61. Student E-Mail

(Revised 2003)

61.1 Introduction

This rule establishes email as an official means of communication (equivalent to the U.S. Postal Service) at Texas A&M University. It also establishes student responsibilities for use of official TAMU email accounts and official email correspondence.

61.2 Policies

61.2.1. Email Use - Email is an official means of communication at Texas A&M University. All use of email will be consistent with Student Rules, Computing Services: Rules for Responsible Computing (Revised, 1996).

61.2.2. Assignment of Student Email Accounts - Upon a student's admission to Texas A&M University, they will be assigned an active student email account within five working days. It then becomes the responsibility of the student to access this email account in a responsible and timely manner.

61.2.3. Expectations Regarding Student Use of Email - It is every student's responsibility to check their Texas A&M University official email account for University-related communications on a frequent and consistent basis. The University recommends checking email at least once per day.

61.2.4. Educational Uses of Email and Class Listserves by Faculty - Faculty members will determine how email is used in their classes. Faculty can require students to check their email at a specific time or on a more frequent basis.

61.2.5. Forwarding Email - The University provides assured delivery of messages to a student's email address on the central server. Students may elect to automatically forward messages sent to their Texas A&M University student email address. However, email messages that are essential to the student's education or that contain private personal information may be designated as "Do Not Forward" (DNF) and will not be redirected to another address. A courtesy notification message will be forwarded whenever a DNF email is delivered to a TAMU student email account where the student has elected to automatically forward their messages. However, TAMU cannot guarantee the delivery of these courtesy notification messages. The University is not responsible for email once it is forwarded out of a student's University email ac-count; thus it is the student's responsibility to read the DNF correspondence in their TAMU email account.

61.2.6. Privacy - Users should exercise extreme caution in using email to communicate confidential or sensitive matters, and should not assume that email is private. In general, email is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information unless it is matched by an appropriate level of security or permission. The Student Rules for Responsible Computing further address privacy rights and limitations.

Email addresses are classified as directory information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and will be listed in the Texas A&M University electronic directory unless the student desires to withhold this information by filling out a Hold Directory Information form available in the Office of Admissions and Records. Email distribution in bulk or via the class roster mechanism will be for official University business only.

61.2.7. Virus Scanning and Spam Marking - To protect the campus from computer viruses, email will be automatically scanned for viruses. If a virus is detected, the email will be rejected without being accepted or delivered locally. Suspected spam will be marked, but will not be blocked since classification of email as spam is a subjective decision.