Email Policy
1 Selection of Email Environment
2 Access to the University Email Environment
3 Responsibilities of Use of University Email Facilities
4 On-line Mailbox Space Management
5 Use of Email Distribution Lists
1 Selection of Email Environment
Recognising the advantages of an effective email service for its Staff and students, the University, through the Information Strategy & Technology Services Unit (ISTS) shall determine from time to time the email environment that will be the standard environment throughout the University and which will be supported by ISTS. Factors taken into account in this determination will include:
- scalability of email system;
- integration with standard desktop environment across multiple platforms;
- compatibility with other systems in use across the Internet;
- feature rich;
- powerful administrative interfaces;
- accessible via browser interface; and
- intuitive and easy to learn.
2 Access to the University Email Environment
Access to the University email environment shall be available to all users with authorised accounts as specified in Acceptable Use of IT policy. Access shall be available through local on-campus or remote off-campus means.
Students are encouraged to use their University provided email Account, but staff need to be aware that some students may not be able to access their email regularly. Email must not be relied upon as the only method of contacting students.
Consistent with the AVCC Policy on Allowed Access to AARNet (Provision of Carriage Services), University email facilities are not to be used for commercial purposes other than those which are directly related to the business of the University.
2.1 Applying For An Email Account (Staff)
Continuing, fixed term, and casual staff do not need to apply for an e-mail account as this account is automatically created as part of the employment process.
SAIBT, CELUSA, and other staff (e.g. adjuncts, offshore, agency, etc.) wishing to apply for an email account should download the application form , obtain the appropriate signature and forward the completed original form to the IT Help Desk .
2.2 Applying For An Email Account (Students)
Currently enrolled students of the University of South Australia do not need to apply for an email account as this account is automatically created as part of the enrolment process.
2.3 Gaining Access (Staff)
Use of the Outlook email client installed on a staff desktop machine is the preferred method of access. This is the fastest, easiest and most comprehensive method for accessing email. Every staff desktop computer should have the full Outlook software installed on the machine.
An alternate method is to use a web browser to access the Exchange email account via Outlook Web Access. This method is best used within the University when staff are at a different location from their staff desktop machine, as it provides for a simple access to email. Further details on accessing email on the web are found at the Outlook Web Access Help Pages
The use of any other method and/or software to access UniSA Exchange email is currently not supported.
2.4 Gaining Access (Students)
When on campus, students can use the Outlook client installed in student computer pools, or access their email via myUniSA.
3 Responsibilities of Use of University Email Facilities
Each person who has access to the email facilities provided by the University has the responsibility to use those facilities according to the Acceptable Use of IT policy.
4 On-line Mailbox Space Management
To enable the ISTS to maintain the performance and reliability of the University’s email environment, size limits will be placed on the storage capacity for the on-line mailboxes for each user of the Staff Exchange servers.
All users can reduce their Exchange server demands by monitoring their storage usage, deleting unwanted mail or archiving email to other storage media (e.g. desktop drives, CD-R, DVD-R). Archiving will still permit easy access to material for retrieval. ISTS recommends that staff liaise with their local IT support staff to ensure that local conventions for archive storage are followed and appropriate backup procedures are undertaken.
Users will receive system generated messages informing them when they have reached 80% of their allocated (or purchased) quotas. This message does not mean that staff will be restricted from sending email but serves as a regular reminder that 80% of the quota has been expended.
Users are prevented from sending any more messages when they have reached 100% of their allocated (or purchased) quotas. Users have the option of removing and archiving items, or purchasing more space. Users in this situation will still continue to receive new messages.
Default and allocated quotas will be reviewed to ensure that 'normal' functions of users can be performed within the quotas allocated.
Additional storage space for individual users may be purchased by cost centres to offset the cost of providing additional storage and processing capability for the Exchange environment. The size limits and costs per unit of storage will be set from time to time by ISTS.ISTS will manage all records for storage purchased and will make reports available to Cost Centre Managers.
The procedure for staff to apply for an increment to their disk quota is provided at: Guideline for On-line Mailbox Space Management within the Exchange Environment
5 Use of Exchange Distribution Lists
The use of distribution lists is governed by the guideline for the use of email and internet.
6 Use of Email Public Folders
Public Folders containing SMTP email Addresses are provided as part of the email service. Cost Centres may request for a Public Folder to be created and designate an owner for the Public Folder to manage the contents of the folder. The ISTS applies permissions for read/write access for appropriate users to each Public folder.
7 Usernames and Passwords
The ISTS will assign a Username and Password for each person given access to the University’s email facilities. For Windows operating systems, the Username and password used for the log on to the University system are also those used for access to the email environment and do not normally need to be entered when connecting to the email server. Users may change their passwords at any time.
Username and passwords are subject to guidelines defined in the Username and password policy. ISTS has the responsibility for assigning an email Address to an appropriate username.
The IT Acceptable Use policy provides additional guidance on user accounts and passwords.
8 Format of Staff and Student Email Addresses
8.1 Staff
Staff will have an email address of the format: firstname.lastname@unisa.edu.au
In some cases, alternative forms of email address may also be assigned to staff, such as nickname.lastname@unisa.edu.au.
In the case of staff members with the same name, a middle initial will be used to differentiate the two users, such as firstname.MiddleInitial.lastname@unisa.edu.au
Staff email addresses of the form abbreviation.lastname@unisa.edu.au and anyname@org-code.unisa.edu.au will no longer be created. Some existing addresses of this form which are heavily used will be maintained until the staff member leaves.
8.2 Students
Students will have an email address of the format: Mail-ID@students.unisa.edu.au
The Mail-ID of a student will be in the form AAABBNNN, where
- AAA =the first three letters of the student’s family name. If the student’s family name is less than three letters, the letter Y will be used to bring the number up to three.
- BB =the initials of the first two given names of the student. If the student has only one given name, the letter Y will be used as the second initial.
- NNN =three digits starting at 001 for the first student with a particular combination of letters and incrementing by one for each subsequent student with the same combination of letters.
9 Deleted Accounts
9.1 Staff
Section 6.3 of the Guidelines on the Acceptable use of E-mail and the Internet contains procedures relating to e-mail when a staff member leaves the University.
9.2 Students
- Student email accounts will normally be disabled at the end of March each year, if the student has not re-enrolled for the current year. The disabled account does not cause the email to be deleted. Student email accounts will be deleted in blocks from May onwards, provided the student has not re-enrolled.
- This date and procedure may be subject to change if more accurate information about completion dates can be obtained for each student.
10 Use of Email Signatures
10.1 Include a signature file on all e-mail
The signature should include the name of the sender, organisation, title, e-mail address, phone number, fax number and the university or cost centre URL and the University's CRICOS provider number (00121B).
For example:
Ms Mary Bloggs
Project Officer
Planning and Assurance Services
University of South Australia
GPO Box 2471
Adelaide SA 5001
Telephone: +61 8 8302 5555
Facsimile: +61 8 8302 4444
Email: mary.bloggs@unisa.edu.au
CRICOS Provider Number: 00121B
Do not include drawings, pictures, maps, graphics in your signature or an inspirational or other type of quotation at the end. Such material is unnecessary in a business communication and may not be well-received.