MTI Student E-mail Policy

E-mail is considered an official method for communication at MTI because it delivers information in a convenient, timely, cost effective, and environmentally aware manner.

For the majority of the student population, this MTI Student E-mail Policy does not represent a change from current practice. However, the policy does ensure that all students have access to this important form of communication. Furthermore, it ensures that students can be accessed through a standardized channel by faculty and other staff of the Institute as needed.

Institute Use of E-mail

E-mail is an official method for communication at MTI. The Institute may send communications to students via e-mail. Students are responsible for the consequences of not reading in a timely fashion Institute-related communications sent to their official MTI student e-mail account.

Application for Student E-mail Accounts

All students taking classes that meet on the MTI campus are required to obtain an official MTI student e-mail account. A student e-mail account created by the Office of Technology is the official e-mail address to which the Institute will send e-mail communications. This official address will be recorded in the Institute’s electronic directories and records for that student.

Expectations Regarding Student Use of E-mail

Students are expected to check their MTI official e-mail on a frequent and consistent basis in order to remain informed of Institute-related communications. The Institute recommends checking e-mail at least twice per week.

Responsibility for Security of Accounts

An account is given to an individual for the exclusive use by that individual. It is against Institute policy for a user to give someone his or her password or allow others to use his or her account. However, this is not to preclude others temporarily assisting a user in the performance of his or her Institute functions (for example faculty helping a student with a computer project; associates showing a new feature of the computer system) while supervised by the user. Users are responsible for all activity on their accounts.

Attempting to discover another user’s password or attempts to gain unauthorized access to another person’s files or mail is prohibited. The only exception will be when technology personnel are working on the security of the computer system.

In the event a student loses or forgets a password, there will be a $5.00 charge to change a password. All password changes will be made by the Office of Technology.

Faculty Expectations and Educational Uses of E-mail

Since faculty members determine how e-mail is used in their classes, faculty can require students to check their e-mail on a specific or more frequent basis. Messages sent to Institute-provided aliases of official MTI student e-mail addresses are also considered official communication.

Appropriate Use of Student E-mail

In general, e-mail is not appropriate for transmitting sensitive or confidential information.

All use of e-mail will be consistent with other Institute policies, including the MTI Policy on the Appropriate Use of Information Technology Resources.

All use of e-mail will be consistent with local, state, and federal law, including provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA) and all subsequent amendments to the original act.

Communications sent to a student’s official MTI e-mail address may include notification of Institute-related actions.

Redirecting E-mail

Students may elect to redirect (autoforward) messages sent to their MTI official student e-mail address. Students who redirect e-mail from their official address to another address (such as AOL, Yahoo, Hotmail, or any e-mail server other than the official MTI servers) do so at their own risk. Having e-mail lost as a result of redirection does not absolve a student from the responsibilities associated with communication sent to his or her official e-mail address. The Institute is not responsible for the handling of e-mail by outside vendors or unofficial servers.

Changes to this policy will be authorized by approval of the administrators of the Institute. Questions or comments about this policy should be directed to the Director of Technology.