E-Mail Privacy
Electronic mail enables users to place information quickly and
directly into another person’s computer where it can be
retrieved, read, revised, stored indefinitely, downloaded or
responded to immediately. E-mail has made employment and academic
activities of the university more efficient by enabling us to make
better use of our time. However, inappropriate e-mail usage can be
problematic. Mislead persons may believe that private, hostile or
unlawful statements can be confidentially communicated through
e-mail. In addition, proprietary or potentially embarrassing
information can be accidentally or purposely sent within the
university and to others outside the university. To avoid these
problems, remember the following:
• Refrain from disclosing
your access codes/passwords to anyone.
• Send e-mail only from
your personal e-mail address
• Belmont’s
e-mail system is for use by faculty, staff and students in carrying
out their employment and academic activities. It is not intended
for personal use.
• Prior to sending an
e-mail message, ask yourself whether you would feel comfortable if
the text of the message were posted on a bulletin board on campus
or printed in the newspaper. Would public disclosure cause
unnecessary embarrassment or create liability?
• The privacy of e-mail
sent or received on university equipment cannot be guaranteed.
* If the e-mail pertains to a
student, it is likely to be an “educational
record” that the student will have the right to inspect
and review.
* The use of private
“mailboxes” and passwords in an e-mail system
does not provide any privacy from people who will see e-mail
forwarded, printed out or left displayed on an unattended computer
screen.
* Belmont makes no representations
regarding the security of the
e-mail system from casual users or hackers.
* Although it is a violation of
university policy and ethics for members of the ITS staff to
monitor the content of e-mail messages, e-mail will be accessed and
read by others who have a need to know in the event that the
university conducts an investigation.
* Or, if Belmont is involved in
litigation, e-mail messages may be read in the discovery process
and may be publicized in a trial.
• While no one can
guarantee that any particular form of communication between
individuals will be completely confidential, you may wish to
minimize the chance that a sensitive communication sent via
e-mail is misdirected or accessed without permission by sending the
communication through regular mail, campus mail or by personal
delivery. If you have no need of a record of the communication,
consider sharing your information through person-to-person
conversation.
