Harvey Axlerod serves as UB's computer discipline officer, responsible for all aspects of computer policy, including enforcement, investigation, education and evaluation. He has been a member of the UB community since 1963, when he enrolled as a freshman.

	Axlerod

Does UB have an official policy regarding use of email?

Yes, it's contained in the document "Computer and Network Usage Policy" http://wings.buffalo.edu/computing/policy/
Com_Net_Usage.html. In general, email is considered personal and confidential. We don't monitor email, but we respond to complaints. At a university, freedom of speech is as vital in email as in any other form of communication.

What is considered inappropriate use of email? Why?

Well, anything that's illegal, such as harassment, libel, slander or fraud, is certainly inappropriate. Chain letters are a waste of resources. Flooding another person's email inbox is annoying and harmful. Sending junk mail (spam) or unwanted mail is inappropriate. Finally, you have an obligation to respect a person's desire not to hear from you. "No" means "no."

What are the penalties for misuse?

I try to use an educational approach as a first step. Most folks either don't know the rules or have a short lapse of memory or judgment. Except in instances that are criminal or present a real danger, I prefer to chat with folks, figure out what happened and how to deal with it in the future. Call it a counseling session, if you will. In more severe cases or in repeat cases, I will file charges against students with the Student Wide Judiciary. Faculty or staff could be subject to disciplinary measures as well, but this never has been necessary. Criminal cases go directly to University Police. They file charges and take it from there.

Can faculty and staff members use their university email accounts for personal communication?

Yes, in the same sense that we receive mail and use our phones for personal use. Our computer systems-buffalo.edu-are, in effect, an Internet Service Provider. In fact, the IRS was considering taxing the ISP value of employees as income. Fortunately, it didn't happen, but I think it makes my point. However, when using email for personal use, you shouldn't append your university title. That way, no one can think you are representing the university in your private writings.

What's the policy on spamming?

First, let's define spamming: It's the equivalent of junk mail, that is, a bulk mailing in which you could expect that most recipients wouldn't be interested. For example, email that offer get-rich schemes are considered spam. On the other hand, if the university administration sent out a bulk mailing to everyone that the university was closed due to bad weather, you could assume that almost everyone would be interested. It's both the quality and quantity of the mailing that count. Having said all that, we do not allow UB folks to spam. Incoming spam is another question. In general, I suggest you just delete it and move on.

Are there any guidelines in setting up university listservs?

Listservs can be set up by university students, faculty and staff. The topic must be university related. Student-run listservs-such as student clubs-require a faculty or staff advisor who can be contacted before the listserv will be created. For further details, see the listserv homepage at http://listserv.buffalo.edu/.

Should faculty and staff consider their email correspondence confidential? Does a supervisor have any right to access an employee's email messages?

This is a bit of a trick question. Are we talking about incoming email, or sent email? All received email is considered confidential. The only current exception is when a search warrant is issued by a judge as part of an investigation, then the email could be searched only as described in the warrant. A supervisor only can look into someone's email in a crisis situation, such as death or long-term illness, where the business of the institution is at risk. Supervisors are not allowed to access an employee's email for a "fishing expedition" or snooping. However, there are circumstances where a department needs to insure that all email is handled promptly. In this case, we recommend the establishment of an administrative UB IT name. These accounts allow several people to access them. Contact the CIT Accounts Office at 645-3540 or cit-accounts@acsu.buffalo.edu for more details. Outgoing mail is not confidential, period. Once you send it, you have no control over it. The recipient can save it, forward it, post it to newsgroups or print copies. Therefore, I always recommend that all email be reviewed before being sent with following standard: Is this something I would want my family, friends or colleagues to read on a full-page ad in the newspaper?