Official SIU Student Email Policy

Use of Email for Official Correspondence with Students

[The following was approved by the Chancellor of Southern Illinois University on July 18, 2005, in accordance with provisions set forth in SIU Board of Trustees 2 Policies C.3.i.]

1. University Use of Email

   Email is a mechanism for official communication within Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The University has the right to expect that such communications will be received and read in a timely fashion. Official email communications are intended only to meet the academic and administrative needs of the campus community.

2. Establishment of Student Email

   Students will receive an official email account from the University at the time of first enrollment. The student may choose to redirect SIU mail sent to their University e-mail address to another account. However, the University will not be responsible for e-mail delivery by outside vendors or departmental servers. The University email address will be stored and maintained in the Student Information System and will be directory information unless the student requests otherwise.

3. Expectations About Student Use of Email

   Students are responsible for checking their University email account of a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with University-related communications. Students have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time-critical. "I didn't check my email", error in forwarding mail, or email returned to the University with "Mailbox Full" messages are not acceptable excuses for missing official University communications via email.

4. Authentication for Confidential Information

   It is a violation of University policies, including the Student Conduct Code, for any user of a University email address to impersonate a University office or officer , faculty/staff member, or student. In addition, all users must adhere to the guidelines outlined in the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees policy statement for electronic communication. To minimize this risk, confidential information will be made available through SalukiNet or other secure web sites that are password protected. In these cases, students will receive email correspondence directing them to SalukiNet (or other web sites), where they can access the confidential information by supplying their Student ID and PIN numbers. Confidential information will not be available in the email message.

5. Privacy

   Users should exercise extreme caution in using email to communicate confidential or sensitive matters, and should not assume that email is private and confidential. It is especially important that users are careful to send messages only to intended recipient(s). Particular care should be taken when using the "reply" command during email correspondence.

6. Educational Uses of Email

   Faculty will determine how electronic forms of communication (e.g., email) will be used in their classes, and will specify their requirements in the course syllabus. This "Official SIU Student Email Policy" will ensure that all students will be able to comply with email-based course requirements specified by faculty. Faculty can therefore make the assumption that students' University email accounts are being accessed, and faculty can use email for their classes accordingly.