Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to ensure the proper use of Salish Kootenai College’s email accounts. Electronic Mail is a tool provided by the College to complement traditional methods of communication and to improve education and administrative efficiency. Users have the responsibility to use this resource in an efficient, effective, ethical and lawful manner. Use of the College Email Accounts evidences the user’s agreement to be bound by this policy. Violations of the policy may result in restriction of access to the College Email Accounts and/or other appropriate disciplinary action. In the event a College employee holds both a College Employee Email Account and a Student Account, the more stringent rules of this policy for College Employee Email Accounts shall apply.

1. Account Creation
   College Email Accounts are created based on the official name of the student, faculty, staff or alumni as reflected in Human Resource, Payroll and Registrar records.
2. Ownership of Email Data
   The College owns the College Email Accounts. Subject to underlying copyright and other intellectual property rights under applicable laws and College policies, the College also owns data transmitted or stored using the College Email Accounts.
3. Personal Use
   While incidental personal use of a College Email Account is acceptable, conducting business for profit using a College Email Account is forbidden. Use of a College Email Account for political activities (supporting the nomination of any person for political office or attempting to influence the vote in any election or referendum) is forbidden. Any use of a College Email Account to represent the interests of a non-College group must be authorized by an appropriate College official.
4. Privacy and Right of College Access
   While the College will make every attempt to keep email messages secure, privacy is not guaranteed and users should have no general expectation of privacy in email messages sent through a College Email Account. Under certain circumstances, it may be necessary for the IT staff or other appropriate College officials to access College Email Accounts; these circumstances may include, but are not limited to, maintaining the system, investigating security or abuse incidents or investigating violations of this or other College policies, and, violations of SKC’s email provider’s Acceptable Use Policy or the College’s contract with that email provider.
   IT Services, the supervisor of an account holder or College officials may also require access to a College Email Account in order to continue College business where the College Email Account holder will not or can no longer access the College Email Account for any reason (such as death, disability, illness or separation from the College for a period of time or permanently). Such access will be on an as-needed basis and any email accessed will only be disclosed to those individuals with a need to know or as required by law.
5. Email Retention
   1. Individuals are responsible for saving email messages as they deem appropriate. Employees who have actual knowledge of matters in which it can be reasonably anticipated that a court action will be filed, a subpoena has been served or notice of same has been given, or records are sought pursuant to an audit, a government investigation or in similar circumstances preserve College records, including emails or instant messages should not delete email pertaining to these matters.
   2. Email Backup
      There are no backup or restoration services offered by the College for College Email Accounts.
6. Expiration of Accounts
   Faculty and Staff – Faculty and Staff members who leave the College will have email privileges removed effective one week after their last worked day. If such separation is for cause, email privileges may be immediately suspended indefinitely without notice.   
   Students who leave before graduation – Students who leave the College without completion of their degree or other program may keep their email privileges for one academic year from the last term when they were registered.
   A student who is expelled – If a student is expelled from the College, email privileges will be terminated immediately upon the directive of the Vice President of Academic Affairs.
   There are many situations at the College where the length of email privileges or expiration of accounts will differ from those written above. The College reserves the right to remove email privileges at any time for a College Email Account.
7. Appropriate Use
   When using email as an official means of communication, students, faculty and staff should apply the same professionalism, discretion, and standards that they would use in written business communication. Furthermore, students, faculty and staff should not communicate anything via email that would not be prepared to say publicly. Users of email shall not disclose information about students or employees in violation of College policies or laws protecting the confidentiality of such information.   
   No private personally identifiable information about College faculty, staff, students, alumni or other College members should be transmitted via email or stored in an unencrypted format.  This includes but is not limited to Social Security number, bank account information, tax forms or other sensitive data.  
   No technical data with potential for military defense application or otherwise subject to export control or other international trade control laws may be transmitted or stored in an unencrypted format. Users who use email communications with persons in other countries should be aware that they may be subject to the laws of those other countries and the rules and policies on others systems and networks.  Users are responsible for ascertaining, understanding and complying with the laws, rules, policies, contracts and licenses applicable to their particular uses.  
   Students who are employed by the College may not store information relating to their employment on their Student Account.  
8. User Responsibilities
   IT Services maintains the College’s official email system; faculty, staff and students are expected to read email on a regular basis and manage their accounts appropriately. An email message regarding College matters sent from an administrative office, faculty, or staff member is considered to be an official notice. Faculty, staff, or students who choose to use another email system are responsible for receiving College-wide broadcast messages and personal mail by checking the College’s official email system, newsgroups, and the College’s World Wide Web Homepage.
   Sharing of passwords is strictly prohibited. Each individual is responsible for his/her account, including the safeguarding of access to the account. All email originating from an account is deemed to be authored by the account holder, and it is the responsibility of that holder to ensure compliance with these guidelines.

Inappropriate Use
All Accounts, including those of alumni, are subject to SKC’s Acceptable Use Policy and to SKC’s email provider’s Acceptable Use Policy.

History:

Adopted: 2/13/13
Revised:  1/2021