61.1  Introduction

This rule establishes e-mail as an official means of communication (equivalent to the U.S. Postal Service) at Texas A&M University. It also establishes student responsibilities for use of official TAMU e-mail accounts and official e-mail correspondence.

61.2 Policies

61.2.1  E-mail Use
E-mail is an official means of communication at Texas A&M University. All use of e-mail will be consistent with Student Rules, Computing Services: Rules for Responsible Computing (Revised, 1996).

61.2.2  Assignment of Student E-mail Accounts
Upon a student’s admission to Texas A&M University, they will be assigned an active student e-mail account within five working days. It then becomes the responsibility of the student to access this e-mail account in a responsible and timely manner.

61.2.3  Expectations Regarding Student Use of E-mail
It is every student’s responsibility to check their Texas A&M University official e-mail account for University-related communications on a frequent and consistent basis.  The University recommends checking e-mail at least once per day.

61.2.4  Educational Uses of E-mail and Class Listserves by Faculty
Faculty members will determine how e-mail is used in their classes. Faculty can require students to check their e-mail at a specific time or on a more frequent basis.

61.2.5  Forwarding E-Mail
The University provides assured delivery of messages to a student's e-mail address on the central server.  Students may elect to automatically forward messages sent to their Texas A&M University student e-mail address.  However, e-mail messages that are essential to the student's education or that contain private personal information may be designated as "Do Not Forward" (DNF) and will not be redirected to another address.  A courtesy notification message will be forwarded whenever a DNF e-mail is delivered to a TAMU student e-mail account where the student has elected to automatically forward their messages.  However, TAMU cannot guarantee the delivery of these courtesy notification messages.  The University is not responsible for e-mail once it is forwarded out of a student's University e-mail account; thus it is the student's responsibility to read the DNF correspondence in their TAMU e-mail account.

61.2.6  Privacy
Users should exercise extreme caution in using e-mail to communicate confidential or sensitive matters, and should not assume that e-mail is private.  In general, e-mail is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information unless it is matched by an appropriate level of security or permission. The Student Rules for Responsible Computing further address privacy rights and limitations.

E-mail addresses are classified as directory information under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and will be listed in the Texas A&M University electronic directory unless the student desires to withhold this information by filling out a Hold Directory Information form available in the Records section of the Office of the Registrar. E-mail distribution in bulk or via the class roster mechanism will be for official University business only.

61.2.7 Virus Scanning and Spam Marking
To protect the campus from computer viruses, e-mail will be automatically scanned for viruses. If a virus is detected, the e-mail will be rejected without being accepted or delivered locally. Suspected spam will be marked, but will not be blocked since classification of e-mail as spam is a subjective decision.