Electronic Mail Policy for Offical University Business

  • Responsible Oversight Executive:ÌýVice President for Administration and Finance
  • Date of Current Revision or Creation:ÌýJune 6, 2023
  • Download Policy PDF

The purpose of this policy is to establish the responsibility of faculty, staff, students and visitors to access, use and read email for official University business.

, grants authority to the Board of Visitors to make rules and policies concerning the institution. Section 7.01(a)(6) of theÌýÌýgrants authority to the President to implement the policies and procedures of the Board relating to University operations.

Electronic MailÌý- Any message, image, form, attachment, data, or other communication sent to or received by or stored within the University email system.

Information Technology ResourcesÌý- Defined as, but are not limited to, computers, telecommunication equipment, networks, automated data processing, databases, the Internet, printing, management information systems, and related information, equipment, goods, and services.

Official Email AccountÌý- An email account issued by Â鶹´«Ã½ that ends in the domain nameÌý@odu.edu, and is the official electronic account used to conduct University business.

This policy applies to all employees, students, visitors and researchers who are provided official email accounts and governs all information technology resources associated with electronic messaging whether owned by or operated for University business through contractual arrangements. Employees include all staff, administrators, faculty, full- or part-time, and classified or non-classified persons who are paid by the University. Students include all persons admitted to the University who have not completed a program of study for which they were enrolled; student status continues whether or not the University's programs are in session. Visitors include vendors and their employees, parents of students, volunteers, guests, uninvited guests and all other persons located on property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the University.

Â鶹´«Ã½ employees, students, visitors, and researchers who are provided university email accounts must activate and maintain regular access to these accounts. These accounts must be used to send and receive electronic communications related to official University business.

Failure to access the email account will not exempt individuals from their responsibility of being aware of and meeting requirements and responsibilities included in electronic communications.

Message content is the sole responsibility of the individual sending the message and users must adhere toÌý, andÌý. Users are also encouraged to practice generally accepted online etiquette.

Instructors retain the discretion of establishing class expectations for email and other electronic messaging communication as a part of the course requirements.

Alternative messaging services should be arranged in cases where users' access to information technology resources is limited or unavailable.

The Email account activation process is automatically initiated upon employment or registration at the University. Affiliates and those not employed directly by the University must request access. Users are required to acknowledge their agreement withÌý

MIDAS ID Information

Student Email Information

Applicable records must be retained and then destroyed in accordance with theÌýÌýand theÌýInformation Technology Standard 6.2.0 Email Retention Standard.

Chief Information Officer

Policy History

Policy Formulation Committee (PFC) & Responsible Officer Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýRusty Waterfield


Responsible Officer


May 16, 2023


Date


Policy Review Committee (PRC) Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýDonna W. Meeks


Chair, Policy Review Committee (PRC)


September 21, 2022


Date


Executive Policy Review Committee (EPRC) Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýChad A. Reed


Responsible Oversight Executive


May 17, 2023


Date


University Counsel Approval to Proceed:

/s/ÌýAllen T. Wilson


University Counsel


June 5, 2023


Date


Presidential Approval:

/s/ÌýBrian O. Hemphill, Ph.D.


President


June 6, 2023


Date

Previous Revisions: October 1, 2007; April 26, 2011; March 15, 2017; June 6, 2023

Scheduled Review Date: June 5, 2028