Usage Policy

I. INTRODUCTION

The Lynchburg College computing and electronic communication facilities and services are owned by the College and are primarily intended for teaching, educational, research and administrative purposes. Access to these facilities is a privilege granted to the College's faculty, staff, students and guests of the College. Fundamental to the use of these facilities is the respect for the rights and privacy of all users. By using the College's computing and electronic communications facilities and services, College faculty, staff, students and guests agree that they will comply with this policy, and will cooperate with the College in implementing this policy.

Lynchburg College reserves the right, at all times, to suspend or revoke the privilege of system access if a user's system activity threatens to overload the system network, threatens the security or integrity of the College, threatens the computer system, or if the user has violated institutional policies or committed a violation of law.

Certain responsibilities and possible liabilities accompany this privilege and understanding them is important for all computer users. This policy strives to balance the user's ability to benefit from these computing resources and the College's responsibility to maintain the system and assure that ITR institutional polices are complied with.

A. In General

Some constraints are necessary for the efficient and appropriate use of shared computer resources. Since network capacity is limited, academic needs must take precedence. All users must act responsibly and use the facilities in an ethical, professional and legal manner. This means that users agree to abide by the following standards of responsible use:

• The integrity of all systems must be respected and not intentionally abused.
• The privacy of users must not be intruded upon in violation of this policy.
• Users must recognize that certain data is confidential and must limit access to such data for use in direct performance of their duties.
• The rules and regulations posted throughout the campus or available on the College's web page governing the use of facilities and equipment must be respected.
• Users shall become familiar with and abide by the guidelines for appropriate usage for the systems and networks that they access.
• No one, faculty, staff or student, shall obtain or provide unauthorized access to ones own or other users' accounts and files, unless such access is obtained pursuant to Section IV below. Users shall keep their own access id(s) confidential.
• The use of all accounts, whether for research, instruction or administrative purposes, must be consistent with the college's mission.
• All users must respect the rights of others to remain free from harassment.

B. Personal Use; Use By Third Parties

Students, faculty and staff have the privilege of reasonable use of the College's computing and electronic communications facilities and services for personal activities related to teaching scholarship, research, professional development, and public service, as well as other incidental personal use, so long as such use does not interfere with the College's operation of these facilities and services, or with the user's employment or other obligations to the College. Use of the facilities and services for commercial purposes not under the auspices of the College is not permitted.

The use of College facilities and services by individuals and organizations who are not part of the College community is not permitted unless approved by the President, Academic Dean of the College, Vice President for Business and Finance, or Associate Vice President of Information Technology & Resources. Such approval will generally be granted only where the use is in connection with a College-sponsored event or activity, the use is in connection with a public service activity and comparable equipment is not otherwise reasonably available to the user, the use is by a guest of the College and is an otherwise appropriate use, or the use is part of a contractual agreement between the College and a governmental agency, private business, educational institution, or other entity.

C. Plagiarism; Protection of Intellectual Rights

The College Honor Code regarding plagiarism and other violations of academic integrity applies to course work completed with use of the computer just as it does to other course work.

The College endorses the following statement on software and intellectual rights:

"Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to work of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgement, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution. Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments. Violations of authorial integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access and trade secret and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community."[1]

As a guideline for users, computing facility/ resources abuse consists of, but is not limited to, the following examples:

• attacking the security of the system
• modifying or divulging private information such as file or mail contents of other users without their consent, where the information was obtained in violation of this policy
• unauthorized use of computer accounts, access codes, passwords, pin numbers, or network identification numbers assigned to others modifying or destroying College data, data of other users, or networks
• forging, fraudulently altering, or willfully falsifying electronic mail headers
• disruption or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications
• sending mail that will intimidate or harass other users
• posting messages that threaten or vilify others
• distribution of unsolicited advertising
• intentional propagation of computer worms or viruses
• distribution of chain letters
• electronically using, distributing, or posting copyrighted material in violation of license or other legal restrictions or other contractual agreements
• failure to return college owned software, and other electronically stored college owned materials, upon termination from the College
• hoarding, damaging, or otherwise interfering with academic resources accessible electronically
• intentional disproportionate use of system resources, resulting in system slowdowns or crashes
• using campus computing facilities for commercial gain or profit
• personal use of computing facilities in violation of Part II B of this policy
• intentional damage or physical destruction of computer equipment or facilities
• use of the computer in a manner that violates state or federal law.

