The University of West Alabama provides email service to students, faculty, staff, and affiliated organizations.  UWA also provides this service to state and local governmental agencies in West Alabama upon request.  Email is an official means of communication among members of the UWA community, and UWA encourages its use in support of the University’s mission of instruction, research, and public service. 

All users of UWA email are expected to use the service responsibly and to comply with applicable local, state, and federal laws, the Alabama Research and Education Network Acceptable Use Policy (http://www.asc.edu/html/accusepol.shtml), and relevant University policies.

Email groups are established for University committees, departments, and special projects.  Email to a group should be consistent with the purpose of the group. 

Information Systems may restrict or suspend access to accounts where there is reason to believe that laws or University policies have been violated.  In some instances, further action may be taken, including referral to the Student Life Committee and/or criminal prosecution. Unacceptable use of email includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Use of email to support any commercial advertising or for-profit activity.

• Use of email to initiate or forward chain letters.

• Violations of copyright laws (unlawful distribution of copyrighted printed material, audio recordings, video recordings, or computer software).

• A user sharing his or her password information with another person. A user should contact Information Systems for a new password if there is reason to believe that the password is known by other persons.

• Attempts to guess or break another user’s password.

• Sending messages to an individual or group that are unwelcome.  This includes continuing to send such messages after being asked by the individual or group member to cease doing so even though the material itself may not be considered offensive. (Note: Users may not “unsubscribe” to distribution lists used by official University offices.)

• Use of email to lodge grievances that should be handled through existing University policies and procedures.

• Use of a false email address (“spoofing”).

• Use of email to threaten or harass others.

• Spamming - sending unsolicited material and/or material not related to the University’s mission to a large number of individuals and/or groups.  (Note: Most chain emails referring to viruses are hoaxes and should be forwarded to sysadmin@uwa.edu for review.  If the content of the email is determined to be real and should be distributed to the UWA community, Information Systems will take appropriate action.)

• Use of mass email to promote political or religious causes or events.  (Note: Given the University’s commitment to public service, the use of mass email to send information about governmental, civic, or non-profit charitable organizations or community-wide events such as memorial services is an approved use.)

• Use of mass email to publicly castigate, chastise, or ridicule any person, particularly any member of the University community, or use of mass email as an avenue for public apology.

• The willful introduction of computer viruses or other disruptive/destructive programs into the UWA campus network or into other networks.

Any violations of the UWA Email Policy should be reported to the Network Manager at sysadmin@uwa.edu or 205-652-3565.

November 22, 2002