19.05 / University Information Technology Resources and Email

Effective: March 17, 1998Last Revised: June 17, 2016

  1. Purpose

    To state University policy with regard to the use of University information technology systems relative to email.

  2. Preamble

    Technology resources provided by Wichita State University are made available to students, faculty, staff and others primarily as tools for enhancing and facilitating teaching, learning, scholarly research, communications and the operation and administration of the University. Uses which are not directly related to these purposes shall be considered secondary activities and should such secondary activities in any way interfere with the primary activities, access to university technology resources may be terminated immediately. Access to and usage of such resources is a privilege and is not a right; it is therefore deemed appropriate and necessary that certain guidelines for the usage of the email component of the University's technology resources be set forth and explained.

  3. Policy

    1. Computers and other electronic media are the property of Wichita State University and should be used for the primary purpose of benefiting, enhancing and furthering the mission of the University.

    2. By using University-supplied information technology facilities and resources, individuals and other entities agree to abide by all applicable policies and procedures adopted by the University, the Kansas Board of Regents, the state of Kansas, and the usage guidelines of other networks linked to the University's networks or computer systems.

    3. By using University-supplied information technology facilities and resources, individuals and other entities agree to abide by and/or with current state and federal laws, including, but not limited to those relating to trademarks, service marks and copyright, defamation and discrimination.

    4. Users should understand that email transmissions are considered to be non-confidential communications and that they should have no expectation of privacy regarding such communications. Email transmissions may be subject to disclosure through legal proceedings or otherwise through various laws which may be held to apply to such transmissions.

    5. Users should understand that authorized University personnel must have access to email and related information stored on University owned equipment. This access is required for reasons that include retrieving business-related information, trouble-shooting hardware and software problems, preventing unauthorized access and system misuse, assuring compliance with software distribution policies, and complying with legal and regulatory requests for information. The University's Chief Information Officer will be responsible for approving any such access.

    6. Users should understand that individual access to the University's information technology resources may be terminated at any time due to a violation of this policy.

    7. Users should understand that delivery of email cannot be assured and that recovery of lost email may not be possible.

    8. Users should respect the right of privacy of others and email should not be used to harass, intimidate or interfere with the work of the recipients of email.

    9. Users should refrain from acts that waste University resources and prevent others from using the University's information technology resources in accord with this policy.

    10. Email should not be used for private (does not include or cover consulting activities pursued in accord with applicable University policies) or commercial gain, posting of chain letters, representing oneself electronically as another user, or configuring hardware or software to intentionally allow access by unauthorized users.

    11. Users should understand that the University's information technology resources are intended to facilitate the work of the University and personal usage by Users should be limited and should not interfere with or delay University matters.

    12. All University employees will be assigned an employee email address for University business use based on the following format: firstname.lastname@wichita.edu. First and last name may be modified in the case of multiple employees with the same name. Retired employees will have their firstname.lastname@wichita.edu email account closed. Retirees may request a Wichita State email address in the format of firstname.lastname@shockers.wichita.edu. No data will be transferred from the email account @wichita.edu to the @shockers.wichita.edu email account.

    13. Users should understand that while the University does not routinely monitor individual usage of its computing resources, the normal operation and maintenance of the University's computing and information technology resources require the backup and caching of data and communications; the logging of activity; the monitoring of general usage patterns; and other such activities that are necessary for the rendition of service. The University may also specifically monitor the activity and accounts of individual users of University computing and information technology resources, including individual login sessions and the contents of individual communications, without notice to the user, provided, however, that any individual monitoring must be authorized in advance by the University's Chief Information Officer in consultation with the University's General Counsel.

    14. The use of email to send, upload, download, post, transmit or store fraudulent, harassing, sexually explicit or pornographic materials (unless reasonably related to a faculty member's research), child pornography (as defined by state or federal law), profane, libelous, threatening, intimidating or other unlawful messages is specifically prohibited.

  4. Implementation

    The Chief Information Officer shall have primary responsibility for the publication and implementation of this University policy.