A. Privacy of Users

While not legally required to do so, the College respects the privacy of the users of ITR computing and electronic communications facilities. While the College's intent is to respect privacy, users should not expect complete privacy of electronic files. For example, I.T.R. personnel may observe the contents of electronic files/messages as a result of regular maintenance or user support. Users must be aware that the security of electronic files on shared systems is not inviolable. Due to addressing errors, it is possible that a user or I.T.R. personnel may receive a sent message that is meant for another person. Except when legally required to do otherwise, it is expected that private information obtained unintentionally be treated confidentially.

B. Investigation of Violations and Revocation of Access

Monitoring users' accounts or conducting spot checks of users' activities is prohibited except as set forth below. Computer programs, e-mail, voice mail, phone logs, network traffic logs, web site cache, and electronic files can be accessed by I.T.R. personnel, and other College personnel to whom such authority has been delegated, to investigate suspected violations of this policy, or other College policy and rules, to investigate possible disruption to the network or other shared services, to monitor the volume of system activity and to track work flow, to restore system integrity in the event of a crash, to restore or protect the security of the system, and to cooperate with law enforcement officials. Such access must ordinarily be authorized by the President of the College, who can delegate this authority to the appropriate College administrator as listed below:

• Dean of the College (faculty)
• Vice President for Business and Finance (staff)
• Dean of Students (students)

The officials listed above have the authority, based on the results of an authorized investigation, immediately to revoke or limit the user[s]' access to College computing and electronic communication facilities and services.

In emergency cases, as for example where system integrity is threatened and the appropriate administrator is not available, access may be authorized by either of the other three administrators listed, and if neither of those officials is available, designated I.T.R. personnel have the authority to lock or search accounts or log sessions. Any emergency entry will be recorded in writing and forwarded to the appropriate college authority, and ITR appropriateness reviewed after the fact.

Where a user's electronic files or other electronic material listed above is accessed by the College as part of an investigation into a suspected violation of this policy or other College policy or rules, the College will notify the individual of this access within five business days. This notice requirement shall not apply where the notice would, in the judgment of the College, interfere with an ongoing law enforcement investigation.

C. Other Sanctions for Misuse; Reporting Misuse

If abuse of Lynchburg College computing facilities occurs, either from campus or via modem or network access, those responsible for such abuse will be held accountable and may be subject to disciplinary action. Moreover, individuals or groups who take actions which have legal implications are subject to further sanctions by relevant law enforcement authorities.

Abuses of computer resources are direct violations of the College's standards of conduct as outlined in the Faculty Handbook, Staff Handbook and Student Handbook (The Hornet).

Alleged violations of this policy will be processed according to the procedures outlined in these handbooks.

Users are expected to cooperate with authorized investigations of technical problem or use of campus computer facilities that may be unauthorized, illegal or in violation of this policy. Except as noted in Section IVB above, an explanation of any revocation of access will be provided to the user and an appeal may be made following existing appeal procedures.

Any user who is the victim of harassment or other abuse involving the College's computing or electronic communication facilities, or becomes aware of a violation of this policy, should report the possible abuse or violation to his or her supervisor or to the appropriate administrator listed above. Such reports will be handled in accordance with the College's Human Rights Policy, and where appropriate, the College will inform the user of the right to file a complaint under that policy.

Portions of the policies from several educational institutions have been adapted in the development of this policy. Appreciation is extended to:

• Brown University
• Indiana State University
• VPI & SU
• University of Virginia

[1] adopted by EDUCAUSE, a non-profit consortium of colleges and universities committed to the use and management of information technology in higher education, and ADAPSO, the computer software and services industry association.