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TECHNOLOGY USE POLICY: COMPUTER AND NETWORK FACILITIES
Saint Joseph’s College provides computer and network facilities
as shared resources that support and facilitate the teaching, research
and administrative functions of the College. The computer and network
facilities of the College include, but are not limited to, the Internet,
e-mail, database and file sharing of documents such as word processing
and spreadsheets. The College network facilities include servers, disk
storage space, modems, communication lines and all forms of operating
software that are owned by the College. The computer and network facilities
are a College community resource. Use by students, administrators, faculty
and staff and other members of the College community is encouraged and
is a right that is accompanied by corresponding responsibilities to use
them in an appropriate manner.
All electronic communication systems, as well as all information
transmitted, received, or stored in these systems is the property of Saint
Joseph’s College. Internet messages are public communication and
are not private. Although the College does not intend to monitor these
systems on a regular basis, Saint Joseph’s College management reserves
the right at any time and without prior notice to examine, copy and appropriately
disclose the contents of e-mail, personal file directories and other information
stored on Saint Joseph’s College computers and network facilities.
This examination helps to ensure compliance with internal policies, supports
the performance of internal investigations, and assists management of
the College’s information systems. In most circumstances this action
will be taken only after it is directed by the combined authorization
of the Director of Information Systems, the Human Resource Director and
the appropriate Vice President.
A.) Responsibilities when using SJCnet include:
Computer Accounts: Employees will use only those computer accounts that
have been issued to them or authorized for their use by the Information
Systems Department. The unauthorized use of another person’s account,
as well as providing false or misleading information for the purpose of
obtaining access to computer and network facilities is prohibited. Employees
are the only person authorized to use an account issued to them. Employees
may not authorize anyone to use their account for any reason.
Employees are responsible for all usage on their account.
They must take all responsible precautions, including password maintenance
and file protection measures to prevent use of their account by unauthorized
persons. Employees should change their password regularly and keep it
secure. If anyone other than the account owner is found using an account,
the owner and user shall be subject to disciplinary action. However, a
supervisor may gain or grant access to an account to ensure uninterrupted
workflow.
B.) SJCnet use consistent with one’s objective
as administrator, student, staff or faculty member:
Saint Joseph’s College provides SJCnet access to administrators,
students, faculty and staff for their use pertaining to the College’s
business. It also provides SJCnet access incidentally for personal purposes,
so long as those purposes do not violate College policy or adversely affect
others. However personal use should not interfere with Saint Joseph’s
College operations, nor should it cause any harm or embarrassment to the
College. Any personal use is expected to be on the employee or user’s
own time and is not to interfere with the person’s job responsibilities.
The SJCnet is not to be used to cause any harm to any individual or computer
facility. Users must apply the highest level of ethical conduct when using
the College’s computer network and facilities.
The College has a limited amount of computer resources available.
These will be provided for use to the College community to the greatest
extent feasible. Please be considerate when using these facilities. Priority
for use will be given to those performing academic duties and other College
functions. Employees must relinquish any resources that are not being
used for College business in favor of an individual who needs the resources
for College purposes.
C.) Respect the privacy of others:
Each computer user must respect the rights of others. Federal law protects
the privacy of users of electronic communications. Invasion of privacy
can take many forms, often inadvertent or well intended. Use of the SJCnet
should not violate the privacy of others.
Employees may not access or copy any files or directories,
including hard copy, belonging to another user without clear authorization
from that user. Altering another’s user files, system files or software
without permission is considered vandalism and destruction of property.
D.) Handling potentially offensive material:
The use of computer messages, e-mail, or other mechanisms for the purpose
of harassing other users, as well as the displaying of graphic material
of an obscene nature on public systems is prohibited.
E.) Not to harass anyone:
Saint Joseph’s Harassment Policy and Procedures apply also to SJCnet
use. Sending offensive mail or messages may constitute harassment and
is in violation of the intended use of the computer and network facilities.
F.) Not to modify or reconfigure the software or hardware
of any College computer or network facility:
Users are not to modify the hardware, operating system, or application
software of a College computer or network facility unless specific permission
has been given to do so by the Information Systems Department. The other
users with whom an employee shares the machine, and the technicians, on
whom he/she may rely for support, are expecting to find it set up exactly
the way they left it.
