HCCC Student E-mail Policy 

A. Purpose of the Policy 
There is an expanding reliance on electronic communication among students, faculty, staff, and administration at Hudson County Community College. This is motivated by the convenience, speed, cost-effectiveness, and environmental advantages of using e-mail rather than printed communication. Because of this increasing reliance and acceptance of electronic communication, e-mail is considered an official means for communication within HCCC.
B. Scope 
This student e-mail policy provides guidelines regarding the following aspects of e-mail as an official means of communication:

• College use of e-mail;
• Assignment of student e-mail addresses;
• Student use of and responsibilities associated with assigned e-mail addresses; and
• Expectations of e-mail communication between faculty and student and staff and student.

C. Policy 

1. College use of e-mail
   E-mail is an official means for communication within HCCC. Therefore, the College has the right to send communications to students via e-mail and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.
2. Assignment of student e-mail addresses
   Information Technology Services (ITS) will assign all students an official College e-mail address. It is to this official address that the College will send e-mail communications; this official address will be the address listed in the College’s Enterprise Directory for that student.
3. Redirecting of e-mail
   A student may have e-mail electronically redirected to another e-mail address. If a student wishes to have e-mail redirected from his or her official address to another e-mail address (e.g., @aol.com, @hotmail.com, or an address on a departmental server), they may do so, but at his or her own risk. The College will not be responsible for the handling of e-mail by outside vendors or by departmental servers. Having e-mail redirected does not absolve a student from the responsibilities associated with communication sent to his or her official College e-mail address.
4. Expectations regarding student use of e-mail
   Students are expected to check their official e-mail address on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with College communications. The campus recommends checking e-mail once a week at a minimum, in recognition that certain communications may be time-critical.
5. Educational uses of e-mail
   Faculty may determine how e-mail will be used in their classes. It is highly recommended that if faculty have e-mail requirements and expectations they specify these requirements in their course syllabus. Faculty may expect that students' official e-mail addresses are being accessed, and faculty may use e-mail for their courses accordingly.

1. Inappropriate use of student e-mail

Electronic communications whose meaning, transmission or distribution is illegal, unethical, fraudulent, defamatory, harassing or irresponsible are prohibited. Electronic communications should not contain anything that could not be posted on a bulletin board, seen by unintended viewers or appear in a College publication. Material that may be considered inappropriate, offensive or disrespectful to others should not be sent or received as electronic communications using College facilities.
Actions Considered Violations of this e-mail policy are as follows:

D. Procedures 
The Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will review this policy as needed. Students with questions or comments about this policy should contact this office. The College has the right to remove access to accounts found in violation of this policy.