Related Policies
E-mail as Official Communication
E-mail is considered an appropriate mechanism for official communication by Indiana University with IU students. The University reserves the right to send official communications to students by e-mail with expectation that students will receive e-mail and read these messages in a timely fashion.
Official university e-mail accounts are available for all registered students. The domains for the addresses vary according to campus (e.g., indiana.edu for IU Bloomington, iupui.edu for IUPUI Indianapolis, iun.edu for IU Northwest). Official university communication will be sent to students’ official university e-mail addresses.
Students are expected to check their IU e-mail frequently and consistently in order to stay current with university-related communications. Students must ensure that there is sufficient space in their accounts to allow for e-mail to be delivered. Students have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time-critical. Students will not be held responsible for an interruption in their ability to access a message if system malfunctions or other system-related problems (e.g. power outages or e-mail system viruses) prevent timely delivery of, or access to, that message.
Students who choose to have their e-mail forwarded to a private (unofficial) e-mail address outside the official university address do so at their own risk. The university is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission or access of e-mail forwarded to any unofficial e-mail address, and any such problems will not absolve students from responsibility to know and comply with the content of official communications sent to students’ official IU e-mail address.
Faculty may assume that a student’s official university e-mail account is a valid mechanism for communication with a student, although faculty should exercise caution about including sensitive data, such as grades, in an e-mail. This policy will ensure that all students will be able to comply with course requirements communicated to them by e-mail from their course instructors.