G.) Not pirating copyrighted software or related material:
Many programs and related materials such as documentation, are owned by
individual users or third parties, and are protected by copyright and
other laws, together with licenses and other contractual agreements. Employees
must abide by these restrictions, because to do otherwise is a crime.
No one shall copy, install or use any software or data files in violation
of applicable rights or license agreements. The College’s software
is copyrighted and licensed software. This rule forbids making unauthorized
copies, for use off-campus, of software residing on the College’s
computer. It also forbids installing or using pirated software on the
College’s computer.
H.) Academic Honesty:
All members of the Saint Joseph’s College community are expected
to adhere to the principles of academic honesty central to the College’s
mission. Plagiarism, collusion, misrepresenting one’s own work,
or collaborating in the misrepresentation of another’s work are
contrary to the traditions and goals of the institution. Instances of
academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action and/or academic
sanctions. See the College catalog for the full policy.
I.) E-Mail privileges:
Disk space is a limited resource; we do not have enough disk space for
every user to be needlessly storing files over long periods of time. Users
are encouraged to delete files on a monthly basis and may be asked to
free up space before then if resources become limited.
Large distributions of messages is discouraged because the
mail server can become over loaded, disks fill up, and staff intervention
is required. The overall result is a negative impact on the quality of
service provided to all users.
The proliferation of electronic chain letters is especially
abusive to the e-mail system and the network. Chain letters waste valuable
computing resources. Creating or forwarding chain letters will be dealt
with as a violation of this policy.
J.) Acceptable Use:
Employees will not engage in any action that is intended to compromise
the security of any system resource. Employees will not engage in any
activity whose purpose is to degrade systems response. Employees will
not purposely do anything to cause inconvenience to other users of the
systems. This includes use of excessive disk space and running programs
designed to degrade system performance and/or response time.
Use for the purpose of private financial gain not relevant
to the mission of the College is NOT acceptable. Use for personal or private
business is NOT acceptable. Here are some of the most common examples
of things we consider unacceptable:
• Using SJCnet system to host any internet services
using any internet protocol for any business activity, including a private
consulting practice.
• Referring people to a SJC e-mail address for commercial use (e.g.
in print ads or commercial web pages).
Employees may not use their account in any illegal activities.
K.) Computer Lab Use Policy:
Saint Joseph’s College designates certain computer labs for
use by all students, staff, faculty and administrators. All College policies
are followed pertaining to the use of the equipment and the behavior of
individuals within these labs.
Within the labs, strict policies are followed pertaining
to copying files and applications, and the installation of any software
not licensed to Saint Joseph’s College. It is prohibited to copy
any application software not already licensed to Saint Joseph’s
College without the consent of the Director of Information Systems.
It is also prohibited to turn off any copy-protection software,
anti-virus software, or otherwise change the configuration of any machine
within the labs without the written consent of the Director of Information
Systems. Making changes to the system hardware and software configuration
that interfere with others’ use of the same machine, or any portion
of the data network and printing, may result in the restriction of the
individual’s right to use the computer labs. In order to insure
the proper working conditions of the equipment located in the labs, gaming
is NOT permitted.
Usage priorities are set within the labs based on a set
of practical rules. These rules will be strictly enforced and will be
obeyed by all users. The lab priorities are determined as follows:
• Classes in session during scheduled times
• Training and seminar sessions
• Students using word processing for papers and/or e-mail and Internet
access as it pertains to class assignments.
L.) U.S. Copyright Act and The Digital Millennium Copyright
Act / Sound and Video Recordings:
St. Joseph's College complies with the provisions of the Digital Millennium
Copyright Act (DMCA). It is illegal, as described in the Federal law (Title
17 of the US Code, and more recently the Digital Millennium Copyright
Act, 105 PL 304), to download, upload, or distribute in any fashion, copyrighted
material, in any form without permission or a license to do so from the
copyright holder. St. Joseph's College neither condones nor supports in
any way the use of copyrighted material in ways in which it was not intended.
M.) Sanctions/Consequences:
Violations of the policies and procedures described above are dealt
with on a case-by-case basis. Violators who are Saint Joseph’s College
administrators, students, faculty and staff are subject to disciplinary
procedures of the College. Depending on the seriousness of the violation,
termination and/or dismissal from the College may result.
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