Booth Email Forwarding Policy
Contents
Purpose. 3
Policy Statement 3
Scope. 3
Rationale. 3
Exceptions. 4
Related Policies and References. 4
Contact 4
The
purpose of this policy is to ensure the security, confidentiality, and proper
stewardship of University data—particularly student education records as
protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)—by
establishing clear guidelines regarding the forwarding of Booth-managed email
accounts.
To
maintain compliance with FERPA, institutional data protection standards,
and University of Chicago security protocols, automatic forwarding of Booth
School of Business email to personal or non-University email accounts is
strictly prohibited.
This
includes, but is not limited to, creating email rules, filters, or scripts that
redirect or copy email from a Booth (@chicagobooth.edu) or University
(@uchicago.edu) address to any external domain (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo,
Outlook.com).
This
policy applies to:
- All
Booth faculty (full-time and adjunct), staff, researchers, and
contractors;
- All
systems and devices used to access Booth-managed or University-issued
email accounts;
- All
institutional communications containing University data or related to
official Booth/University business.
The
prohibition of automatic email forwarding supports:
- FERPA Compliance: Many email communications
include student information that constitutes part of the education record.
Forwarding to personal accounts may expose this information in violation
of federal law.
- Data Security: Personal email providers do not fall under the
University’s security or privacy controls, creating unacceptable risk for
data breaches and unauthorized access.
- Institutional Integrity: University communications
should remain within managed environments to ensure proper logging,
auditing, and response capabilities in line with University policies.
- Legal and Records Management: Retaining University
communications within official systems ensures compliance with legal
discovery processes, public records laws, and institutional records
retention policies.
Limited
exceptions may be granted under specific, documented circumstances where
business necessity is demonstrated, and sufficient compensating security
controls are in place.
All
exception requests must be reviewed and approved by Booth Information Security
and the Chief Information Officer or designee. Unauthorized exceptions are not
permitted.
For
questions about this policy or to request an exception, please contact:
Booth
Information Security
Email: security@.lists.chicagobooth.edu