5.03.01 Electronic Mail Privacy

I. Purpose

This procedure documents the steps to ensure the appropriate level of email privacy.

Policy Supported

5.01 Electronic Mail Privacy Policy.

II. Description

Faculty and Staff Email System

Computing Services maintains an email system for Bradley University faculty and staff. This system resides on campus and currently is implemented with Microsoft Exchange software.

This system is available to all faculty and staff and is used to support the teaching, learning, research and administrative functions of the university. 

University email associated with teaching, learning and research is considered private to the individual using the email account. Individuals whose primary role is in teaching and research can expect a high level of email privacy.

Electronic mail associated with administrative functions of the university is considered the property of Bradley University. Individuals whose primary role is administrative should consider their email as property of the university and avoid using it for personal use. 

Student Email System

Computing Services maintains an email system for Bradley University students. This system resides off campus and is outsourced to Google. Users of this system can expect a high level of email privacy. Because this email is not under Bradley University control all internal administrative email communication should not use this system.

Individuals associated with an administrative function of the university should consider using this or another email service for personal email. Administrative personnel taking Bradley University courses as students should use this email system for academic reasons because access to the administrative email account may be granted to others.

Access to Others’ Email

Access to others' email requires the appropriate Vice Presidents written authorization. In the case of faculty or students, this is expected to be exceedingly rare. In the case of the faculty staff email system for administrative personnel, this should be considered routine if there is a University need to know the information.

Bradley University will respond to court ordered subpoenas.

Protection of your Email

Email is by its very nature a less than totally secure process. Messages are shared with at least one other individual, the recipient. At that point control of the message is lost as that individual can share it. Care should be given about the contents of email message.

Also, most email is sent clear text between different services. Thus interception of email sent between services is possible. Sensitive email should be either contained in controlled environments or encrypted.

III. Scope

This procedure applies to Bradley University email systems.