Policy Library
850 Email as Official Communication
Authority: Approved by the Board of Trustees
Last updated on: December 10, 2021
850.1 Purpose
Email provides a convenient, timely, efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally-aware means of delivering information and communication to students. The University has a compelling business interest in establishing a policy that ensures that all students have access to an electronic form of communication and that such means are used as a standardized channel by faculty and staff as needed. There is an increasing need for electronic communication with students. The University intends to establish email as an official communication mechanism with students. To that end, students, faculty, and staff must be provided with an appropriate formal notification (by way of policy adoption) that formally designates email as an official means of communication with students.
850.2 Applicability
This policy applies to all students enrolled at Indiana State University and all employees of Indiana State University.
850.3 Definitions
850.3.1 Email. Email is the transmission of computer-based messages over telecommunication technology. The term email is used synonymously with the terms such as e-mail and electronic mail.
850.3.2 Official University Email Address. The Official University Email Address is the email account that is provided to each student, staff and faculty member which resides on a University owned, specified, and operated email server with the Internet designation of ‘applehy.com’ domain. The University email address will be maintained in the official University email directory for each student, faculty and staff.
850.4 Statement of Policy
Email is a valid mechanism for official communication with students at Indiana State University. The University has, and hereby exercises, the right to send official communications to students by email. The University has, and hereby exercises, the right to expect that students will receive email and will read email in a timely fashion.
850.4.1 Official University Communication. University communications may be sent to this official university email address with the expectation that such communication is formal and official and with no additional requirement to use other means of communication to accomplish student notification. Students, faculty or staff shall not use a private email account to correspond with one another as it relates to University business.
850.4.2 Forwarded Email; Failure to Read Email. The University may, at its discretion, provide a mechanism that allows a student to have email forwarded from the official university email address to another email address of the student’s choice. However, students who choose to have email forwarded to another email address do so at their own risk. The University is not responsible for email forwarded to any other email address. A student’s failure to receive or read in a timely manner official university communications sent to the student’s official email address does not absolve the student from knowing and complying with the content of the official communication.
850.4.3 Encompasses All Communication; Course-Related Communications. This policy encompasses all official communication between the University and the student whether that communication is related to course-related academic, non-course related academic, or non-academic purposes. Faculty and staff may assume that a student’s official university email is a valid mechanism for communicating with a student. Faculty shall use their official university email address for communicating with students registered in their classes. Students receiving course related communications from their course instructors through the official university email will be responsible for compliance with course requirements.
850.5 No Exceptions
There are no exceptions to this policy.
Related Information
Policy Administrator:
Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic AffairsPolicy Contact:
Office of Information TechnologyGillum Hall 103
(812) 237-8439