Sent To: All Faculty and Staff
Sent From: Lee L. Huntsman, Provost, Weldon E. Ihrig, Executive Vice President
Date: September 13, 1999
Email is made available to University faculty and staff solely for the purpose of facilitating effective business operations. Regulations promulgated by the Washington State Ethics Board place significant constraints on non-University related use. Under those regulations, employees may use University-provided email for personal communications in a manner comparable to what is allowable personal use of University telephones. Specifically, limited personal use of email is permitted so long as that use: does not create any cost to the state; does not interfere with the employee's official duties; is brief and its volume or frequency does not disrupt University business; and does not compromise the security or integrity of state information or software.
Except for the limited personal email use described above, the Executive Ethics Board's regulations prohibit faculty or staff use of University computers or other equipment to access computer networks or data bases (including the Web, electronic bulletin boards and newsgroups) for personal purposes. In no instance may email or computers be used for personal business-related, commercial, campaign or political purposes, or to promote an outside business or group. Additionally, employees are prohibited from allowing any member of the public to make personal use of state computers and computing resources.
Sending personal email may constitute an Ethics violation if the use is commercial or excessive. Examples of improper or excessive use are included in the Executive Ethics Board's regulations at: http://search.leg.wa.gov/wslwac/WAC%20292%20%20TITLE/WAC%20292%20-110%20%20CHAPTER/WAC%20292%20-110%20-010.htm
It is important to recognize that while limited personal use of email may not result in an Ethics violation, email messages -- unlike telephone calls -- are public records and are subject to public inspection and copying as required under state public records laws.