Acceptable Use Policy -- DRAFT

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DRAFT -- DRAFT -- DRAFT

Issuing Department: Office of the President
Subject: Acceptable Use of University Computing Resources
Latest Revision Date: May 23, 2005

POLICY
Western Oregon University requires professional behavior and acceptable use of computing resources.

PURPOSE
The intent of this document is to promote the responsible use of University Computing Resources, not to discourage their use.

The University encourages sharing of information, comprehensive access to local and national facilities to create and disseminate information, and free expression of ideas. General access facilities and infrastructure are provided to further these purposes. There is an obligation on the part of those using these facilities and services to respect the intellectual and access rights of others--locally, nationally and internationally.
When you are provided access to university computing resources, your use of them may be explicitly or implicitly limited. For example, if you are given access to an administrative computing system solely to enter accounting information or prepare class rosters, it is inappropriate for you to use the system to play a compute-intensive online computer game. Access to administrative systems should be used solely for the purposes for which the access was provided.
The situation with academic timesharing computers and microcomputer labs is less narrowly defined. As with the university library, access to academic computing resources is provided in part so you can learn, explore, and grow as part of your education or employment at the university. However, activities related to the university's scholarly mission take precedence over computing pursuits of a more personal or recreational nature. For example, those completing class assignments or conducting research for a graduate program or publication have priority over those using computing resources to process personal email, explore network resources, etc.
The Code of Student Responsibility prohibits, among other things, lewd or indecent conduct, threat of imminent physical harm, sexual or other harassment, stalking, forgery, intentional disruption of university services, and damaging or destroying university property. Similarly, the code's prohibitions against illegal discrimination, including discriminatory harassment and sexual harassment also apply to electronic forums.

Use of University computing facilities for personal or commercial monetary gain must be consistent with state statutes and Board of Higher Education Administrative Rules. Such use should be specifically recognized by the existence of a written contract giving full detail of any financial obligation and/or charge for use if any.
Access to electronic files, network communications, and related data is protected by various Federal statutes, including the Electronic Communication Privacy Act. Like an unauthorized telephone wiretap, unauthorized access to a person’s electronic data is prohibited, and may subject the perpetrator to serious penalties. Examples of specifically prohibited behaviors include:
• unauthorized interception or diversion of network transmissions including deliberate attempts to degrade system performance or capability
• accessing clearly confidential files that may be inadvertently publicly readable
• accessing confidential information about a person (such as their educational records) without their consent or other authorization
Keep in mind that shared systems are inherently insecure. An authorized Computing Services or computer lab staff may access accounts and transmissions for troubleshooting and maintenance--and, if there is reasonable suspicion of misuse, they may access them for investigative purposes. You should also be aware that security systems whose purpose is to identify unauthorized users of a system may also monitor authorized users.
In general, material whose privacy must be guaranteed should not be stored on shared computers. Good quality encryption tools are now widely available, and should be used whenever you work with sensitive information.
Efforts to interfere with the use or operation of computing or networking resources are prohibited. These include:
• unauthorized use of these resources
• distribution of computer viruses, worms, trojan horse programs, email “bombs,� chain letters, etc.
• actions that result in the denial of service to other users by triggering system security features, or intentionally misconfiguring equipment to render it unusable
• forged or counterfeited email messages
• posting USENET News articles to inappropriate newsgroups, posting to moderated newsgroups without the approval of the moderator, or cross-posting articles to many newsgroups simultaneously (“spamming�)
• interference with the use of microcomputers, thin-clients, or other workstations by the unauthorized display of output on such devices without the assent of the individual currently using the device
It is the policy of the University not to monitor individual usage of any general facility. However, the University reserves the right to monitor and record the usage of all facilities if it has reason to believe that activities are taking place that are contrary to this policy or OUS, state or federal law or regulation and as necessary to evaluate and maintain system efficiency. The University has the right to use information gained in this way in disciplinary or criminal proceedings.
University Computing Services is the appropriate campus agency for the negotiation of contracts and licenses for computing facilities used on a campus-wide basis, and is the appropriate repository for those relative contracts and licenses. (see http://www2.wou.edu:7777/pls/wou2/policy.publicview.policy_detail?policy_to_display=201 Purchasing policy) Individual units may negotiate for computing facilities of more specific nature but should be cognizant of state and OUS contract and license requirements. Contracts with external organizations must be approved and signed by the University Contracts Officer.
Virtually all commercial software is protected by the Federal Copyright Act. Use of University facilities for the use of or the copying of computer software that does not contain specific permission to copy (some licenses do allow the making of one copy for backup) is prohibited. The unauthorized publishing of copyrighted material on a University server is prohibited and users are responsible for the consequences of such unauthorized use.
Western Oregon University respects copyright laws and insists that its faculty, students, and staff do likewise. Copying proprietary software is theft, and will not be tolerated on campus. Illegally copied software subjects the university to risk of litigation, and denies software authors the compensation they deserve. Moreover, use of such software could result in your suspension or dismissal from the university, and either criminal prosecution or a civil suit for copyright infringement, or both.
Similarly, if you make materials available for others to retrieve or use (via a World Wide Web server, postings to a USENET newsgroup, etc.), be sure to respect their copyrights. In general, every document, image, or sound is copywritten upon creation, and may only be used or redistributed with the permission of the copyright holder.
PROCEDURES

AUTHORITY

The Code of Student Responsibility and OAR 574-30-046.

RESPONSIBILITY

Individuals are personally responsibility for on-line statements.

Violations of computing acceptable-use policies that constitute a breach of the Code of Student Responsibility, Faculty Handbook, or other appropriate and pertinent OUS and Western Oregon University rules and regulations will be referred to appropriate authorities. University personnel may take immediate action as needed to abate ongoing interference with network and system operations or to ensure system integrity.