Policy Statement TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY Reason for Policy/Purpose The purpose of this policy is to provide guidelines to the acceptable and ethical behavior that guides use of information and learning technology resources at Springfield College. Information and learning technology includes, but is not limited to, laptops, desktop computers, workstations, network servers, mainframe computers, software, digital information, voice, video/data networks, classroom media and instructional technology. All forms of access to the Springfield College network are also governed within this policy including access via Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection which is considered a viable means of communications. This policy is supplemented by all other college policies and by the policies of those networks to which Springfield College is affiliated. All existing laws (federal, state, and local) and College regulations and policies apply, including not only those laws and regulations that are specific to computers and networks, but also those that may apply generally to personal conduct. Who Needs To Know This Policy Faculty, staff, students and any other party that is granted access to Springfield College technical resources and/or network. Table of Contents Policy Statement...1 Reason for Policy/Purpose...1 Who Needs to Know This Policy...1 Table of Contents...1 Policy/Procedures...2 Website Address...5 Contacts...5 Related Information...6 Who Approved This Policy...6 History/Revision Dates...6 Page 1
Policy/Procedures I. POLICY STATEMENT Springfield College provides access to information resources to students, faculty, staff, and certain other parties to support the mission of teaching and learning and to conduct business. Every authorized user of information and learning technology resources at Springfield College is responsible for utilizing these resources in an efficient, ethical, and legal manner and in ways consistent with College policies and code of conduct. Additional policies may apply to specific computers, computer systems, or networks provided or operated by specific units of the College or to uses within specific units. All parties granted access to Springfield technical resources and/or network must agree to adhere to this policy on an annual basis. Given the inherent openness of computers and networks which facilitate the ability to communicate to a worldwide audience, users must understand that such access is a privilege requiring patrons to act responsibly. All patrons must respect the rights of others, respect the integrity of the systems and related physical resources, and observe all relevant laws, regulations, and contractual obligations. II. RESPONSIBILITIES You are responsible to ensure the integrity and safe keeping of your Springfield College assigned accounts. As a condition of receiving access to the Springfield College network services, you must observe the following guidelines: Access to the Springfield College network(s) may be used for incidental personal purposes provided such does not interfere with College operation of information technologies or electronic mail services, burden the College with incremental costs, or interfere with any academic and/or business pursuit of the institution. Use of the facility must be conducted in accordance with established policies and procedures. All Springfield College assigned network accounts are intended to be used for academic and/or college business purposes. Respect the rights of others, respect the integrity of the systems and related physical resources, and observer all relevant laws, regulations, and contractual obligations. Make economical and prudent use of the facility resources that are shared with others, thus enabling access to those resources by the greatest possible number of patrons. Respect rights to privacy of others. Protect judiciously your assigned network access account information by preventing others from learning your password. If you feel your account has been compromised, please contact the Help Desk (Aquinas Room 13 / 845-569-3491) immediately to reset your password. Report suspected unauthorized use of facility resources and/or any circumstance where you perceive that your assigned access account may have been compromised to the Springfield Technology Solutions Center (Babson Library Main Floor / 413-748-4872) or e-mail TSC@spfldcol.edu. Page 2
You are responsible for backing up your data and individual programs that are stored on your local hard drives. Springfield College provides a personal storage network folder for each student, faculty, and staff member facilitating a backup and recovery strategy. If you elect to save data on your local hard drive, it is important to note that this data remains your exclusive responsibility to backup for data loss protection. No information should be stored on your local hard drive that can be classified as Personal Identifiable Information or is in violation of other federal and state statutes designed to protect the identity and confidential information of individuals. All patrons which require use of this data for college academic and/or business purposes should store this information on their personal storage network folder in all cases possible. All laptop hard drive(s) must be encrypted to afford maximum protection in situations where protected data must reside on the local machine. If your local computer has Personal Identifiable Information or other confidential information that is protected by federal and state statutes and/or college policy, you are responsible to ensure that the computer is encrypted and that the information is periodically reviewed to ensure that only relevant data is stored on the computer hard drives and that all other protected information is removed in a timely manner. No protected information should be saved on any external device, such as a memory stick (thumb drive) or CD-ROM/DVD disk that is not otherwise encrypted and not expressly approved by the applicable Vice President. Federal and state protected information is a very serious matter and you are required to understand the severity and consequences of a breach of this information through reviewing the College provided on-line document, Knowing the Cost of an Information Security Loss. Springfield College electronic mail services may not be used for unlawful activities, commercial purposes not under the auspices of the College, and not for personal financial gain. III. GUIDING PRINCIPLES The following principles serve to guide the acceptable use of information and learning technology for all Springfield College users: a. Sexual, Racial and other forms of Harassment Respect the rights of others by complying with all College policies and federal, state, and local statutes regarding sexual, racial and other forms of harassment, and by preserving the privacy of individuals. For example, you should not send harassing messages via email or transmit/reveal personal/private information about individuals. Spoofing, or misrepresenting your identity, or giving a false/misleading email addresses, is strictly forbidden. b. Authorized Use of Information Resources Use of computing facilities, accounts, data, hardware and software is exclusively designed to support the academic and administrative functions of the College and Page 3
