Michigan State University (MSU) uses email as one of several means of communication with students. In the context of this notice, “student” refers to all persons who have been admitted to MSU as a student, whether or not they have registered or enrolled for classes. An official MSU email address is issued to each student at the time he or she is admitted to MSU. This official MSU email address takes the form of a person’s MSU NetID followed by “@msu.edu” (e.g., sparty@msu.edu) and resides in an MSU email system. This is the only email address that the university will centrally maintain for sending official communications to students, and the only email address that the university will use for sending official communications to students after they enroll.
Students are responsible for activating their MSU NetID and email account; both of these may be accomplished on the NetID website at netid.msu.edu. Students must check email regularly in order to read important messages and notifications. Certain communications may be time-sensitive. Failure to read official university communications sent to the students’ official MSU email addresses does not absolve students from knowing and complying with the content of those communications.
Each student must manage his or her university email account to ensure that the Inbox file has sufficient space to allow for email delivery. Students act at their own risk and should take precautions if they choose to have their email forwarded to an email address other than their official MSU email address. Commercial and other email services sometimes block email from external sources. “Spam” filters applied outside of the MSU email service may block email that the student needs to receive. MSU is not responsible for any difficulties that may occur in the proper or timely transmission of or access to email forwarded to any email address other than the official MSU email address, or which may be blocked by spam filters other than those applied by the MSU email system itself. Any such difficulties will not absolve students of their responsibility to know and comply with the content of official communications sent to students’ official MSU email addresses.
Use of email for official communications with students will comply with other applicable MSU policies and business practices.
Originally published 15 February 2006
Revised June 7, 2017, to broaden MSU email references.
Revised June 10, 2016, to update “University” to “university” spelling.
Revised June 10, 2013, to update to “email” from the previous “e-mail” spelling.
Revised February 28, 2006, to clarify last sentence of Paragraph 1.
