College-provided email address. Students may configure their student account to automatically forward to another existing email account, at their own risk. Students are cautioned that some email systems may block delivery of forwarded email and some may not be able to handle large files.
   
   Students who wish to forward their email to another email address (e.g., @msn.com, @hotmail.com) should consult the Pierce College web site at: http://www.pierce.ctc.edu/SOS/email.php#forward
   
   Students are expected to read their email frequently regardless of whether their College-provided accounts have been forwarded. The College is not responsible for forwarded email. All responsibility for forwarding, managing, and using email from a student's official College-provided email account resides with the student.
   
   
4. Academic uses of email
   The faculty will determine how or if email will be used in their classes. Each faculty member's email requirements will be specified in the course syllabus. Please read the syllabus for each class, or ask your instructor. Faculty are not required to verify email addresses, or collect non-college email addresses for this purpose.
   
   
5. Appropriate use of student email
   
   • In general, email is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information.
   • All use of email will be consistent with the Student Code of Conduct, and District policies related to the use of technology.
   • When using email for official communications, Pierce College District will follow all confidentiality, disclosure and notification requirements contained in its FERPA policy.
   • Email will not be the sole method used for notification of disciplinary action.

Procedures Review and Responsible Organization

The Vice President of Administrative Services will review this operating procedure as needed and is responsible for its content. Students with questions or comments about this policy should contact either the Office of Student Programs or Institutional Technology (IT) on the Pierce College campuses.

References

Email "Netiquette" Guidelines

FERPA Information

Forwarding Student Email

K-20 Acceptable Use Policy

Key Policies/Procedures

Pierce College Acceptable Use Policy

Procedures for Email Broadcasts

Student Code of Conduct

Student Email Information

Review and Revision History:

Date	Revised By	Description of Revision, & Brief Explanation of Why Change Made, Approved
7/03/07	Initial Draft to ETeam for review	To create a greater sense of community by establishing Pierce College Student Email accounts as the official means of communications to students.
7/24/07	No Changes	Reviewed and Approved by Cabinet