Description

Union Institute & University (UI&U) operates various network, academic, and administrative systems in support of its academic mission and business function. These systems are maintained and operationally controlled by the Computer Services Department. As used in this policy, the term "user" refers to any person consuming technology resources. The term " Computer Services staff" refers to the full-time professional staff reporting to the Director of Computer Services .

This policy provides a general description of what is expected of users. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all allowed/disallowed activities, but rather a policy for the ethical use of the UI&U computing environment.

The use of technology resources is a privilege, not a right, which may be revoked at any time for misuse. This policy applies to all users of UI&U technology resources, including those who access these resources from off campus. This policy builds on the framework provided by all existing UI&U policies including but not limited to the: Statement on Racial and Ethnic Harassment, Statement on Sexual Harassment, Ethics and Conduct Policy and Computer Lab Usage policy.

Scope

UI&U technology resources (including computers, laptops, handheld computers, computer accounts, MyUnion Login, printers, networks, network devices, software, e-mail, Web pages, telephones, and telephone long distance and voicemail accounts) are provided for the use of UI&U learners, faculty and staff, as approved, in support of the programs of the university. The technology resources are owned by the university and are to be used for university related activities. Technology resources are to be used only for the purpose for which they are assigned and are not to be used for commercial purposes or non-university related activities without prior approval from Computer Services .

We recognize that a majority of learners and many faculty rarely, if ever, use UI&U owned computer equipment and that those same learners and faculty access the Internet through your local Internet Service Provider. This policy applies to you for those UI&U technology resources you do use including related services provided to or delivered by UI&U technology resources.

Electronic Communications Policy

E-mail is the standard, and sometimes preferred, means of internal communication at the University. The university will consider learners faculty and staff to be duly informed and in receipt of notifications and correspondences sent by an administrator, staff, or faculty member delivered to a user’s UI&U e-mail account. It is recommended that users frequently access their UI&U e-mail account for official information and to acknowledge messages in a timely manner. Faculty & staff are expected to use the automated out-of-office notification functions in e-mail and voicemail when they are away from the office for an extended period.

Network, Internet and E-mail

The UI&U network, Internet and e-mail system is provided for the benefit of the university and the education process. Users are responsible for seeing that the Internet is used in an effective, ethical and lawful manner.

Responsibilities include: 

• All messages communicated should have the user’s name attached.
• No messages will be transmitted under an assumed name.
• Users may not attempt to obscure origin of any message.
• Information published on the Internet should not violate or infringe upon the rights of others.
• No abusive, profane or offensive language should be transmitted through the system.

Unacceptable Use:

Users must not use the Network, Internet or e-mail for purposes that are illegal, unethical or harmful to the university. Examples of unacceptable use are as follows:

• Personal gain or advancement of individual or political views.
• Solicitation of non-university business, or any use of the Internet for personal gain, is strictly prohibited.
• Privacy intrusions such as reading other user's e-mail, using accounts other than their own (including ID or password "cracking"), reading or deleting unprotected files, etc. Data stored in electronic format is to be considered real property.
• Network connections may not be used for the purposes of making unauthorized connections to, breaking into, or adversely affecting the performance of other systems on the network, whether these systems are university-owned or not.
• Users must not disrupt the operation of the university network.
• Internet and e-mail use must not interfere with employee productivity.
• No messages with derogatory or inflammatory remarks about an individual or group’s race, religion, national origin, physical attributes, or sexual preference will be transmitted.
• Spam, unsolicited bulk e-mail, including mass-mailings/forwarding, and chain letters.

Electronic files (including e-mail, computer files, and voicemail) are presumed to be private and confidential unless they have explicitly been made available to other authorized individuals. In particular, users should be aware that public lab computers are not a private space and work should not be kept there.

Security and Accounts

All access to technology resources, including the issuing of accounts, must be approved through Computer Services .

A person to whom UI&U has provided access to one or more of its technology resources may not permit another person to use the system(s) without UI&U's express consent. A person to whom UI&U has provided access to one or more of its technology resources is responsible for the proper use of the resource, including proper password protection.

Technology resource accounts that expire, along with the files in the expired accounts (including e-mail), will be deleted. Faculty and staff files are archived prior to deletion.

Administrative Systems

UI&U, to provide services to its constituents, records a large amount of extremely confidential data, transmits the information over extensive networks, and stores the information on numerous computing systems. Any breach in the security of these systems or networks could disrupt the university and/or allow such confidential information to be transmitted quickly, silently and without geographic or constituency limits.

Recognizing these vulnerabilities and the need for institutions to limit access to such information, the Federal Government has passed numerous laws concerning personal information. As a result, the university must comply with a complex array of legislation including, but not limited to, the Family Educations Rights and Privacy Act (see FERPA policy). Failure to comply with legislation can have significant adverse consequences on the university.

The university is the ultimate owner of all Institutional Data (information relating to the administration of the university). All Institutional Data are considered confidential and are intended exclusively for purposes related to the university’s programs. All Institutional Data and administrative systems should be used only for the legitimate business of the university and not for commercial, personal and/or political purposes.

Requests for access to Institutional Data, including maintenance and/or inquiry, should be initially directed to your supervisor or dean who will determine the validity of the request. System users are to be provided with the minimum access privileges required to perform permitted tasks.

Each systems user is responsible for the security, privacy and confidentiality of the Institutional Data to which he or she has access. Each system user is responsible for all transactions occurring during the use of his or her account. Users must never share their passwords with others. If a system user suspects that his or her password has been compromised, the password must be immediately changed. System users should log off or lock any system when the user leaves his or her desk.

