626.01: Email Communication

Enterprise State Community College uses electronic mail (e-mail) as a communication tool in furtherance of its mission. The e-mail system iS intended to be used for College business purposes only. Employees accessing ESCC's e-mail system are required to adhere tO the following policy and procedures. Violation of this e-mail policy may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

All communications and information transmitted, received, or archived in ESCC's email system or stored on computers, tablets, cell phones, or other computing or communication devices belonging to the College are College property. The Federal Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) gives the College's administration the right to access and disclose all employee e-mail messages transmitted or received via the institution's computer system. ESCC reserves the right to monitor employees' email activity. With regard to e-mail, employees should have no expectation of privacy. Be aware that the College's administration may access and monitor e-mail at any time for any reason without notice.
Employees are prohibited from using the College's e-mail system in any way that violates the State of Alabama Ethics Law, including using the College's e-mail system to campaign for a political candidate, espouse political views, promote a religious cause, promote a business, or advertise the sale of merchandise for personal gain.
E-mail passwords are the property of ESCC. Employees are required to provide the IT Division with current passwords when requested. Only authorized personnel are permitted to use passwords to access another employee's e-mail without consent. Misuse of passwords, the sharing of passwords with non-employees, and/or the unauthorized use of another employee's password will result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Employees are responsible for protecting the privacy of those who entrust their personal information to the College, including students, vendors, and other employees. Confidential or personal information never should be sent via e-mail without the understanding that it can be intercepted. This includes the transmission of the organization's intellectual property, financial information, Social Security numbers, student records, employee data and/or other confidential material. When sending confidential material (or any messages for that matter), employees should use extreme caution to ensure the intended recipient's e-mail address is correct.
Exercise sound judgment and common sense when distributing e-mail messages. Student-related messages should be carefully guarded and protected, like any other written materials, to ensure compliance with FERA regulations.
Employees must abide by applicable copyright laws in all e-mail communication.
E-mail usage must conform to ESCC's harassment and discrimination policies. Messages containing defamatory, obscene, menacing, threatening, offensive, harassing, or otherwise objectionable and/or inappropriate statements--and/or messages that disclose personal information without authorization are prohibited. If you receive this type of prohibited, unsolicited message, do not forward it. Notify your supervisor and / or the IT Division about the message. Delete the message as instructed by the administration.
E-mail messages should be treated as formal business documents. Style, spelling, grammar, and punctuation should be appropriate and accurate, and the rules of netiquette must be adhered to.
Employees are prohibited from sending jokes via e-mail. Jokes, which often contain objectionable material, are easily misconstrued when communicated electronically. The IT Division maintains College-wide, campus-wide, and other group e-mail distribution lists. Only authorized employees may send College-wide and campus-wide e-mails. The President's Council determines which employees are authorized to do so. The list of these employees is provided to the IT Division by the President's office and distributed to all employees by e-mail. Any employee who does not have such authorization but has a need to send a College-wide or campus-wide e-mail a should send a draft of the e-mail to his/her supervisor for approval and distribution or advancement through the chain of command.
Only the IT Division may generate public e-mail distribution lists.
Employees are responsible for checking their College e-mail each work day and for knowing and adhering to ESCC's e-mail retention and deletion policies.