Policies
Guidance for Dealing with Unwanted E-mail Messages
Introduction
Sometimes members of the University receive inappropriate / unwanted e-mails. These can be from people they know or from strangers. It is not possible to define comprehensively what is and what is not an inappropriate e-mail, but generally it is one that is obscene or in some other way makes the reader feel uncomfortable, intimidated or upset.
In line with the University's IT Acceptable Use Policy, the University does not tolerate this kind of treatment of its members and has established procedures for dealing with such instances, as it takes this matter very seriously. This document is designed to offer guidance to those in receipt of an inappropriate message sent to their University e-mail address.
The University recognises that it can be very distressing to receive an e-mail of this nature. It is important that you do not feel guilty or responsible for receiving such a message, as this can constitute a form of harassment and the fault lies with the sender of the message, not the recipient. However distressing the e-mail is, if it is addressed to you personally, it is very important that you do not delete it, if you wish any action to be able to be taken. It is not advisable to engage in a dialogue with the sender.
Support Available
A member of Confide, or a member of IT Services will be able to support and advise you further in dealing with this kind of issue. It is recognised that people might be embarrassed by the content of such an e-mail. This is entirely understandable. Confide and IT Services will deal with the matter sensitively and confidentially. Information will not be passed on to any other party, without the explicit permission of the individual concerned unless it is felt that there is an unacceptable risk to another individual or group of people.
If you receive an e-mail, which causes you distress, you can contact either Confide, or IT.Services@lboro.ac.uk who will then ensure that the standard e-mail response (see below) is sent to the author. Again, this will be dealt with sensitively and confidentially. IT Services will also, if requested, block the e-mail address from contacting your University e-mail account again.
So that you do not have to respond personally to an e-mail of this kind, the University has a standard response to send to authors of such inappropriate messages:
"A member of Loughborough University has received an inappropriate communication from this e-mail address. The University does not tolerate such treatment of its staff or students and has blocked this e-mail account from contacting the recipient again. If further such messages are received, the matter may be referred to the police."
Confide and IT Services can also provide advice on whether the matter is serious enough to refer to the police. Confide will also be able to provide ongoing support to anyone who has received an e-mail of this kind for as long as necessary.