should be employed only when you have appropriate authorization. For example, you should not use Springfield College information resources to breach the network or any other network s security, access another individual s computer account, access or download any copyrighted or illegally obtained materials. In addition, no commercial use shall be made of network resources without express permission of the Springfield College Administrative Council to include, but not limited to, sales, advertising, and solicitation. Hacking, spamming, spoofing, attempting to break in, or breaking into any workstation, server, mass storage device, or ancillary hardware owned by or connected to the Springfield College network or any external network connected to the Internet is a violation of Springfield College policy and may result in disciplinary action. Springfield College does not condone, sponsor or support such activity and holds no liability for any possible legal action brought against any student, faculty or staff member found to be in violation of this policy by Springfield College, outside agencies, or third parties. c. Copyright and Lawful Use of Information Resources Respect all pertinent licenses, contractual agreements, and copyrights. Use only legal versions of copyrighted software in compliance with vendor license agreements and requirements. For example, you should not post another individual s copyrighted material on your webpage or any Springfield College server without express permission of the holder of the copyright. Installation or coping software with a single user license on multiple computers or distribution via data devices is strictly prohibited. Springfield College respects and adheres to all applicable federal, state, and local laws. d. Social Networking Social networking via Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Friendster, and other digital platforms for staying connected to friends and family and communicating/networking among people with similar interest world-wide has grown significantly. Just as in the use of other Springfield College provide technology, patrons of these services should be aware of the policies and laws that apply to social networking, including relative College policies. Information posted online, including pictures and text, may become virtually impossible to remove from the Internet even after deleting the material. Additionally, pictures and texted posted within these on-line services can become the property of these sites once posted. Therefore, do not post information that you do not want available to a world-wide audience at the time of posting and in the future. Today, many potential employer s, scholarship committees, graduate school admissions committees, or even potential roommates perform background checks by searching the Internet. Careful consideration should be given before posting any information. Posting information that may appear harmless like your full name, address, birthday, hometown, and pictures can aid someone to steal your identity or worst. Page 4
Federal and state laws apply in using these social networking sites. Copyright infringement, defamation, invasion of privacy, obscenity, pornography, sexually explicit materials, sexual harassment, and stalking are common legal concerns. Violation theses laws could be subject offenders to civil and criminal fines and/or imprisonment. e. Integrity of Information Resources Preserve the integrity of computing systems, electronic data, and communication networks. For example, you should not modify any hardware or software on laptop computers or any settings on desktop computers. The primary purpose of information resources is to facilitate the academic mission at Springfield College and to grant an effective teaching and learning environment to faculty and students. Therefore, you should not use Springfield College information resources to attack computers on the College s or another network by launching viruses, worms, or other forms of destructible attacks, publish online or distribute via e-mail/internet copyrighted or illegal materials. IV. CONSEQUENCES OF MISUSE Misuse of computing, network, or information resources may result in the loss of privileges. Additionally, misuse of a computing account could result in disciplinary action by Springfield College and may include civil and/or criminal action. Patrons may be held accountable for their conduct under applicable Springfield College policies, procedures, or collective bargaining agreements. Any actions which deter other users from doing their work or which would otherwise be deemed malicious will result in the loss of access to the network and possible disciplinary action by Springfield College and may include civil and/or criminal action. Unauthorized use of the computing resources, including the Springfield College network, AND use for overt personal gain constitute theft under Massachusetts law and will be prosecuted by the College. Furthermore, anyone using the Springfield College computing equipment and/or network with the intent to breech security protocols or individually assigned passwords will be in violation of the law and College Acceptable Use and Data Security Policies. Such individuals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of Massachusetts law and will face applicable College disciplinary action. Website Address for This Policy To be determined. Contacts Subject Contact Phone E-mail Page 5
Related Information Data Classification Security Policy Information Security Policy E-Mail Usage Policy VPN Access and Use Policy Who Approved This Policy This policy is in committee review, but is being followed until such time as the technology committees (ATAC & TAC) can submit final drafts to the Administrative Council for adoption. Who Approved This Policy Origination Date: March 1, 2011 Last Amended Date: Next Review Date: Page 6