Adopted by President’s Cabinet 5/16/22; Revised 1/5/24

1.0 Overview

East Georgia State College (EGSC) provides “electronic mail” (email) accounts for all current faculty, staff, and students.

These email accounts are viewed as academic and business communication tools. This policy extends the EGSC Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) to the use of email. In providing and maintaining its electronic communication infrastructure, EGSC complies with applicable federal, state, and local laws.

EGSC will make reasonable efforts to maintain the integrity and effective operation of its email systems, but users are advised that those systems should in no way be regarded as a secure medium for the communication of sensitive or confidential information. Because of the nature and technology of email, the College can assure neither the privacy of an individual user's use of the College's email resources nor the confidentiality of unencrypted messages that may be created, transmitted, received, or stored thereby.

2.0 Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to define the proper uses of email and email accounts on EGSC networks. Refer to the Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) for more information about proper computer and network usage at EGSC.

3.0 Scope

This policy covers all email systems utilized by EGSC, EGSC departmental email accounts, and all individuals issued EGSC email accounts. All users of EGSC email technology must abide by the provisions of this policy and all terms and conditions set forth herein. The use of EGSC email, like the use of any other college-provided technology resources, is subject to the normal requirements of legal and ethical behavior within the college community as well as all applicable policies and procedures.

4.0 Policy

EGSC email accounts are provided for the purpose of facilitating the business of the college. Email is an official means of communications at EGSC. Therefore, the college will send communications to faculty, staff and students via email and expects that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.

Email is considered an insecure method of transmitting sensitive data unless special precautions are taken. Sensitive data should not be transmitted through electronic messaging even to other authorized users unless security methods, such as encryption, are employed.

Email messages are not private. All messages composed, sent, or received on the EGSC email system are and remain the property of EGSC and the University System of Georgia. They are not the private property of any user. They may be subject to disclosure as the result of an Open Records Request. EGSC has the right to inspect, copy, store, and disclose at any time the contents of email messages stored on or transmitted through its facilities when the college believes it is appropriate to prevent or correct improper use, satisfy a legal obligation, or insure proper operation of the email facilities.

5.0 Regulations of Policy

  1. Sending unsolicited email messages via an EGSC email account, including the sending of "junk mail" or other advertising material to individuals who did not specifically request such material (email spam) is prohibited.
  2. Any form of harassment occurring via an EGSC email account, computer system, telephone, paging device or any other form of electronic communication device is prohibited.
  3. Unauthorized use, or forging, of email header information is not allowed.
  4. Solicitation of email for any other email address, other than that of the poster's account, with the intent to harass or to collect replies is not permitted.
  5. Creating or forwarding "chain letters," "Ponzi" or other "pyramid" schemes of any type is not permitted.
  6. Posting the same or similar non-business-related messages to large numbers of Usenet newsgroups (newsgroup spam) is not allowed.
  7. Soliciting using email (or any other form) for purpose of requesting money, support or participation for products, groups, organizations or causes which are unrelated to EGSC.
  8. Users of the EGSC email system must use their EGSC email accounts only in support of academic pursuits and/or college business.
  9. A user of the EGSC email system who suspects their email account has been accessed or utilized by an unauthorized party should contact the College's Information Technology Department as soon as possible.
  10. Because official EGSC communication to students & employees is sent via their EGSC email accounts, and because the College cannot guarantee the functionality of external/third-party email systems (i.e., Yahoo Mail, Gmail, etc.), EGSC students and employees are not allowed to enable/configure email forwarding on their EGSC email address to external/third-party email systems.
  11. Anyone needing to utilize an EGSC email listserv must obtain permission from the VP for Information Technology department before doing so.
  12. Report any violations of these policies to abuseFREEOMNIUPDATE or by contacting the EGSC Information Technology Department.

Active Time Period for EGSC Email Accounts and Disclaimers

Student Email Accounts:
  1. New students email accounts are created without the request of the student at the time they are accepted for admission to EGSC and before orientation/registration.
  2. Readmitted students’ email account will be recreated/reactivated upon full acceptance for readmission.
  3. Student email accounts names are system generated and can only be changed as a result of an official name change. The student must first request an official name change in the Registrar’s Office. Once the name change has been processed, the Information Technology Department will create the new email and GA View D2L accounts and transfer any existing “inbox” email messages to the new email account. A “forward” will temporally be put on the student's old email account for two weeks so that any email going to the old email account will go to the new email account.

    Notification that the new accounts are active will be sent to the “old” email account.

    It will be the responsibility of the student to transfer any email messages from their sent or other personal folders, including filters and other webmail settings. It is also recommended that the student inform their instructors and other individuals who routinely send them email of their new email account information.
  4. Student email passwords are derived from information known by the student. Do not share your password with anyone. Students who believe their password has been compromised may request a password change by contacting EGSC Information Technology via phone at 478-289-2004 or via email at csworkFREEOMNIUPDATE using their EGSC email account.  Students may also go to the EGSC Information Technology help desk at Swainsboro and Statesboro locations and provide proper picture identification to an EGSC Information Technology staff member.
  5. Students should utilize their EGSC email accounts ONLY for academic work and communication to and from official college units. All important email correspondence from EGSC is sent only to students’ EGSC email accounts. This correspondence includes account balance notifications, Mid-Term grades, drop notices, registration notices and pin numbers and test registration information, bookstore correspondence and student conduct correspondence.  It is the responsibility of the student to ensure their EGSC email Inbox has the available space to receive official EGSC correspondence. It is recommended that students obtain other free email accounts (Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail) for the purpose of email communication not related to EGSC.
  6. A student’s Email account will be closed, and all Email messages deleted for any student who has not attended classes at East Georgia State College for two consecutive semesters.
Faculty & Staff Email Accounts:
  1. EGSC faculty and staff email accounts are created by the college’s Information Technology Department once the IT Department receives an employee “Network Request Form.”  The form is completed and submitted by the college’s Human Resources Department.  
  2. EGSC employees should utilize their EGSC email accounts ONLY for EGSC work-related email communication.
  3. With the exception of retired Emeritus Faculty, email services are provided only while a user is employed by East Georgia State College and once a user's employment ceases their email account is locked and employees may no longer access the contents of their mailboxes. If an employee desires to utilize a third-party email system (i.e., Hotmail, Yahoo, Gmail, etc.,) after their employment ends, it is the responsibility of the employee to activate /setup a third-party email account.

Any person utilizing an EGSC email account who violates any of the regulations listed in this policy is subject to disciplinary action. Please refer to the "Enforcement" section of the East Georgia State College Acceptable Use Policy for additional information regarding this issue.