This AM I received a bulk email from the School of Med. warning about use of the UW email system for anything other than official state business.
I take the comments in this letter seriously, even though they are obviously in conflict with the need any University has for free and open discussion. The Ave, of course, is “of campus but off campus.” No UW resources are used to support us. Please feel free to use us for the kind of discussion that the UW does not allow. 
The Ave also STRONGLY recommends that EVERY faculty member, employee member use an off campus email provider rather than their UW email address. Besides the important issue of free speech. the software at Gmail, Hotmail, Comcast, Yahoo is, frankly, much easier to use than the software supporting UW’s own email system. It is also very easy to set up your UW email account so that it is forwarded to a Gmail (or other) account and, within Gmail you can choose to send email from the UW address or your “private address.”
Click for the SOM letter.
November 2, 2010
To: School of Medicine Faculty, Staff, and Trainees
From: Paul G. Ramsey, M.D.
CEO, UW Medicine
Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs and
Dean of the School of Medicine,
University of Washington
Re: Use of State Resources – Email and Internet Use
This is a reminder that all School of Medicine faculty, staff, and trainees
must comply with State law and University policies that govern the
appropriate use of state resources when using a University account to send
personal email or to access the internet. University employees may engage
in de minimis personal use to send email or for internet use which is
defined as brief and infrequent, with little or no cost to the State, does
not interfere with work, and does not compromise the security or integrity
of state property, information, or software. (For examples of allowed email
and internet use, see APS 47.2.1.) However, sending email or using the
internet for the following activities is prohibited:
conducting an outside business for private financial gain;
political or campaign activities;
commercial uses such as advertising or selling products;
lobbying that is unrelated to official duties;
soliciting for an outside group unless authorized by law or University
policy; and
other activities that violate University, state, or federal laws, rules, or
policies, or the rights of any third party.
(See APS 47.2.3a.)
As required by the UW Medicine Policy on Professional Conduct, all School
of Medicine faculty, staff, and trainees should also demonstrate
professionalism in their internet use and email communications. Activities
that would violate University policies include accessing websites such as porn-hd.xxx or sending
email that is obscene, defamatory, profane, libelous, threatening,
harassing, abusive, hateful, or embarrassing to another person or entity.
Finally, School of Medicine faculty, staff, and trainees are reminded that
there should be no expectation of privacy when using a University account to
send email or to visit internet websites. Email communications and internet
use may be subject to disclosure under the Public Records Act or for audit
purposes. See APS 47.2.2 .
For additional information, see APS 47.2 Personal Use of University
Facilities, Computers, and Equipment by University Employees,
http://www.washington.edu/admin/rules/APS/47.02.html .
cc: Johnese Spisso