2020P Official Student E-Mail Communications (Procedures)

Original Date: 7/6/2010 * Last Revision Effective: 3/24/2015
Policy Contact: Vice President, Student Affairs

Purpose

The procedures listed are established for college implementation of the required student creation of an official college e-mail account.

Procedures

Students

  • After acceptance to the college: Students enrolled in credit classes will be notified to create a student e-mail account and address (username)@student.bellevuecollege.edu. The college may block a credit student registration in future quarters if the e-mail account has not been created. The name format used for the official BC student e-mail account is based on the same username the student chooses to use for their BC NetID. The e-mail account name format will be: username@student.bellevuecollege.edu.
  • The college will send all official administrative and instructional communications to credit students’ college e-mail accounts.
  • When the students enrolled in credit classes have not attended the college for four consecutive quarters, the student e-mail account will expire. To reactivate the account, the student must reapply for admission to the college and pay the non-refundable admissions application fee.
  • Students with a disability who are unable to use e-mail as an official college communication may request to be exempt from this policy. Contact the disability resource center.

Responsibilities

College

  • The college is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission or access of e-mail forwarded to an unofficial e-mail address, and any such problems will not absolve students of their responsibility to know, respond and comply with the content of official communications sent to the students’ college e-mail address.
  • All use of e-mail in regards to content, disclosure and access of student educational records to communicate with students is protected by the Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act (FERPA) guidelines including all applicable Bellevue College policies and procedures. The college maintains confidentiality of student educational records until prior written consent to disclose is given by the student.
  • According to federal privacy laws, all Bellevue College students and employees using the BC official student e-mail accounts must comply, adhere to and maintain all guidelines and confidentiality of all student educational records in regard to compliance with Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act of 1974, (FERPA).
  • Faculty will determine how official college communication and student college e-mail addresses will be used in their classes and will specify any e-mail requirements in the course syllabus. Faculty may expect that all students’ college e-mail addresses are being managed by the address holder and use college e-mail for the courses.

Student Affairs

  • The vice president of student affairs will administer and oversee any updates and changes in policy or procedures.

Information Technology Services

  • The vice president of information technology services, and/or his/her designee is responsible for providing and maintaining technology strategies and upholding technology policy and procedures related to official student e-mail accounts.

Students

  • It is the student’s responsibility to open and read the BC official student e-mail.
  • The college expects all credit students will receive, open and read and act or respond to all official college e-mails sent, in a timely manner.
  • Students have the responsibility to recognize and expect certain college communications may be time-critical such as security alerts, campus closures, IT security alters, financial aid notifications, registration transaction, faculty instruction or messaging including class status.
  • Students should know: Failure to check messages or receive messages due to full mail boxes, auto forwarded mail, error in forwarding e-mail or e-mail returned to the college with “mailbox full” or “user unknown” are not acceptable causes for missing college communications sent by e-mail.
  • Students are responsible for maintaining their college e-mail account or private mailbox in order to receive official college communications.
  • Students may choose to forward the college e-mail to a private, unofficial e-mail address, but do so at their own risk.
  • The college is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission or access of e-mail forwarded to an unofficial e-mail address, and any such problems will not absolve students of their responsibility to know, respond or comply with the content of official communications sent to the students’ college e-mail address.
  • When the students who have enrolled in credit classes have not attended the college in four consecutive quarters, the student e-mail account will expire. To reactivate the account, the student must reapply for admission to the college and pay the non-refundable admissions application fee.

Students who require accommodation

  • Students with a disability who are unable to use e-mail as an official college communication may request to be exempt from this policy. Contact the disability resource center.

Definitions

Official Bellevue College (BC) Student E-mail Account

  • An e-mail account the college provides to all credit students upon acceptance to the college.

Official College Communication

  • Any e-mail message sent from college administration and/or instructional departments to all credit students who are currently attending or have attended in past quarters.

Credit Students

  • Students who are currently enrolled or have been enrolled in past quarters, in any course that awards college credit.

BC NetID

  • A BC NetID is an account that is used to log in to multiple technological services and resources at Bellevue College including (but not limited to) the official BC student e-mail account, MyBC, the college web portal, MyBC class sites, computers in classrooms and labs, and the college wireless network.

Relevant Laws and Other Resources

Revision History

Original 7/6/2010
Revisions 9/11/2012; 3/24/2015

Approved By

President’s Cabinet

Last Updated January 30, 2019