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Information Technology

Student Computer Use Policy

Pacific Union College is committed to providing a wide range of computing services to support the needs of students, faculty, and staff. The policies described below are designed to ensure the security and integrity of computer resources available on campus, to assure that users have reasonable access to the facilities, and to ensure that the action of any one user will not adversely affect any aspect of the work of another. Individual departments have the right to supplement these policies. The College reserves the right to mandate use of precautionary measures, evaluate, and monitor all computers and electronic telecommunications, except as may be prohibited by federal or state laws.

Passwords

Users of computer resources at PUC are responsible for safeguarding assigned passwords and for using them for their intended purposes only. Each user is responsible for all activity that occurs under authorization of their password. Following the precautions below will help prevent unauthorized use of and liability for unauthorized use of computer resources:

  1. Maintain the confidentiality of passwords (do not give your password to another individual).
  2. Log off of your account when leaving (even for a shor t time).
  3. Change your passwords regularly.
  4. Only use computer accounts for which you are authorized.

Illegal use of software

All computer programs and files, unless they have been explicitly placed in the public domain, are private proper ty and may not be copied or distributed without authorization. Users of computer resources are subject to applicable laws governing intellectual proper ty and should be aware that the copying, distribution, or use of protected software without proper permission or license is prohibited. It is the policy of Pacific Union College to conform to all copyright laws relating to computer software. The use or distribution of unlicensed or pirated software is prohibited and may be subject to disciplinar y action.

Changing settings on college computers

Altering system software or hardware configurations without authorization, or disrupting or inter fering with the deliver y or administration of computer resources is prohibited.

Personal web pages

Pacific Union College is a Seventh-day Adventist college and it is expected that all use of the PUC computing resources is consistent with the philosophy and values associated with the church organization. Creating or maintaining a personal web page that is inconsistent with the above statement is prohibited and may be subject to discipline or loss of computer privileges. Direct links from personal web pages that are within "one click" and that are inconsistent with the College's philosophy and values are also prohibited.

Prohibited activities

Any of the following constitute unauthorized use of computer resources and are expressly prohibited. Failure to comply may result in the user(s) being brought before the appropriate College disciplinar y committee.

  1. Unauthorized access: Attempting to gain access to another user's programs or account without that user's express permission is prohibited.
  2. Passwords: See above.
  3. Harassment: Users of College computer resources shall not use these resources to harass or annoy others, or prevent them from legitimately using the facilities. Using electronic mail to send other users unsolicited messages of obscene, demeaning and/or menacing content constitutes harassment.
  4. Changing settings of college computers: See above.
  5. Games: Academic use of computing facilities always takes precedence over recreational use. Specifically, a course-related assignment has priority over game playing. An individual who fails to quit playing a computer game and give way to those who must do required work may be brought before the appropriate College disciplinar y committee.
  6. Compliance with federal, state, and local laws: No individual shall use any par t of the computer resources of the college in any activity that violates federal, state, or local laws.
  7. Commercial use: The College's computing resources are reser ved for instructional and administrative purposes and the professional or scholastic activities of its faculty, staff and students. The use of these systems for personal business or commercial use, such as the posting of commercial web pages and the distribution of unsolicited adver tising, is prohibited. Fur ther, use of the domain puc.edu and/or PUC's IP addresses is the exclusive right of the College. Creating or maintaining personal web ser vers using the domain puc.edu and/or PUC's IP addresses above is prohibited without prior authorization by the Director of Information Technology Systems and Ser vices.
  8. Tampering/viruses/worms: Any deliberate attempt to tamper with, disrupt, delay or endanger the regular operation of the College's computing resources is prohibited. The creation or propagation of computer worms, or viruses, or the distribution of electronic mail or software intended to replicate or do damage to another user's account, hardware, software or data is prohibited.
  9. Network monitoring: Monitoring and/or sniffing of any network traffic, passwords, e-mail, or any other network communications is prohibited.
  10. Pornographic material: Any use of College computing resources to view or transmit material with prurient content is prohibited. For purposes of this policy "prurient content" is defined as material unrelated to a legitimate academic purpose and intended for the arousal of sexual thoughts or desires of the recipient and/or the sender.
  11. Network servers: Network ser vers of any kind are prohibited without the express approval of the ITSS Depar tment. A network ser ver is defined as any computer providing ser vices to other computers on PUC's intranet or the Internet.