Use of Email as Official Correspondence with Students

Introduction
At Indiana University, there is an increasing need for fast and efficient communication with currently enrolled students in order to conduct official business at the University. Students tend to communicate extensively through electronic mail. Each student is issued a University network ID and email account for use throughout the time the student is registered for classes at the University. Accordingly, email is an available mechanism for formal communication by the University with students. If a student chooses to forward his/her mail to another email address (AOL, Hotmail, departmental server, etc.), the student’s primary campus email address remains the official destination for official university correspondence.

The following policy is consistent with the Bloomington Faculty Council “Mass Email Procedures and Restrictions” as well as policies and procedures established by the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology and Chief Information Officer. It does not make email the only official method of communication. While campuses are encouraged to adopt the policy on email as an official means of communication, each campus will have the option to do so.

Policy
Email shall be considered an appropriate mechanism for official communication by Indiana University with IU students unless otherwise prohibited by law. The University reserves the right to send official communications to students by email with the full expectation that students will receive email and read these emails in a timely fashion.

Assignment of Student Email
Official university email accounts are available for all registered students. The domains for the addresses vary according to campus (e.g., indiana.edu for IU Bloomington, iupui.edu for IUPU Indianapolis, iun.edu for IU Northwest). Official university communications will be sent to students’ official university email addresses.

Students are expected to check their email on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with university-related communications. Students must insure that there is sufficient space in their accounts to allow for email to be delivered. Students have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time-critical.

Forwarding of Email
Students who choose to have their email forwarded to a private (unofficial) email address outside the official university network address, do so at their own risk. The University is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission or access of email forwarded to any unofficial email address, and any such problems will not absolve students of their responsibility to know and comply with the content of official communications sent to students’ official IU email addresses.

Course Related Use of Email
Faculty may assume that a student’s official university email is a valid mechanism for communicating with a student, although faculty should exercise caution about including sensitive data, such as grades, in an email. This policy will ensure that all students will be able to comply with course requirements communicated to them by email from their course instructors.

Responding to an Unofficial Email Address
IU employees need to be careful when responding in detail to a query sent from an unofficial email address since there is no assurance that the sender is, in fact, the student. A recommended step is to provide generic replies only, directing students to university tools that require authentication, such as Oncourse or self service functions, or to require students to provide their primary campus email address to receive a reply.

December 10, 2003