Harassment

Fraudulent, harassing, offensive or obscene messages or materials are not to be sent, printed, requested, displayed, or stored on UI&U-owned or operated technology resources. Chain letters and other unauthorized forms of mass mailings are not allowed. Information (i.e. pictures and personal information) about a person or business entity is not to be made publicly available, such as on Web pages, without the express consent of the person or business entity.

Monitoring

Special software is installed on university technology resources in order to support resource usage accounting, security, network management, hardware and software inventory, PC back-up systems and software updating functions, and to provide better support to personnel. Authorized Computer Services personnel may access others' files when necessary for the maintenance and security of technology resources. Advanced notification of access will be given when possible and time allows. When performing maintenance, every effort will be made to insure the privacy of a user's files. However, if violations of policies are discovered, they will be reported to the appropriate Vice President or their designated representative.

In the normal course of managing the campus-based Internet bandwidth and e-mail system, UI&U may, from time to time, monitor messages created, received or sent via our e-mail servers, but only to determine file size and type, not to be opened nor the contents read. These measures are taken to maintain costs, and to ensure usability by UI&U’s widely dispersed constituencies of learners, alumni, faculty and staff. Users are expected to refrain from initiating activities that interfere with the work of other users. In doubtful situations, Computer Services staff should be consulted.

Copyright and Software Licenses

The same standards of intellectual and academic honesty and plagiarism apply to software as to other forms of published work.

Users are not permitted to copy, transfer, rename, add or delete information or programs belonging to other users unless given express permission to do so by the owner. Failure to observe copyright or license agreements may result in disciplinary action from the university or legal action by the copyright owner.

Using Peer-to-Peer file sharing applications such as Kazaa, Morpheus, Grokster, or similar applications as a tool to download copyrighted music, videos and applications is a violation of Federal Copyright Law. Allowing other computers to gain access to copyrighted files on your system via the UI&U computer network is prohibited.

Loading unauthorized applications or operating systems on any computer is prohibited. This applies to any program not explicitly licensed to the end-user or workstation by Computer Services regardless of source (i.e., purchased by the user or obtained through public domain/shareware sources).

Deleting, copying, or altering programs without specific instructions from Computer Services is prohibited. Federal Copyright Law prohibits the use of unauthorized copies of computer software; this includes copying software belonging to the university for personal use. UI&U does not condone illegal copying of software under any circumstances. Users are expected to strictly adhere to software license terms.

Downloads

To prevent computer viruses from being transmitted through the system there will be no unauthorized downloading of any software to university computer systems. In the event that software needs to be downloaded and installed on individual staff workstations, contact the Help Desk to have Computer Services staff member coordinate the installation. If found on UI&U owned computers, the Computer Services department has the discretion to uninstall any such software without prior notice or, if necessary, to reload all standard software on university owned equipment.

Violations

A user’s technology resources privilege may be suspended immediately upon the discovery of a possible violation of this policy. Such suspected violations will be confidentially reported to the appropriate supervisor, dean, or Vice President.

The Director of Computer Services will initially judge a violation of this policy as either major or minor. A first minor offense will normally be dealt with by the Director of Computer Services . Additional offenses will be regarded as major offenses. Appeals relating to minor offenses may be made to the appropriate Vice President, Dean, or their designated representative. Major offenses will be dealt with by the appropriate Vice President, Dean, or their designated representative.

A violation of this policy will be dealt with in the same manner as a violation of other university policies and may result in a disciplinary review pursuant to UI&U's personnel policy manual or the learner handbook. In such a review, the full range of disciplinary sanctions is available, including the loss of technology resources usage privileges, dismissal from the university and legal action.

General Topics

• Computer Services is responsible for all equipment purchases, installations, disconnections, modifications, and relocations. Employees are not to perform these activities without prior authorization from Computer Services staff.
• Users who, with prior consent, borrow hardware, software, or documentation from UI&U are responsible for its proper care, and for returning it in a timely fashion.
• Many UI&U systems are made available on an unmonitored basis. It is the responsibility of every user to act in such a manner as to not cause damage to physical equipment. Accidental damage, or damage caused by other parties, should be reported to the Computer Services Helpdesk as soon as possible so that corrective action can be taken.
• Modifying configuration of any computer, printer, or network device without prior approval of Computer Services is prohibited. Deliberate alteration of system files will be considered malicious destruction of university property.
• All Users are responsible for using technology resources in an effective, ethical, and lawful manner. Many resources, such as disk space, CPU cycles, printer queues, batch queues, login, and software licenses, are shared by all users. No user may monopolize these resources.
• The university has installed firewalls to assure the safety and security of the university’s networks.
• Users are responsible for picking up their printed output in a timely fashion to avoid theft or disposal.
• Other organizations operating computing and network facilities that are reachable via UI&U technology resources systems may have their own policies governing the use of those resources. Users are responsible for abiding by both the policies set forth in this document and the policies of the other organizations.

Advisories

Every effort is made by Computer Services to prevent the loss of data in the event of hardware or software failure or through human error. Backups are regularly made of administrative systems and system servers. (Backups are not made of data stored on personal computers, therefore all data should be stored on an individual users network H: drive). It must be recognized that in rare cases it may not be possible to restore the latest version of every data file from these backups and some data loss may occur. Because these cases are outside Computer Services control, the staff cannot be held liable for any loss of data arising directly or indirectly from failure of hardware, software or from human error.

Computer Services has the responsibility to provide advance notice of system shut downs for maintenance, upgrades, or changes so users may plan around periods of system unavailability. However, in the event of an emergency, Computer Services may shut down a system with little or no advance notification. Every effort will be made to give users a chance to save their work before the system is taken out of service.

Updates

From time to time this Technology Resources Usage Policy and related policies will be revised. The latest official copy of this policy is available from the Computer Services Office. Copies will also be posted on the UI&U website.

Policy Revision: August 2004