Student Responsibility

Students are responsible for maintaining an accurate mailing address with the university through the Office of Admissions and Records and for accessing/forwarding their California State University, Bakersfield Runnermail account. The University intends to replace many of the letters sent to students via the U.S. Postal service with e-mail communications. As a result, CSUB recommends that students check their email accounts daily.

The consequences of not checking e-mail are the same as those for not checking your U.S. Postal mailbox. Some of these consequences include missing payment deadlines, missing scholarship opportunities and deadlines, missing registration deadlines, missing immunization requirements, missing out on opportunities for financial aid, and missing requirements and deadlines for graduation.

Students are responsible for the consequences of not reading, in a timely fashion, university-related communications sent to their mailing address or university email account. Students have the responsibility to recognize that certain communications may be time-critical. Excuses such as not checking mail or email on time, errors in forwarding mail or email, mail or email returned due to relocation, undeliverable address, full email inbox, etc. are not acceptable reasons for missing university correspondence.

In cases where email SPAM or other undefined threats to our systems have been made but not actually carried out, the email system administrator will seek to determine the nature of the threat and gather evidence regarding the specifics. The email system administrator will review the matter with the Vice President for Information Resources, who will then consult with appropriate campus personnel to determine a course of action. Although, the email system administrator will normally not block email simply on the threat that someone may SPAM the campus. Email from known or previously identified SPAM sites may be blocked immediately if there appears to be reason to do so.

1. By mail:
1. It is the student's responsibility to provide the university with a current mailing address.
2. University mailings will be sent to the student's mailing address of record.
3. Students may update their mailing addresses either by coming into the Office of Admissions and Records and submitting a signed and dated BioData Change / Address Change form or by accessing this same form on the web at http://www.csub.edu/Admissions/Officialforms/biodata.pdf and mailing the signed and dated form through the US Mail.
2. By email:
1. It is the student's responsibility to check their university email account in order to stay current with university communications.
2. All students receive an email account from the university at the point of admission. Student email addresses are all of the form that end in @runner.csub.edu
3. If they choose, students can redirect their university email address to another account. However, the university will not be responsible for the handling of email by outside vendors or departmental servers. Instructions for redirecting are available on the RunnerMail website, after log-on.
4. Faculty will determine how electronic forms of communication (e.g. email) will be used in their respective classes and will specify their requirements to students. Faculty can make the assumption that students' @runner.csub.edu accounts are being accessed, and faculty can use email for their classes accordingly.
5. Given the wide range of computers and email programs used by students it is important that the email messages be sent in a format that can be easily read by all students.
6. All email sent to students should include the name, title, email address and telephone number of the person sending the email so that the student may verify the integrity of the email.
7. Emails sent to students should not include non-directory information as defined in the University Catalog under the section entitled "Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records." The following items of information about students may be released: student's name, photograph, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, grade level, enrollment status, degrees, honors and awards received, the most recent previous educational agency or institution attended by the student. While the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does allow such information release, this university reserves the right to place further restrictions on the release of information. In addition, the student may specify in writing, in advance that they do not want this information released.
8. All users of email should understand that there are some circumstances in which the contents of email may be disclosed to others. Sometimes this may be accidental. At other times it may be deliberate when the university is investigating a technical or legal issue.
3. Group Emails to students@runner.csub.edu
1. Only the Vice President for Student Affairs and the Registrar are authorized to send group emails to the all@runner.csub.edu address. It is understood that students campaigning for ASI positions will each be allowed to send one message to the all@runner.csub.edu address. The office of the Vice President for Student Affairs will work out the details for this and approve any such mailings. The office of the VPIR will be allowed to send email to all@runner.csub.edu for purposes related to technical and/or maintenance issues affecting the Runnermail service.
2. No commercial use will be made of the student email list.
3. Email to all@runner.csub.edu will contain the following information:
1. Notice that this is a communication from California State University, Bakersfield.
2. The office, email address, and a telephone number to verify the integrity of the email address or to direct questions to the sender about the contents of the email.
3. All messages should be in the plain text format, avoiding graphics and the use of attachments.
4. Students whose email privileges are restricted for disciplinary reasons will only receive a written copy of emails sent to all@runner.csub.edu address. The Dean of Undergraduate Studies will be copied on all emails sent to the all@runner.csub.edu address.

Confidentiality and Privacy Rights

All mail and email will be consistent with all university policies as well as local, state and federal law, including, but not limited to, the California State University, Bakersfield Acceptable Use Policy and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). {Refer to the University Catalog in the section entitled "Privacy Rights of Students in Education Records" for more information or contact the Office of Admissions and Records.

It is a violation of university policies for any user of university mail or email addresses to impersonate a university office, faculty/staff member or student.

(CSUB wishes to thank Cal Poly Pomona for sharing their 'communication with students' policy, from which this policy was adopted)

July, 2004