1.Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to establish the University’s official position regarding preferred email addresses and to ensure that all official University communications are sent to appropriate addresses and received through secure, institutionally managed email systems. Email is an official means of communication at UNCG, and maintaining accurate preferred email information supports compliance, security, and effective communication across the University community.
This policy serves as a foundation for the University’s information security and communication standards and is consistent with the University’s data management and records management standards. The University recognizes that accurate, reliable delivery of official communications is essential to academic, administrative, and operational functions, and this policy is intended to ensure that critical communications reach their intended recipients without unnecessary risk of delay, loss, or unauthorized disclosure.
2.Authority
This policy is enacted under the Chancellor’s authority to regulate official University communications. It ensures the use of accurate email addresses and secure, institutionally managed systems. It also authorizes ITS to enforce necessary security and compliance measures.
3.Scope
This policy applies to all active employees (faculty, staff, temporary, and student employees), all currently enrolled students, and any affiliates who are issued a UNCG account and participate in official University activities.
Graduated, withdrawn, retired, or otherwise former or inactive individuals may request to update their preferred email after their relationship with the institution ends, subject to applicable account retention and alumni email provisions. For these populations, the University-provided email address remains the preferred email address of record until it is deactivated in accordance with standard account retention timelines, at which point the individual must designate an active non-UNCG address to continue receiving applicable post-affiliation communications (e.g., post-employment notices, alumni communications).
This policy applies to all University systems that store, use, transmit, or display preferred email address information, regardless of the environment in which the data resides.
4.Definitions and Roles and Responsibilities
4.1Definitions
Official UNCG Email Address: The UNCG-provided email address (e.g., username@uncg.edu) assigned to active users, as defined by the Eligibility standards documented within ITS Standard, SpartanID Account Eligibility, KB0010162.
Preferred Email Address: The email address designated for an individual as their primary point of contact for University communications.
For current students, faculty, and staff, the Preferred Email Address is required to be their Official UNCG Email Address. They may optionally provide additional non-university addresses for alternate contact methods where a University process requires it.
For populations without an Active UNCG Email Address—such as applicants, prospective students, retirees, guests, volunteers, external partners, or other affiliated individuals—the Preferred Email Address should be set to an active non-UNCG email address they choose to provide. Non-UNCG email addresses are particularly important for communications after a person has left the institution (i.e., post-employment notifications or alumni information).
Official University Communication: Any email communication originating from an official UNCG entity (person, group, or process).
4.2Roles and Responsibilities
Chief Information Officer has overall responsibility for the Information Technology Services division and for ensuring compliance with University policies, procedures, and guidelines established to maintain the accuracy, security, and reliability of preferred email address information.
Chief Technology Officer has operational responsibility for the technical systems, provisioning, and enforcement mechanisms that maintain preferred email address settings in accordance with this policy.
Information Technology Services (ITS) manages the provisioning, maintenance, and security of UNCG email systems and ensures preferred email address settings reflect institutional policy.
Data Stewards have operational-level responsibility for the accuracy and management of preferred email address data within their functional areas.
Chairs, Directors/Deans, and Executives are accountable for ensuring departments and units under their supervision use the appropriate preferred email address type when conducting official University business.
Departments and Units should use the most appropriate email address type for their processes when conducting University business, using discretion consistent with this policy and applicable data privacy requirements.
Faculty, Staff, Students, and Affiliates assigned a user account are responsible for regularly accessing their UNCG email address, maintaining awareness of official University communications, and complying with this policy in its entirety.
5.Policy
All active faculty, staff, and students are required to maintain their official UNCG-provided email address as their preferred email address in all University systems. This ensures that critical communications related to academics, employment, campus operations, and compliance are delivered securely and reliably.
5.1Required Use of Official UNCG Email Address
Use of external or personal email accounts (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, iCloud, etc.) as the preferred address in University systems is not permitted for active faculty, staff, or students. While enrolled or employed, the official UNCG email address will remain active and set as “Preferred” for all University business and academic correspondence.
5.2Populations Without an Active UNCG Email Address
For applicants, prospective students, retirees, guests, volunteers, external partners, and other affiliated individuals without an active UNCG email address, the Preferred Email Address should be set to an active non-UNCG email address of the individual’s choosing. Upon separation, graduation, withdrawal, or retirement, and following applicable account retention timelines, the preferred email address will transition to the individual’s designated non-UNCG address to support continued receipt of post-affiliation communications.
5.3User Responsibilities
Users are responsible for regularly accessing their UNCG email address, ensuring inbox capacity, and maintaining awareness of official University communications. ITS manages the provisioning, maintenance, and security of UNCG email systems and ensures preferred email address settings reflect institutional policy.
5.4Forwarding
A person may forward UNCG emails to a non-UNCG address; however, UNCG will treat delivery to a UNCG email address as being received by the address owner, regardless of any forwarding rule the individual has configured.
5.5Departmental Discretion
Departments and units should use the most appropriate email address type for their processes when conducting University business. Most often, the Preferred Email address should be used, as it will be set to an official UNCG email address when someone is actively enrolled, employed, or affiliated, or set to a non-UNCG address when they have left the institution. Departments retain discretion in selecting which email address type to use in their communications and must comply with all applicable data privacy and protection requirements when sending sensitive or confidential information.
5.6Exceptions
The Vice Chancellor of Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer (CIO), or an assigned delegate, has the sole authority to make exceptions, in writing, to this policy.
6.Compliance and Enforcement
Any violation of this policy by a University student is subject to the Student Code of Conduct in the Student Policy Handbook. For employees, violation of this policy will be subject to consideration as “misconduct” under EHRA policies (faculty and EHRA non-faculty) or “unacceptable personal conduct” under SHRA policies, including any appeal rights stated therein.
Additionally, violations of this policy may result in termination or suspension of access, in whole or in part, to University information systems at the discretion of ITS where such action is reasonable to protect the University or the University information infrastructure.
7.Additional Information
7.1Related Policies
7.2Approval Authority
The Chancellor is responsible for approval of this Policy.
7.3Contacts for Additional Information and Reporting
Responsible Executive: Donna R. Heath, Vice Chancellor for Information Technology Services and Chief Information Officer (CIO), drheath@uncg.edu
Responsible Administrator: Casey J. Forrest, Associate Vice Chancellor and Chief Technology Officer (CTO), cjforrest@uncg.edu