E-mail Use

The purpose of this policy is to ensure proper use of the NCEDA e-mail system. The NCEDA e-mail system is property of the state of North Carolina. Therefore, all messages distributed via the NCEDA e-mail system, including personal e-mails, are the State's property. NCEDA employees have no expectation of privacy in anything created, stored, sent, or received on the NCEDA e-mail system.

In general, use of NCEDA e-mail services is governed by the policies that apply to the use of all state facilities and records.

 

Restrictions

NCEDA e-mail services may not be used for:

1. The creation or distribution of any offensive or disruptive messages, including messages containing offensive comments about race, gender, age, sexual orientation, pornography, religious or political beliefs, national origin or disability;

2. Sending unsolicited e-mail messages, including but not limited to chain mail or spam;

3. Unlawful activities;

4. Sending e-mail messages using another employee's e-mail account without their permission;

5. Uses that violate other NCEDA policies or guidelines including but not limited to those regarding copyright, service mark, and trademark infringement, or sexual or other forms of harassment.

 

Personal Use

NCEDA e-mail services may be used for incidental personal purposes provided that, in addition to the foregoing constraints and conditions, such use does not:

1. Directly or indirectly interfere with NCEDA's operation of computing facilities or electronic e-mail services;

2. Burden NCEDA with noticeable incremental cost; or

3. Interfere with the e-mail user's employment or other obligations to NCEDA.

NCEDA E-mail Records and Retention

NCEDA e-mail messages are public records if they are made or received by any NCEDA employee in connection with the transaction of public business. E-mail messages that are public records are subject to the North Carolina Public Records law, N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 132-1 -132-10, and need to be filed and stored in a computer database archived in such a way that they can be located, accessed, and provided to those requesting, inspecting, and/or copying, as specified in the law. However, NCEDA may not automatically comply with all requests for disclosure, but will evaluate all such requests against the precise provisions of the North Carolina Public Records law, other laws concerning disclosure and privacy, or other applicable law. Upon this evaluation, all NCEDA e-mail records that do not violate the provisions of the aforementioned laws will be discoverable in pending litigation matters.

NCEDA employee e-mails regarding the agency's business records will be retained on the individual employee's computer for a period of sixty (60) days. After this period, such records will be archived in a public-accessible database for a period no shorter than the period provided by the North Carolina Public Records Act (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 132-3).

NCEDA employees are advised to delete any messages that are not state business records immediately after reading the message. Additionally, NCEDA e-mail users should delete duplicates and messages of limited communicative value. However, NCEDA employees should not destroy any e-mails relating to any pending litigation.