Email Usage

1. General

University information resources are strategic assets and as such must be managed as valuable state resources. Since a large portion of University business is conducted using email, it is important that email services function in an efficient and reliable manner. These procedures, therefore, address expected standards for University email usage.

This procedure describes acceptable practices regarding the use of email through University owned information resources. The purpose of this procedure is to provide a set of measures that will mitigate information security risks associated with email use. The intended audience of this procedure is any University employee, student, guest, or visitor that may use any University information resource that has the capacity to send, receive or store email.

• Information Resources (IR): the procedures, equipment, and software that are designed, employed, operated, and maintained to collect, record, process, store, retrieve, display, and transmit information or data.

The procedures determining acceptable use of University information resources are addressed in the following rules and procedure:

4.1    Prohibited

Use. The PVAMU email system shall not to be used for the creation or distribution of any disruptive or offensive messages, including offensive comments about race, gender, hair color, disabilities, age, sexual orientation, pornography, religious beliefs and practice, political beliefs, or national origin. Employees who receive any emails with this content from any PVAMU employee should report the matter to their supervisor immediately.

4.2    Personal Use.

Using a reasonable amount of PVAMU resources for personal emails is acceptable, but non-work related email shall be saved in a separate folder from work related email. Sending chain letters or joke emails from a PVAMU email account is prohibited. Virus or other malware warnings and mass mailings from PVAMU shall be approved by PVAMU VP Business Affairs before sending. These restrictions also apply to the forwarding of mail received by a PVAMU employee.

4.3    Monitoring

PVAMU employees shall have no expectation of privacy in anything they store, send or receive on the University’s email system. PVAMU may monitor messages without prior notice. PVAMU is not obliged to monitor email messages.

4.4    Enforcement

Any employee found to have violated this policy may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment