Policy on Communication with Students

Printable Version in PDF Format (Get Adobe Acrobat)

History

  • Policy Number: SA.07.013
  • Version:
  • Drafted By:
  • Approved By: Richard Yao, President
  • Approval Date:
  • Effective Date: 01/13/2024
  • Supercedes: SA.07.012 & SP.12.019

Purpose

To ensure accurate, timely, and effective communication to applicants, as well as matriculated students either electronically or by mail. 

Background

A need exists to provide effective, consistent and sustainable communication with applicants and enrolled students. All matriculated students shall receive a Dolphin email account from the University. Official student email addresses end in @myci.csuci.edu.

Policy

 

Accountability

President or designee; Provost, Vice Presidents, or designees 

Applicability

All CSU Channel Islands applicants, matriculated students, faculty, staff, and third-party vendors. 

Definition(s)

Applicant: a person who has applied for admission to the University. 
Dolphin Email: the University's official email system for matriculated students. 
Electronic Communication: any method used to send information from one computing device to another, including email, text messaging, or social media. 
Email: a means or system for transmitting messages electronically (as between computers on a network). 
Global Message: communication sent to all matriculated students through Dolphin Email. 
Mail: letters and parcels conveyed by the United States Postal Service. **Other reputable carriers such as Federal Express and UPS may be utilized if deemed necessary. 
Matriculated student: an admitted student who has been term activated and is planning to or is currently enrolled at CSUCI.

Official University Business: as it pertains to this policy, general or specific information regarding admissions, registration, financial aid or scholarships, tuition, payment information, and enrollment or financial deadlines; emergency, health or safety issues (health/safety warnings, campus or building closures or evacuations, police alerts or notifications); referendums; system failures (network interruptions, power outages or disruptions to essential services lasting longer than 60 minutes); information from the University's online News Center or Channel magazine; information from student marketing; University-approved surveys; and messages or announcements from the President or CSU Chancellor. 
Social Media: forms of electronic communication (as websites for social networking, e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos). 
Text Message: An electronic communication sent and received by cellular device. 

Text

1) Mail:

  1. Students shall provide the University with a current mailing address. 
  2. Students shall maintain their mailing address by updating it in myCI. 
  3. Third-party vendors may use mailing addresses provided by the University for only the purpose in which they are intended. Additionally, third-party vendors may not save any student information for future/unauthorized use. 
  4. It is a violation of University policy to use University mail to impersonate a 
    University office, administrator, faculty, staff, or student. 

2. Electronic Communication: 


Email: 

  1. Prospective students shall provide the University with a current email address. Upon matriculation, the University will utilize the student's Dolphin email address as the official means of communication.
  2.  Applicants shall maintain their email address by updating it in myCI. 
  3. The University shall utilize the Dolphin email system as the official means of 
    communication to matriculated CSUCI students. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that communication is read and is not marked as 
    spam. 
  4. Students may redirect their Dolphin 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 shall be available at the Information Technology Services webpage. 
  5. Faculty shall determine how electronic forms of communication will be used in their respective classes and will specify requirements to their students (see Exhibit 1). Additional campus department level electronic communications shall be used respective to their needs. 
  6. All electronic communication shall meet federal and state accessibility 
    requirements. 
  7. All email sent to students should include an appropriate email signature that 
    includes contact information so that the student may verify the integrity of the email. 
  8.  It is a violation of University policy to use a CSUCI email address to 
    impersonate an office, administrator, faculty, staff, or student. 
  9. Students who are suspended or expelled may have their Dolphin email 
    account closed. The account shall only be re-opened with approval from the Dean of Students or their designee.
  10. Complaints involving harassing email will be investigated by the Dean of 
    Students for issues related to students, or Human Resource for issues related to a University employee. Matriculating students currently enrolled at CSUCI, or on official academic leave, will maintain access to their Dolphin email account. Alumni and/or students not on academic leave or not registered for classes after 1 calendar year will have their Dolphin email account suspended for inactivity. Dolphin email accounts that have been suspended for inactivity will be deleted after 1 year. 
  11. Only approved University offices are eligible to send global messages to 
    students using a generic email account representing the respective area. 
  12. Only items defined as "Official University Business" are permitted to be 
    communicated to students via a global message. 
  13. Emails on a specific subject matter should only be sent once or as necessitated 
    by the particular communication topic. 
  14. Student directory information and email addresses shall not be utilized or 
    provided to a third party for commercial purposes, personal gain or spamming. 
  15. Third-party vendors may use email addresses provided by the University for 
    only the purpose in which they are intended. Additionally, third-party vendors may not save any student information for future/unauthorized use. 
  16. Prospective students to the University should inform the Admissions & 
    Recruitment office if there is a change in their email address by submitting a letter or email with their name and contact number requesting the University to utilize an alternate email address for communication. 

Social Media 
University social media accounts may be used to supplement communication of official University business (as defined) or to redirect students or parents to appropriate staff via email, telephone or in person. Student-specific or confidential information should never be communicated with students via social media channels. 

Texting 
Texting is currently used by the University to communicate emergency or safety notifications through CSUCI Alerts when broad messages or instructions are being communicated. 

Exhibit(s)

Faculty electronic communication with students is governed by the Academic Senate Policy SP 12-19- Policy on Electronic Communication with Students. 
Procedures for Communication with Students 

Back to Top ↑
©