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E. E-Mail and Internet Use

Wittenberg maintains an electronic mail system to facilitate university business, and many university computers have access to the World Wide Web. The electronic mail system hardware is university property, and all e-mails you send become the property of the university. Although e-mail
correspondence sometimes takes on a more informal tone than paper communications, all messages composed, sent, or received on the electronic mail system should be considered official university
correspondence, and e-mail communications are subject to all university standards and policies that govern other forms of communication. Just as other university records, e-mails are subject to subpoena and discovery in legal proceedings. Under certain circumstances, such as during an internal
investigation, it may be necessary for the university to retrieve and read electronic mail messages. The university’s e-mail system may not be used to operate a personal business.

Therefore, when you write e-mails, please remember that they may be read by persons other than the intended recipient. However, the university generally expects e-mail messages to be treated as confidential by other employees and accessed only by the intended recipient.

The university does not permit employees to use a code, access a file, or to retrieve any stored information, unless authorized to do so. Employees should not attempt to gain access to another employee’s messages without the latter’s permission or your supervisor’s instruction. All staff are
expected to use good judgment in determining the appropriate amount of time spent using the World Wide Web and other computer applications.