Updated: May 14, 2026
Email is a convenient and effective way of communicating with students, faculty, staff, and other stakeholders in the educational community. However, email also poses risks and challenges related to privacy, security, and professionalism. Therefore, it is important to follow these best practices for email use at Young Harris College.
Acceptable Usage of YHC Email Accounts
Your YHC email account is provided for education-related purposes only. You should use it to communicate with your instructors, classmates, advisors, and other authorized personnel.
❌ Do NOT Use Your YHC Email For:
- Personal accounts (social media, streaming services, etc.)
- Online shopping or retail accounts
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Commercial or non-educational purposes
⚠️ Why This Matters: Using your YHC email for non-educational purposes may violate college policies, expose your account to spam and phishing attacks, and compromise your academic reputation.
Personal Email Accounts
Your personal email account (Gmail, Yahoo, personal Microsoft account, etc.) is your own private account, and you have the right to use it as you wish.
❌ Do NOT Use Personal Email For:
- Submitting assignments
- Requesting feedback from instructors
- Contacting faculty, staff, or college offices
⚠️ Why This Matters: Using personal email for college business may create confusion, appear unprofessional, and prevent your messages from reaching recipients—many institutional email systems filter or block external emails.
Email Forwarding Policy
⛔ Forwarding Email is Highly Discouraged
Do not forward emails between your Young Harris College account and personal accounts.
Risks of Email Forwarding:
| Risk | Description |
|---|---|
| Message Loss | Forwarded emails may not arrive or may be filtered as spam |
| Duplicates | Creates confusion with multiple copies across accounts |
| Privacy Breaches | Sensitive information may be exposed outside the YHC environment |
| Security Threats | Increases exposure to hacking, malware, and identity theft |
Legal & Compliance Concerns:
⚠️ Important: Forwarding YHC emails to personal accounts could subject your personal email to a public records request in the event of a legal situation. This practice may also violate restrictions on sensitive data (FERPA, HIPAA, etc.).
Likewise, personal emails forwarded to your YHC account become subject to all YHC policies.
Recommended Access Methods
Instead of forwarding, use these supported methods to access your YHC email from any device or location:
| Method | How to Access |
|---|---|
| Webmail | email.yhc.edu |
| Mobile App | Microsoft Outlook app (iOS/Android) |
| Desktop Client | Microsoft Outlook (pre-configured on YHC computers) |
Need Assistance?
If you have questions about email policies or need help configuring your email on a device, contact the YHC Helpdesk:
| helpdesk@yhc.edu | |
| ? Phone | 706-379-5212 |