Electronic Communications Policy

Purpose

This policy outlines the appropriate use of all electronic communication tools and media provided to ǿ޴ý University “Users” including students, faculty, staff, and administration.

Applies to: All ǿ޴ý University communication systems including but not limited to: any messaging, collaboration, publishing, broadcast, or distribution system that depends on electronic communications resources to create, send, forward, reply to, transmit, distribute, broadcast, store, hold, copy, download, display, view, read, or print electronic records for purposes of communication across electronic communication network systems between or among individuals or groups, that is either explicitly denoted as a system for electronic communications or is implicitly used for such purposes

Policy

ǿ޴ý Users are expected to make good judgment when using the University's communication systems. Electronic communications that are sent or received by the University-owned communication systems are the property of the University and will be subject to the Terms of Use. All communications should uphold the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act FERPA (add a link here see Registrar’s site for FERPA guidelines)

Terms for all Use

Users are provided with Office 365 email accounts containing 50 GB of mailbox storage. If a user mailbox reaches full capacity, the User must then delete old emails to allow the account to receive new messages. The mailbox size is a standard set by Microsoft and cannot be increased.

Email attachments are limited to 150 MB when using the Outlook desktop client and 35 MB when using Outlook Web Access.

Users are required to access and review ǿ޴ý University email on a frequent and consistent basis to stay current with University-related communications. Users must recognize that certain communications may be time-critical.

Users are responsible for taking necessary precaution when replying to, clicking on or following links in emails or messages that seem suspicious, are from an unknown address, contain strange verbiage, are asking for personal information and are seeking a monetary return. If an email appears to be from a known address, however, the contents are questionable users are asked not to engage or respond to the email. In the event, a User believes their ǿ޴ý account has been compromised they must notify ǿ޴ý’s Information Technology immediately.

Please be aware: Phishing is an attempt by an individual or group to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques. Phishing emails are crafted to appear as if they have been sent from a legitimate organization or known individual. These emails often attempt to entice users to click on a link that will take the user to a fraudulent website that appears legitimate. The user then may be asked to provide personal information, such as account usernames and passwords, that can further expose them to future compromises. Additionally, these fraudulent websites may contain malicious code.

Student Specific Use

The electronic communication systems are intended for academic use and, as such, ǿ޴ý email accounts or other electronic communication systems may not be used to create or transmit unsolicited bulk messages (commonly known as 'spam'), content intended for commercial gain, or content which violates applicable state or federal laws.

Students are solely responsible for any content they create or transmit while using the systems.

The University is not responsible for any content received by the student from another person or entity, and furthermore is not liable for any physical, emotional, monetary or mechanical damage arising from the use of the system.

Student email and system accounts are University-owned and subject to inactivation at the University's sole discretion. Former students and alumni will be able to login to myǿ޴ý, MUOnline and their ǿ޴ý email for one year after being enrolled at the University.

Federal law requires the University to make timely interim reports on any crime considered to be a threat to the campus community. To comply with the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy & Campus Crime Statistics Act in the most effective manner possible, the University's Director of Safety & Security or his designee will have the authority to send an interim report, pursuant to the Clery Act, to the entire email address book. This exception is exclusive to the Director or his designee and Safety & Security and shall not be afforded any other member of the campus community.

Employee-Specific Use

The electronic communication systems are intended for business use and, as such, employee email accounts or other electronic communication systems may not be used to create or transmit unsolicited bulk messages (commonly known as 'spam'), content intended for commercial gain, or content which violates applicable state or federal laws.

Employees are solely responsible for any content they create or transmit while using the systems.

The University is not responsible for any content received by the employee from another person or entity and furthermore is not liable for any physical, emotional, monetary or mechanical damage arising from the use of the system.

Upon termination of employment with the University, the employee's email account and other system accounts will be terminated unless the employee is a currently registered student of ǿ޴ý.

In the event an employee with an email account and system accounts enrolls as a student at ǿ޴ý, the accounts in use by that person will remain subject to this policy.

Employee email and system accounts are University-owned and subject to inactivation at the University's sole discretion.