Electronic Mail Policy

The University of California Electronic Mail Policy, effective March 23, 1998, now specifically clarifies the applicability of law and of other University policies to electronic mail. This Policy can be viewed at http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/policies/email/email.html.

NOTE: The UC Electronic Mail Policy is expected to be superceded soon, pending final review annd approval of the UC Electronic Communications Policy. (DRAFT)

The Policy covers the following areas:

• Student Email Address Publication
• Eligibility to Use Campus Email
• Email Services Following Termination of Affiliation
• Restriction of Service
• Requirements for Accessing or Disclosing Email Information
• Section VI.B.5. states "Electronic mail users are encouraged to request information on the back-up practices followed by the operators of University electronic mail services, and such operators are required to provide such information upon request." Department/unit email providers should ensure they will be able to comply with this requirement (http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/policies/email/email.html#security).
• Section IX.F. states that the Campus is required to "establish appropriate notification procedures regarding this Policy to all email users, including positive acknowledgment by email users of receipt and understanding." (http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/policies/email/email.html#discretion)
• Policy Section V.F. states "Recourse requires that "procedures for the review and appeal of actions taken under" this Policy "shall be implemented . . . by each campus." At Berkeley, established procedures which ensure due process for any actions affecting staff, student, or faculty are to be used for review and appeal of actions taken under this Policy. (http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/policies/email/email.html)

The College of Chemistry further states:

• Email service is a privilege, not a right.
• Student and staff electronic mail addresses are published as directory information. Individuals may request the campus not to make their email addresses public for other than educational purposes. (Disclosure of Student Records - http://registrar.berkeley.edu/GeneralInfo/ferpa.html)
• Registered students and any faculty or staff employed by the Berkeley Campus are eligible for access to direct campus email services. The College provides in-house email service for the staff. Various research units provide email services for their research group.
• Users of College email services must agree to comply with College and Campus Email Policy. A request for email service implies consent.
• The College is responsible for our clients' activities using University email services. Each postmaster is responsible for the activities on his host machine.
• Written records of account holders are kept by the postmaster
• Your email account is subject to access without consent (see UC Email Policy). Backup files may exist that contain outdated files from your account. The Head of Computing Services and the College Postmaster will act upon written request by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, or by lawful subpoena from an outside agency to seize and access these accounts.

When individuals are no longer "officially affiliated" with the College of Chemistry, notice will be sent to the Postmaster of the College email system and email service for those individuals will be terminated. Redirection services will be provided subject to time lines determined by the College postmaster. The postmaster will notify account holders in advance, if possible, of imminent account cancellation or conversion to redirection service.

• The Head of Computing Services and the College Postmaster are designated to review situations which may require restriction of electronic mail services (see http://www.ucop.edu/ucophome/policies/email/email.html#appenda).
• The College will either inform, coordinate with, or refer jurisdiction to other organizations, as appropriate in the case of restriction of service.
• Storage of email will be limited by the College Postmaster. All GroupWise accounts will be purged of mail older than 90 days. Purging occurs on the first day of the month. Backup tapes are retained for as long as 1 year from the date of taping, then deleted.