Student Email Communication Policy 4.6-2

Introduction

Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) has established email as an appropriate mechanism for official communication by SVSU with students unless otherwise prohibited by law.  Upon acceptance to SVSU, each student is issued a complimentary personal university email account (an “SVSU account”) for his/her use while enrolled at SVSU. Official university correspondence will be directed to the SVSU account, and it will be the student’s responsibility to monitor this account regularly and to read all posted University correspondence. 

Students may use these SVSU accounts as they wish, subject to the Internet and Network Resources Acceptable Use Policy. In addition, students are reminded that some of the SVSU-generated correspondence to these accounts will contain confidential information, and it is important that they keep their password as secure as possible and change it at least every 180 days as required by the Password Change Policy. 

CARBON COPIES AND FORWARDING 

SVSU recognizes that a student may want to: 

1.    Have important administrative communications sent to other email addresses in addition to their SVSU email.  The University has allowed for this through the My Carbon Copy Email Address option under the Privacy Settings menu of the Students section of Self Service in the mySVSU portal. The My Carbon Copy Email Address option allows students to add up to two additional email addresses.  Please refer to the Help Screens in mySVSU Self Service for more information regarding this option. 

Please note that certain departments may not use the Carbon Copy function for all correspondence. 

Course/academic emails from the Learning Management System (LMS), Canvas, will not be carbon copied to the additional email addresses.  Emails sent by individuals on campus or from off campus will not be carbon copied to the additional email addresses. 

A student who enters additional email addresses remains responsible for the information sent to his/her SVSU email address. 

2.    Forward correspondence issued to his/her SVSU account to another email. 

Emails sent to outside email systems are transmitted in open text across the commodity Internet.  Therefore, students who choose to have their email forwarded or carbon copied to a private (unofficial) email address outside the official University network address do so at their own risk. The University is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission or access of email forwarded to any unofficial email address.  In the event that a student elects to forward email initially addressed to their SVSU account, he/she remains responsible for all important dates, events, billing deadlines or other important forwarded information.  In addition, SVSU will not be held responsible for any breach of confidentiality that might occur while information is being forwarded to an off-campus location. 

Students who do not have a computer may access their email using University-provided computers in various labs on campus or at the kiosks located throughout campus.  Many local libraries also offer public access to computers. 

Related University Policies:

• Internet and Network Resources Acceptable Use Policy
• SVSU Technology Policies