Email Use

UAB provides email services to faculty, staff, and students through Microsoft Office 365. UAB email and other electronic messaging technologies are intended for communication between individuals and clearly identified groups of interested individuals, not for mass broadcasting.

1.0 Sending Spam or Mass Emails

No one shall use University facilities to distribute spam messages without prior authorization. Such messages are defined as the same or substantially the same e-mail message sent to more than one person without prior evidence that they wish to receive it. The University reserves the right to discard incoming mass mailings and spam without notifying the sender or intended recipient. See UAB Acceptable Use Policy.

2.0 Forwarding

Automatic email forwarding to a non-UAB IT account is permissible, but be sure you understand the risks and policies that affect you. Storage or forwarding of Restricted/PHI data is not permitted in uab.edu email. However, if you receive an email containing Restricted/PHI information and you have configured your mailbox to forward to a third party; this will lead to a breach of this information. Also, UAB IT encourages faculty, students and staff not to automatically forward email to non-UAB accounts because of the lack of security oversight of those types of services; data protection concerns around FERPA and HIPAA; and the desire to guarantee the best possible supported user experience on campus.

• If you choose to set up email forwarding, please note: Any UAB message, regardless of location, is subject to UAB open records.
• Any phishing remediation resulting from forwarding messages will be charged back to the individual, not the department.
• Information forwarded to third parties, outside of UAB contracts, could constitute an unauthorized disclosure of restricted information. You are liable for these disclosures.
• It is a violation of UAB HIPAA policy to forward email containing sensitive information or Protected Health Information to public email systems.

3.0 Termination of accounts

3.1 Students

A UAB student’s grace period for use of your accounts ends one year after the last semester the student attended classes. Your Office 365 account provides access to email, any documents or files you have stored in Office 365, and online Office applications. You can keep your email address for life, learn more about Blazer for Life.

3.2 Employees

A UAB employee’s grace period for use of your accounts ends three months after your date of termination. Your Office 365 account provides access to email, any documents or files you have stored in Office 365 and online Office applications.