St. Ambrose University Email Policy

Submitted To: St Ambrose University Cabinet 
Submitted Date: April 26, 2021 

1. Rationale/Purpose 

St. Ambrose University recognizes the need for electronic communication, specifically email. The University uses SAU email addresses to officially communicate with students, faculty and staff. Thus, it is the account holders' responsibility to read, respond and comply with any official university email. St. Ambrose University expects all email users to uphold the Mission and Vision and maintain a certain standard of dignity and respect when sending emails. 

2. Statement of Policy 

St. Ambrose University employees are encouraged to make appropriate use of email for job- related activities that further the University's mission and goals. St. Ambrose University students are encouraged to make appropriate use of email for academic purposes and understand this is the official way administration and employees will communicate with students. You are reminded that you may not use St. Ambrose email for commercial purposes, personal financial gain, to support a political candidate or movement, or for political fundraising. 

3. Scope 

1. Confidentiality: St. Ambrose University works diligently to keep email messages secure, but privacy is never guaranteed, and users should operate under the understanding that there is no expectation of privacy through emails sent through St. Ambrose email accounts. In certain cases, it may be necessary for St. Ambrose staff or other University officials to access certain email accounts. 

Google has the right to access Gmail Accounts for violations of its Acceptable Use Policy.

2. Security: 
In an era when no electronic communication is guaranteed to be absolutely secure, you should always exercise good judgment in choosing what you include in your emails. Good judgment dictates that the email be used on for communications that any sender would be comfortable seeing entered into public record. If you need to send any Personal, Confidential or data that is not public record, you are to use the Secure email standards outlined on the IT Portal Page. 

3. Use:

a. It is equally important that you not use University emails in such a way as to give the impression that you are representing, giving opinions for, or otherwise making statements on behalf of the University without express permission of the President. 
b. Use a non St Ambrose email account to link to all personal financial or online account/websites of any kind, or to communicate with others about non-university business. 

c. The use of email for any of the purposes listed below is prohibited: 

• An infringement on another's copyright, patent, or other property right
• Violates, or encourages the violation, of human rights, federal or state laws 
• A malicious, unlawful or fraudulent email designed to hack accounts
• Includes or promotes any inappropriate content, including, but not limited to, pornography, illegal drug promotion or any gang or illegal activity
• Is excessively and inappropriately violent
• Poses a risk to the public health or public safety of any individuals
• Using, or attempting to use, accounts of others without permission, including, but not limited to, collecting email addresses and names without the consent of those individuals 

d. Sharing of Account login and password is not allowed. Anyone sharing access of accounts, will have account password reset and will have to prove identity to regain access. 

4. Retention: 

a. Students that graduate from St. Ambrose University may keep their email address for future use. They will, however, be removed from the Student Distribution List. 
Students who leave the University without graduating will not have access to their email address upon leaving the University. 

b. Faculty and staff who retire from St. Ambrose University may keep their email address. They will, however, be removed from the Faculty and Staff Distribution Lists. Faculty and staff who retire and wish to keep their email address must post a re-direction message for 30 days. Faculty and staff who leave the University without retiring, will not have any further access to their email address. 

c. Adjunct instructors who have not taught at the University for the previous 2 years will have their email account and other access disabled. 

d. Any Employee who is taking classes, must be issued a Student email for academic purposes. Any academic information sent to or transmitted via their employee account, will not constitute ability to retain access. 

e. In all cases, no person may retain a copy of any private or confidential work-related email or electronically stored information after the termination of employment without the written permission of the identified administrator within this policy 

4. Exceptions 

1. Students: A student may choose to forward their St Ambrose email account to another account. Doing so is at their own risk, understanding that forwarded emails may be lost or compromised. A student's failure to read, respond or comply with an official university email does not excuse the student from knowing and complying with the content of the email. 

2. Faculty and Staff: Employees are discouraged from forwarding any St Ambrose emails to a personal account. Due to the nature of our business, all academic information, proprietary business information or confidential information shared with any employee, is not to be forwarded or shared to any outside entity. 

5. Non-Compliance 

1. Anyone found in non-compliance of these or any Google use policy, will have accounts disabled.