Electronic Mail (Employees) Policy

The purpose of this policy is to define the appropriate and responsible use of electronic mail and messaging services provided by or accessed through Vancouver Community Colleges' (VCC; the College) network.

The objective of this policy is to outline appropriate and inappropriate use of VCC's email systems and services in order to minimize disruptions to services and activities and to comply with applicable policies and laws.

This policy applies to all email systems and services owned, operated and serviced by VCC.

This policy applies to all employees who use VCC approved applications, equipment or systems.

This policy applies to all employees who have been provided an official college email account to conduct business by VCC.

1. Email is the official medium of communication at VCC. Some official communications will be sent only via email. It is therefore incumbent on the employees to monitor their VCC email account regularly.


2. All employees will receive an email account. Email accounts will be granted to third party non-employees on a case by case basis. Non employees include but are not limited to: contractors, vendors or specialized service providers. All applications for these temporary accounts must be submitted to VCC-IT.  All terms and conditions, and restrictions governing email must be in a written and signed agreement and be in accordance with VCC's email policy.


3. All official communication between temporary or permanent staff or between faculty and students shall be through VCC's email system.


4. Acceptable Use - Email is to be used primarily for business purposes. Any personal use must not interfere with normal business activities, must not involve chain letters or solicitations, must not be associated with any for-profit business activities that are not VCC related, and must not potentially embarrass VCC or damage VCC's , brand, reputation or image. Appropriate and responsible use of email requires compliance with the guidelines laid out in the Appropriate and Responsible Use of Educational and Information Technology Policy 505.


5. Content - Email users are expected to use email in a professional manner.  Email may not contain coarse or abusive language, images or sounds that are harassing, intimidating, defamatory, discriminatory or threatening. The college puts filters in place at the email gateway to prevent inappropriate email from being delivered to employee inboxes by senders external to VCC's network.


6. Privacy Rights – VCC's email system and all messages sent or received are the property of VCC. VCC reserves the right to access and/or disclose all messages sent or received using VCC's email system.


7. Any materials in contravention of this policy which are stored on College systems and/or networks will be removed in a timely manner.


8. Account activation/termination is controlled by VCC's Information Technology department.


9. Email account access to accounts is through individual accounts and passwords. Email users must not use a mailbox assigned to another individual to send or receive messages.


10. Security - Email messages sent over the internet can potentially be viewed or accessed by unauthorized or unintended recipients. It is therefore incumbent upon the sender to use good judgement prior to sending sensitive or confidential information via email (e.g. college financial information).


11. Retention - Email users at VCC are responsible to manage and maintain their assigned email account, saving and deleting messages as needed.  VCC-email data will be retained in compliance with BC provincial requirements for retention and in accordance with FOIPP guidelines.


12. In addition, employees will use email accounts according to the guidelines listed in the Procedures.

• Appropriate and Responsible Use of Educational and Information Technology (505)
• Copyright (510)
• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (501)
• Prevention of Harassment, Discrimination, and Bullying (201)
• Sharing & Stewardship of Information (502)

• Copyright Act, RSC 1985, c C-42


• Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46


• Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSBC 1996, c 165


• Trademarks Act, RSC 1985, c T-13


• VCC and CUPE Local 4627 Collective Agreement


• VCC and VCC Faculty Association Collective Agreement