Metro State Administrative Policy

Policy #34

Policy Title: Electronic Communication Policy

PURPOSE
Electronic communication (i.e. e-mail and personal portal announcements) is a rapid, efficient and cost-effective form of communication. Consequently, reliance on electronic communication is expanding among students, faculty, staff, and administration at Metropolitan State College of Denver (MSCD). Because of this increasing reliance and acceptance of electronic communication, forms of electronic communication have become in fact the means of official communication to students, faculty and staff within MSCD. This policy acknowledges this fact and formally makes electronic communication an official means of communication for the College.

Implementation of this policy ensures that all students, faculty and staff both full-time and part-time will have access to these critical forms of communication. All current students, faculty and staff have an account within the campus portal providing access to e-mail and official announcements.

SCOPE
This policy also provides guidelines regarding the following aspects of electronic communication as an official means of communication:

• College use of e-mail and personal portal announcements;
• Assignment of student, faculty and staff portal accounts, which include e-mail addresses;
• Student, faculty and staff use of and responsibilities associated with assigned portal accounts and e-mail addresses; and
• Expectations of electronic communications between students, faculty and staff.

POLICY

1. College use of electronic communication
   E-mail and personal portal announcements are an official means of communication to students, faculty and staff within MSCD. Therefore, the College has the right to send communications to students, faculty and staff via e-mail and personal portal announcements and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.
2. Assignment of portal accounts which includes e-mail addresses
   Every current student, faculty and staff member are automatically provided with a portal account, which includes an assigned e-mail address. The e-mail address assigned to each student, faculty and staff member, as recorded in the Banner System, will be the official e-mail address of record for communications with students, faculty and staff. Students, faculty and staff members will be deemed to have read e-mails sent to that address. Constituents are also responsible for reading any official announcements delivered through personal announcements channel on each user’s portal home page.
3. Expectations regarding use of portal announcements and e-mail
   Students, faculty and staff are expected to check personal portal announcements and their official Metro e-mail address inbox on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with College communications. Students, faculty and staff have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time-critical.
4. Educational uses of portal services and e-mail
   Faculty members will determine how portal services and e-mail will be used in their classes. It is highly recommended that if faculty members have e-mail requirements and expectations, they specify these requirements in their course syllabus.
5. Appropriate use of portal services, including e-mail
   a. All MSCD constituents are expected to adhere to the College’s Responsible Use of Information Technology Resources Policy. See http://www.mscd.edu/~infotech/policies/manual/itpolicy2.htm
6. All use of e-mail, including use for sensitive or confidential information, will be consistent with the Metropolitan State College of Denver Administrative Policy Manual on Use of Electronic E-mail. See http://www.mscd.edu/infotech/policies/. Policy Title: Electronic Mail Policy and Procedures Principles, Policies, User Responsibilities, and Information, and Information Technology (IT).
7. E-mails pertaining to identified students are records protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). Employees have a responsibility to ensure that they are sent only to the subject student, or to college employees who need to see the e-mail to do their jobs, in the absence of the student’s written permission to disclose the information to others.
8. Whenever the law or College procedure requires a different form of communication, that form will be used even though e-mail may also be sent. For example, formal notices in hard copy may be required under procedures relating to personnel actions, such as reduction in force, dismissal, discipline, or correction.

PROCEDURES
The IT Policy Committee will oversee and make recommendations for revision of this policy as needed. Changes will be authorized by the approval of the President.

RESPONSIBLE ORGANIZATION
The IT Policy Committee will be responsible for this policy.