Email Policy

Wentworth Institute of Technology employs technology resources to support its academic and administrative missions. E-mail is designed to facilitate enhanced teaching and learning; electronic communications between Wentworth faculty, staff, students, and other constituents; and efficient business electronic communications. All Wentworth full-time / part-time faculty, staff, students, and select constituents are provided with an Institute personalized e-mail address. Additionally, group e-mail addresses are assigned as approved by the Wentworth senior management.

Scope

This policy is applicable to every individual and group assigned an active e-mail account by Wentworth Institute of Technology. This policy does supersede all Institute e-mail policies including, but not limited to, assignment, responsible use, privilege of use, misuse adjudication and possible penalties, backup and recovery, privacy, aging, and account termination upon separation from Wentworth.

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to identify electronic communications as an official means of Wentworth communications and to define the responsibilities of those who are assigned, and/or administer, an Institute e-mail account. It establishes the requirement that each e-mail custodian read, understand, and comply with this policy. This policy is supplemented by all other Wentworth policies, particularly including the policy on Responsible Computer Use.

Policy

Wentworth Institute of Technology provides personalized e-mail accounts for all full-time / part-time faculty, staff, students, and select other constituents. E-mail is an official means of communication at Wentworth. Faculty, staff, students, and others assigned e-mail accounts are responsible for consequences associated with not reading Institute related communications sent to their official Wentworth e-mail address (username@wit.edu).

E-mail Account Assignment

Personalized e-mail accounts are establish and assigned as follows:

Faculty and staff accounts are established and assigned upon hire date as directed by Wentworth Human Resources department.

Students accounts are established and assigned once accepted to the Institute and a reservation deposit has been paid or waived as directed by admissions.

All other e-mail accounts are assigned as needed to conduct business and/or facilitate an academic need.

Responsible Use

All use of e-mail generated using Wentworth technological assets and/or routed through said systems will be consistent with other Institute policies, such as the policy on Responsible Use, and is subject to all local, state, and federal laws.

Privilege of Use

The use of Wentworth e-mail accounts is a privilege granted by the school to members of its community. It is not a right, and the privilege is contingent upon compliance with this policy.

Misuse Adjudication

Violations of email policy will be referred to the appropriate adjudicating body of Wentworth. Email privileges may be suspended immediately pending review. E-mail misuse will be forwarded to the following officials based upon the classification of the offender:
Faculty violations will be reported to respective department chairmen and the Office of the Provost.
Staff violations will be reported to respective department heads and to Human Resources.
Student violations will be reported to the Student Services Judicial Review.
All other violations will be reported to respective supervisors and/or organization responsible.
Penalties for e-mail misuse may range from warning, temporary suspension of email privileges, to permanent revocation of privileges. Violations of law will be reported to the appropriate legal authorities.

Backup and Recovery

Wentworth views Institute e-mail as a mission critical application. It is important to note that simple deletions of an e-mail does not necessarily constitute that the e-mail cannot be accessed or recovered. Recovery of e-mail accounts, and/or specific e-mail messages, are performed on an as warranted basis and in association with Wentworth business and/or academic requirements.

Privacy

Electronic mail is considered private, confidential information and will be kept as private as possible. Attempts to read another person’s e-mail will be treated with the upmost seriousness. No Wentworth employee, system administrator, or contracted associate will read any electronic mail unless deemed absolutely necessary in accordance with specific job requirements or by judicial subpoena. The Institute makes every effort to respect e-mail privacy and adhere to state and federal statute governing e-mail confidentiality. However, Wentworth reserves the right to investigate viruses, illicit activity, or network degradation issues that can be introduced through e-mail systems. Additionally, if requested by the person assigned to the e-mail account, appropriate technical support staff may enter the specific e-mail account to assist with problem identification and resolution.

Account Termination

In an effort to guard against inadvertent account deletion, Wentworth allows for a deactivation period. The deactivation period is initiated under the following criteria based upon applicable classification:

Faculty and staff e-mail account deactivation occurs upon notification from Human Resources. The account is left deactivated for a period of 60 days. After 60 days, the e-mail account is permanently deleted. Extensions and/or variations from this policy are considered on a case-by-case basis. Approval of extensions and/or variations requires applicable department head and Human Resources approval.

Student e-mail account deactivation occurs 1 year after graduation or after two semesters of inactivity. Alumni will be given the opportunity to retain their Wentworth email address after the 1-year deactivation period by converting to an email forwarding only account. Extensions and/or variations from this policy are considered on a case-by-case basis. Approval of extensions and/or variations requires a strong, compelling reason and approval from the Office of Enrollment Management and Student Affairs.

Other e-mail accounts will be deactivated at the end of there useful life as determined by an annual review of such accounts. If deactivated, these accounts will remain deactivated for a period of 60 days at which time they will be permanently deleted.