Acceptable Use

 

PURPOSE:

Teaching and learning are the focus of Jefferson Community College and access to enhanced technologies is central to educational excellence and community strength. Through its policies, facilities, and services, the College supports broad access to diverse technology for formal coursework, non-credit workshops, administrative operations, partnership building, experimentation, and innovation. The College recognizes that the learning process, academic freedom, and community growth are all served best when restrictions are minimized; however, it has a responsibility to provide and ensure the maintenance, support, efficiency and security of campus technology and the information sent across and stored on these technologies.

STATEMENT OF POLICY:

1. Access to computer and electronic resources, including, but not limited to, office computers, computer classrooms, smart classrooms, the campus-wide network, email and the Internet is a privilege provided at the discretion of the College and as such may be revoked. It may, at times, be necessary for authorized systems administrators to suspend someone’s access to College computing resources immediately for violations of this policy pending interim resolution of the situation (for example by securing a possibly compromised account and/or making the owner of an account aware in person that an activity constitutes a violations; virus-infected equipment transmitting across the network.)  In the case of egregious and continuing violations suspension of access may be extended until final resolution by the appropriate disciplinary authority.   
   
   
2. This policy applies to Jefferson Community College students, workshop participants, faculty, staff, alumni, trustees, consultants, contractors, organizational parties, and any prospective member or former members of the aforementioned constituencies. The facilities, equipment, and resources relevant to this policy include, but are not limited to, computer systems, peripheral devices, dial-up lines, communication devices, network hardware, operating systems, language processors, application software, stored information, audio/video images, audio/video storage devices, affiliated networks and systems, and other electronic resources, as well as the following:  remote connectivity, event recording, media transfer, mobile device, hardware, guest accounts, equipment loan, software, adware/spyware/malware, account creation/termination, desk phone, and network.
   
   
3. All members of the College community have a responsibility to respect the privacy and rights of others.
   
   
4. Each person with access to the College's technology resources is responsible for their appropriate use and by their use agrees to comply with all applicable policies, regulations, and laws, as well as the acceptable use policies of affiliated networks and systems. 
   
   
5. This policy recognizes and supplements all applicable local, state, and federal laws and all applicable policies of the College and the State University of New York, including, but not limited to, laws and policies pertaining to sexual harassment, intellectual property, confidential information, employee conduct, the student code of conduct, and the security of buildings, grounds, and College property.
   
   
6. College data are vital assets and should be used and released in accordance with applicable laws and for the legitimate purposes of the College. Access to data and information by faculty, staff, students, and others who have a "need to know" or "right to know" is essential to the fulfillment of the College's mission and critical to the conduct of College business. 
   
   
7. Certain data, by law, are protected and may not be freely released. Other data, by College policy, are considered confidential and, likewise, may not be freely released. Further, in order to assure the integrity of College data, it must be guarded from unauthorized modification, destruction, or disclosure, whether accidental or intentional. This applies to all institutional data regardless of where it resides or in what format. 
   
   
8. The College does not routinely monitor individual computer, Internet or network activities or content but users should not assume or expect any right of privacy with respect to the College’s IT resources..  There is an acknowledged trade-off between the right of privacy of a user and the need of system administrators to gather necessary information to ensure the continued functioning of these resources.
   
   
9. The use of College computer resources for private business or commercial activities (except where such activities are otherwise permitted or authorized under applicable College policies), fundraising, or advertising on behalf of non-College organizations, or reselling the College's name, are prohibited.
   
   
10. Each member of the campus community is responsible for the security and protection of electronic information resources over which he or she has control. Resources to be protected include networks, computers, software, and data. The physical and logical integrity of these resources must be protected against threats such as unauthorized intrusions, malicious misuse, or inadvertent compromise. Activities outsourced to off-campus entities must comply with the same security requirements as in-house activities.
    
    
11. Except as provided by applicable laws, regulations or other College policies, the content of electronic communications is not by itself a basis for disciplinary action 
    
    
12. All login accounts are for the exclusive use of the person for which the account was created.  That person is responsible for all use and misuse of each account assigned to him/her.
    
    
13. All email messages are the property of Jefferson Community College.
    
    
14. Neither the faculty/staff nor student email system is a secure system.  Users should reconsider when including confidential or sensitive information in an email.
    
    
15. All uses of technology which harass, annoy, intimidate or otherwise inconvenience users are prohibited. 
    
    
16. The Board of Trustees hereby authorizes the President, or his/her designee, to develop and establish appropriate standards and procedures to implement and enforce this policy.

Adopted: June 2012, Res. 128-12