Ball State University students know what it is like to get a Gradebook e-mail from a classmate asking for notes. For one Comm 210 class, one mass e-mail did more than ask for notes.
Steven Krasowski, a sophomore business administration major, sent an e-mail to his class asking if they like to party, then provided a link to a Facebook group that made reference to sexual acts.
Freshman architecture major Ryan Lindemer said he saw the e-mail in his inbox, read it and clicked on the link not thinking it would harm anything. The page did not work for him, but he was still annoyed the e-mail was sent.
"To send an e-mail like that through Gradebook is wrong and is a way of using the system against itself," he said. "Usually if I get an e-mail asking for notes I'll send them if I know the person. I don't know a lot of people in my class, though, so I'll usually delete it. Sending something like this is just wrong, though."
Liz Janney, a junior elementary education major, said she does not remember if she has ever received anything obscene in her e-mail from Gradebook but does remember receiving advertisements and roommate requests through the system. She said she also has gotten information from professors about possible jobs, but not all of them pertain to the class.
"I don't appreciate it when I receive spam," Janney said. "I can understand about missing a class, but sending an e-mail to everybody hoping they'll respond doesn't work.
"It's ridiculous that teachers use it for spam too. If it's important it should be mentioned in class."
David Fried, director of Student Rights and Community Standards, said students have the right to send any e-mail they want, but if it is harassment or a threat of physical abuse it violates the Student Code of Rights.
"It doesn't matter if the harassment or threat is done in person or on Internet sites such as MySpace or Facebook, the rules still apply," he said. "We don't go looking for these things, but if someone's misconduct is reported to us by a student we'd respond and have the accused student come in for a preliminary meeting. Then we would determine what to do next."
Krasowski's e-mail could be a violation of the Computer Users Policy in the Student Code since it was sent through Gradebook, Fried said. The policy applies to other university systems such as Blackboard and the Ball State Outlook system as well, he said. However, the violator must be a Ball State student for the code to apply, however, or no disciplinary measures can be taken.
University Computing Services has recently worked to decrease the amount of spam in e-mails by having multiple filtering engines and a team of anti-spam experts working to eliminate spam from inboxes.
Loren Malm, assistant director of security, policy, systems and assessment for UCS, said the spam filtering blocks certain spam and abusive e-mail messages sent through Gradebook, but other than those things the e-mails are not monitored.
Lindemer said it would be difficult for UCS to regulate e-mail because every message would have to be read.
"On one hand it'd be an invasion of privacy, but on the other hand there are things that get through that would be nice to stop," he said.
Jourdan Crockett, a sophomore economics major, also deletes Gradebook e-mails requesting for notes. She said she has not received obscene messages through Gradebook, but has gotten e-mails about Viagra through the Ball State Outlook service. Unlike Lindemer, however, she said she thought e-mail should be regulated.
"[Gradebook] is convenient, but there is always somebody who'd just send anything," she said.
Malm said students who receive e-mails they feel are harassing or abusive can forward them to the UCS Helpdesk. The helpdesk will work to check the identity of the sender and referred cases of suspected abuse to the Office of the Dean of Students for further action, he said.
"[Also] students who get unwanted messages can put the sender's name in the blocked senders list, or if the threats or messages cause them to fear their physical safety, students should immediately call University Police," Malm said.
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