Office of Information Technology

E-Mail Usage Procedure

 

General Statements

Electronic mail is one of the most used and useful services offered on Muskegon Community College’s computer network. These services are provided for the official business and educational purposes of MCC. Access to e-mail by users is a privilege and should be treated as such. More information about e-mail usage is available online with MCC’s website under the E-mail Usage Procedure.

MCC recognizes that use of e-mail will occasionally be personal. Accordingly, MCC authorizes the incidental, non-commercial, and personal use of e-mail services, and that such communication does not interfere with the operation of MCC’s network facilities.

MCC is a public institution and that, legally, e-mail is treated the same as any other form of written communication. Messages are subjected to the same legal restrictions and potential liabilities as those of paper documents. E-mail messages may be subpoenaed, and are subject to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). An e-mail message should be viewed as business correspondence or as an academic paper; technically, it is a published document that:

  • Includes a subject heading which reflects the content of the message;

  • Includes a sender’s e-mail address, phone number, and departmental affiliation; and

  • Avoids attachments that repeat or substitute for a message. Attachments may be appropriate when they supplement or support the e-mail message. Attachments slow down delivery and consume storage space. Furthermore, attachments are vulnerable to viruses.

Finally, users should recognize that all use of College e-mail will be viewed by our constituents as a college activity and that our individual actions and communications will reflect upon the entire college community. MCC reserves the right, during an investigation for inappropriate use, to review the messages sent or received by individual users. This action can be conducted without notice. This is intended to protect the integrity of MCC’s information technology facilities and its users against unauthorized or improper use.

Specific Guidelines

All users of the MCC e-mail system are expected to conduct themselves in a legal, professional, and ethical manner. Messages that may be viewed as harassing or intimidating are prohibited.

The MCC system shall be used in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws, as well as, all other applicable MCC policies and procedures, including those pertaining to copyrighted material. Questions regarding copyrighted material should be directed to www.copyright.gov.

General messages (addressed to ‘all’, for example) that promote or solicit participation in political or religious activities, other than those that may be sanctioned by MCC, are prohibited. User discretion is advised when sending general messages.

  1. Content of the message should be something that all or most recipients either need or want to know to carry out official college business.

  2. Presidential announcements.

  3. Emergency notices:

    • Death of a colleague;
    • Missing tests (graphics delivered to wrong department, for example);
    • Expected street, traffic, and parking interruptions resulting from construction; and
    • School closings (bad weather and power outages, for example).