Overview
Important Email Information for Student Employees, Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants
All students at the University of Idaho receive email addresses ending in @vandals.uidaho.edu. Students who work for the University also receive different email addresses ending in @uidaho.edu. Sometimes it can be confusing when to use one address or another – it might even be annoying or seem like extra work – but there are good reasons.
@vandals.uidaho.edu –should be used with all activities associated with being a student. Corresponding with faculty and advisors, working with other students on group projects, applying for internships and other things you do as a student are excellent uses for this email.
Since important student-related communications, some that are FERPA protected, come to this address, you should maintain and use this account to have a successful student experience. It helps decomplicate the role of being a student who also works at the University to put themselves through school. Access to this account and its contents are maintained as long as you are affiliated with UI. Additionally, it is in U of I policy (specifically APM 30.10.B-2) that “Student… accounts shall not be used for conducting university business” to help protect the student employees from potential problems – read on.
@uidaho.edu –should be used when you are using email to conduct any work for U of I. TA/RAs should use this when acting in an official capacity with students in their courses. Other students holding jobs at the U of I should use this address when conversing with anyone as part of their work. A student employee communicating with faculty, staff or even other students about their job instead of about their studies, should use this address.
First, it is in the rules. Per U of I policy (specifically APM 30.10.B-1.l) any work conducted for the University should happen with the @uidaho.edu email address. Second, the University is required to maintain formal records of its work – emails sent or files saved while doing work may be official records and must be maintained, potentially including access and archiving by the department after you leave. Third, accesses to necessary systems for work should only be granted to the @uidaho.edu account, and account access may be revoked at any time. Fourth, it provides the student some protection. If a student uses their @vandals.uidaho.edu or their personal email address to do work for the University, contents of those email accounts can become involved in any possible legal issues arising as part of their employment. It isn’t worth it to use any account for work purposes other than their @uidaho.edu email.
There are technical ways (different apps on your phone for each address, using different browsers on your computer, etc.) to keep them separate. Student employees of the University need to apply some thought to keep the two uses separate, but with practice and a little time it can become a habit, that is best for the student and good for the University.