A small committee had been looking into how email usage could be regulated in an institution. The committee has been concerned about the abuse of the institution's email service and decided to come up with a document. The document was drafted mostly by this blogger who sought assistance from other sources on the subject from the internet.
It was drawn up using The IT Donut Template Other sources on email policy or etiquette were consulted for help in writing to reflect the current situation and the future.The draft document is presented here and does not represent the views of the of the Papua New Guinea University of Technology. The name Papua New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech) is used as an example to try out the IT Donut Template.
Papua
New Guinea University of Technology
Email
Use Policy Proposal
Introduction
In the absence of an email use policy and past and
current experiences of intermittent, and at times flagrant, abuse of The Papua New Guinea University
of Technology email service, the committee has decided to propose a policy to guide email
usage, curb further abuse, and maintain professional and institutional integrity.
This policy
shall be known as The Papua New Guinea University of Technology Email Use
Policy. It describes the rules and behaviour governing email usage at Unitech.
It was drawn up using The IT Donut
Template and Unitech does not hold The IT Donut responsible for any errors
or omissions in this policy. Other sources on email policy or etiquette were
consulted for help in writing to reflect the current situation and the future.
The Papua
New Guinea University of Technology (Unitech) provides email service to staff
and students for work and study. In doing so it calls for responsible use of
the email service.
This policy
should be read and appropriately applied alongside other relevant rules,
policies, and statutes of The Papua New Guinea University of Technology.
Purpose
The purpose
of this Email Use Policy is to:
·
Ensure
staff and students follow good email etiquette
·
Inform
staff and students how they are permitted to use the email service
·
Minimize
risks that may be faced by Unitech
Policy Scope
This policy
applies to all staff and students at Unitech who use its email service within
the campus and outside. It applies to any device (for example, laptop or
mobile) owned by Unitech, staff or student.
Work Email Use
Unitech
recognizes the importance of email as a communication tool and encourages staff
and students to use it whenever appropriate. For example, staff and students
may use email to:
·
Communicate
work and study information to colleagues and students
·
Inform
the public on Unitech’s services and activities relevant to the public
Personal Use of Email
Unitech
allows staff and students to use its email service for personal use according
to the following guidelines:
·
Personal
email use should be of a reasonable level and restricted to non-work times,
such as breaks and lunch hours
·
All
rules described in this policy apply equally to personal email use. For
example, inappropriate content is always inappropriate, no matter whether it is
being sent or received for work or personal reasons.
·
Personal
email use must not affect the email service available to other users. For
example, sending exceptionally large files by email could slow access for
others.
·
Users
may access their own personal email accounts at work, if they can do so via
Unitech’s internet connection. Staff and students may check their Google or
Yahoo Mail during lunch break
Authorised Users
Only
authorised staff and students may use Unitech’s email service.
Authorization
is provided by Head of Department and IT Department. This is granted when a new
staff or student joins Unitech and assigned login details for Unitech’s IT
systems.
Unauthorised
use of Unitech’s email service is prohibited.
Staff and
students who use Unitech’s email service without authorization – or who provide
access to unauthorised people – may face disciplinary action.
Email Security
Email, if
used inappropriately, can be a source of security problem for Unitech.
Therefore users of Unitech email service must not:
·
Open
email attachments from unknown sources, in case they contain virus or other
malware.
·
Disable
security or email scanning software because these tools are essential to
protecting the service from security problems
·
Send
confidential Unitech data via email. The IT Department can advise on
appropriate tools to be used instead.
·
Access
another user’s email account. If they require access to a specific message (for
example, while a staff is off sick) they should approach the Head of Department
or the IT Department.
Staff and
students must always consider the security of Unitech’s systems and data when
using email. Staff and students who need help may seek advice or help from IT
Department.
Users
should note that email is not inherently secure. Most emails transmitted over
the internet are sent in plain text. This means they are vulnerable to
interception which may be rare, but it is wise to regard email as an open
communication system.
Inappropriate Email Content and Use
It is not
acceptable under any circumstances that Unitech’s email service be used to send
or store inappropriate content or materials. Therefore users must not:
·
Write
or send emails that might be defamatory or incur liability for Unitech
·
Create
or distribute any inappropriate content via email
Inappropriate content includes pornography, racial or
religious slurs, gender-specific comments, information encouraging criminal
skills or terrorism, or materials relating to cults, gambling and illegal
drugs.
This definition of inappropriate content or material also
covers any text, images or other media that could reasonably offend someone on
the basis of race, age, sex, religious or political beliefs, national origin,
disability, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by law. Therefore do not:
·
Use email for any illegal or criminal activities.
·
Send
offensive or harassing emails to others.
·
Send
messages or material that could damage Unitech’s image and reputation.
Any user
who receives an email they consider to be inappropriate should report this to
their Head of Department and the IT Department.
Copyright
Unitech
respects and operates within copyright laws. Users may not use Unitech email
service to share any copyrighted software, media or materials owned by third
parties, unless permitted by that third party.
Users
should keep in mind that the copyright on letters, files and other documents
attached to emails may be owned by the email sender, or by a third party.
Forwarding such emails may breach this copyright.
Contracts and Liability
Staff and
students must be careful about making commitments or agreeing to purchase via
email.
An email
message may form a legally-binding contract between Unitech and the recipient –
even if the user has not obtained proper authorization from within Unitech.
Email Disclaimer
A standard
Unitech email template should include an email disclaimer. Users must not
remove or change this when they send messages.
