FAQ - ITS
- Where do I find information on specific IT policies?
- Will I be required to use an e-mail address assigned by the University, or will I be allowed to use a third-party address?
- What is the meaning of “e-mail as an official means of communication”?”
- How will I know that an e-mail message is an authentic, official University communication? Who is authorized to send official campus e-mails?
- What does “timely” mean with respect to official e-mail communications to students?
Where do I find information on specific IT policies?
For specific policies, please visit the ITS website: https://servicedesk.calpoly.edu/content/email_calendar/policy/email_student_final
Will I be required to use an e-mail address assigned by the University, or will I be allowed to use a third-party address?
Official communications will be sent to your University-assigned e-mail address (@calpoly.edu). Therefore, we encourage you to use your Cal Poly e-mail account, available through MyCalPoly, to receive and respond to official e-mails.
If you use multiple e-mail services, but prefer to receive all your mail in one location, you may forward your University e-mail to another e-mail account or service. However, if you do so, you are fully responsible for making sure you are receiving and reading all of your e-mail sent to your University-assigned email address.
What is the meaning of “e-mail as an official means of communication”?
The University considers the use of e-mail in communicating with students to be an effective alternative to the use of land mail or telephones, but it is not the only means of communication. The office or faculty member initiating the message determines the appropriate means of communications, e-mail or otherwise. There may be times in which e-mail is not appropriate and other methods of communication will be used.
How will I know that an e-mail message is an authentic, official University communication? Who is authorized to send official campus e-mails?
University offices and faculty members should notify students about how they expect to use e-mail for official communications. In addition, Cal Poly departments have been provided with specific guidelines for sending official e-mails, which may help you to identify such messages. The guidelines specify that official e-mails must be reviewed and approved by the University manager who is responsible for the information that is being communicated.
What does “timely” mean with respect to official e-mail communications to students?
This refers to the relatively timeliness of e-mail as a method of communicating in comparison to regular land mail. Since the delay between sending and receiving e-mail is minimal, University departments can expect that official e-mail communications will be received and read by students within a day or two of being sent. While departments are encouraged to send official e-mails as far in advance as possible, some communications may be time-critical.
For more information, contact Information Technology Services at 805-756-7000 or servicedesk@calpoly.edu