Email Marketing and Bulk Email
Unitech may
use email to market to existing and potential customers. All email campaigns
must be authorized by the public relations office and implemented using Unitech’s
marketing tool. Users must not send bulk emails using the standard business
email system. All questions about email marketing should be directed to the
public relations office
Email Etiquette.
Email is
often used for communication in the workplace and other important contacts.
Although a relatively informal medium, staff and students should be aware that
each email they send does affect Unitech’s image and reputation.
Email
etiquette ensures good working relationships between staff within Unitech and
with others outside of Unitech. Therefore users must adhere to the following
rules:
Don’t abuse the “Reply to All”
Rule – Don’t abuse the “Reply to
All”. Only use Reply to All if you
really need your message to be seen by each person who received the original
message. Sending off irrelevant or unnecessary replies to everyone on the list
is just annoying and confusing. However, if communication is vital between all
parties in an email thread, use the Reply to All to keep everyone in the loop.
If you only use Reply in such a case, the recipient may have to forward your
email to everyone else, which is frustrating and disjointed.
Read it before you send it.
Rule– Read your email before you send it
Treat email like any other official document. Read it before you send it.
Spelling and grammar errors are just as unfortunate in email as anywhere else
in your corporate correspondence. Look out for potential misunderstandings, the
tone, and inappropriate comments; we use email because it is quick and easy but
precisely that quickness may cause more trouble than you bargained for!
Confidential information
Rule – Confidential information Email is
just too risky a place to include confidential information. Ask yourself if you
would want the content of your email displayed on a bulletin board. Never make
libelous, sexist or racially discriminating comments in emails, even as a joke.
Consider implementing a Disclaimer on the bottom of all corporate emails with
statements on Breach of Confidentiality, Virus Liability, etc. (Yes, you can be
sued for sending an email that contains a virus!)
File Attachments
Rule – Don’t attach unnecessary files.
Wherever possible try to compress attachments and only send attachments when
they are productive. Make sure you have good virus software in place to scan
your outgoing emails – a customer would not be happy if you send them documents
riddled with viruses!
Don’t forward junk
Rule – Don’t forward junk. Don't forward
chain letters, virus hoaxes, chain email solicitations for charitable causes
even if they sound bona fide, funny pictures and jokes. Would you put these
things on your corporate letterhead? The committee does not think so. Don't ever send
or forward emails containing defamatory,
offensive, racist or obscene remarks. Just one offensive remark can result in a
multi-million kina court case for you and your institution.
Be concise
Rule – Be concise. Do not make an email
longer than it needs to be. Email is harder to read than printed
communications. A long email can be very discouraging and can be abandoned
before the recipient gets to your final point all the way down at the bottom. If
it has to be long, consider including a synopsis at the top of the email.
In regards
to upsetting or provocative email, the committee advises that staff maintain
professional email communication by taking this approach. If the subject of the email is provocative,
upsetting or depressing, write your response and leave in the “draft” to let it
simmer down for some time. This gives
you some distance in time between you and your written response. Then review
your response to make sure that it is not hectoring, disrespectful, angry or
intimidating. Dr Marianne Di Piero of Western Michigan University gives two
very good examples here to illustrate the above advice.
Example 1:
Unprofessional Communication
Jane, I’ve sent email
and also called you 2 times and you still haven’t answered. Is something wrong
with your phone? Maybe you are on vacation. Anyway, I’m sick and tired of
waiting for you to do your job. I need that examination information NOW so that
I can take care of my business. You promised it days ago. Send it ASAP! You are
not a student and you don’t know what we go through.
Example 2: Professional Communication
Hello Jane.
I hope that all is
well there. I’ve tried to contact you several times regarding the information
that you were going to send so that I could prepare for my examinations next
month, but I haven’t heard from you. I know how busy it is at this time of
year. If you could prepare that
information for me, I will make a special trip over to your office and pick up
the materials myself so that you don’t have to email them to me. I’m a bit nervous about the upcoming exams
and access to those study guides would really help me a lot.
Please send me an
email or call me and let me know a good time to stop by and if you need me to
assist you in compiling the guides, I can do that easily. Professor Smith gave
me acomplete list of all the titles and so it should take only a few minutes.
Thank you
Sincerely
John Smith
Internal Email
Email is a valid way to communicate in the
workplace however it tends to be overused for internal communication.
Users
should bear in mind the following points when they need to communicate with
colleagues:
·
If
the issue or subject can be better addressed by face-to-face or telephone
discussion, do not use email.
·
Is
email the best way to send a document out for discussion? Often, it becomes
very hard to keep track of feedback and versions.
·
It
is rarely necessary to ‘reply to all’. Usually, it is better to reply and then
manually add other people who need to see a message.
Policy Enforcement
1. Monitoring Email Use
Unitech
email service is provided for legitimate business use and therefore reserves
the right to monitor staff and students use of email. Monitoring will only be
carried out by authorised staff.
In
addition, all emails communication through Unitech’s email service are part of
Unitech’s records. Unitech can be legally compelled to show information to law
enforcement agencies or other parties.
Staff and
students should always ensure information sent via email is accurate, appropriate,
ethical, and legal.
2. Potential Sanctions
Knowingly
breaching The Papua New Guinea University of Technology Email Use Policy is a
serious matter. Staff and students who do so will be subject to disciplinary
action, up to and including suspension or termination of study or employment.
Where
appropriate, Unitech will involve the police or other law enforcement agencies
in relation to breaches of this policy.
RFERENCES
1. Pierro , Marianne Di. Professional
Email Etiquette in 11 Easy Steps. http://linkis.com/ucLGy (19/08/2015)
