The purpose of this policy is to establish basic guidelines for the appropriate use of computing resources (i.e. computers, lab tops, electronic mail, the Internet, and related electronic products) at Jamestown Community College. JCC has created this policy to maximize the benefits of its computer resources and minimize potential liability.

All computer users are obligated to use these resources responsibly, professionally, ethically, and lawfully. Violations of this policy will be taken seriously and may result in disciplinary action according to the Student Conduct Code or the appropriate faculty or staff contract, including suspension of privileges, possible employment termination or college expulsion, and civil and criminal liability.

All Users:
To ensure that all individuals granted access to the college’s computing resources are responsible, productive users who protect the college’s public image, the following guidelines have been established for using the computing resources, electronic mail, the Internet, and related electronic products on computers at JCC:

Communications: All users are responsible for the content of all text, audio, or images that they place or send over the Internet. Fraudulent, harassing, or obscene messages are prohibited. All messages communicated on the Internet should have your name attached. No messages will be transmitted under an assumed name. Users may not attempt to obscure the origin of any message. Information published on the Internet should not violate or infringe upon the rights of others. No abusive, profane, or offensive language is to be transmitted through the system. Users who wish to express personal opinions are encouraged to obtain their own usernames on other Internet systems.

Computers and Computer Networks: The following activities constitute a breach of ethics and are prohibited:

• Unauthorized access to and/or modification of files, programs, and/or system software;
• Unauthorized use of passwords and accounts to obtain access to information networks;
• Deliberate attempts to sabotage the normal operation of systems.

Copying software: Copying software from any JCC computer system is illegal. Software is protected by the Federal Copyright Law as printed material and violation can result in criminal charges and college disciplinary action.

Copyright violations: The following activities are contrary to existing U.S. copying legislation:

• Unauthorized duplication of copyrighted material;
• Distribution of illegally copied material;
• Unauthorized alteration of copyrighted material.

Disclosure of confidential information: It is against college policy to seek out or use personal or confidential information relating to others for personal interest or advantage. Employees responsible for the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of information about individuals that relates to individuals' personal lives, including employment, medical history, financial transactions, marital status, and dependents, must hold this information in confidence.

Ethical standards: Computing systems exist for the constructive manipulation of information. Students, faculty, and staff should be guided by prevailing principles used to govern other processes and academic environments at JCC. The conduct of students, faculty, and staff should take into account issues such as courtesy and good taste as well as those of pure legality. You must not present false identification or misleading information to gain access to computing resources or use computing resources for which you are not authorized.

Internal e-mail will be used for college related business only. Non-college related items such as the sale of personal items, discussion of non-college related issues, and the promotion of non-college events will be posted on the bulletin board section of Outlook only.

Network Code of Conduct: JCC’s computing facilities are networked to provide for the most efficient use of limited resources. Access to college computer systems, software, networks and the Internet has been provided for the benefit of the College.

New Software: Installation requests for new software that the college already owns is made through the Help Desk. If the software must be purchased, a departmental budget number and request should be processed through the office of the Director of Institutional Computing and Software Services. They will investigate best price options. Selected software is available for student use on a checkout basis after a request from their instructor is made through the Help Desk.

Ownership: The computer system belongs to JCC and should be used for JCC business or academic purposes. The system may not be used for personal business. All software and files on JCC’s computer systems are the property of the college. The college reserves the right to inspect/delete/print files from all software and accounts. In addition, the college reserves the right to revoke computing privileges to any user. Users shall receive notification prior to any action taken unless extenuating circumstances prevent it.

Privacy: You are given access to the college’s computer network to assist you in performing your job or completing your academic tasks. You should not have an expectation of privacy in anything you create, store, send, or receive on the computer system. Without prior notice, the college may review any material created, stored, sent, or received on its network or through the Internet or any other computer network.

Saving work: No one is allowed to store personal work and/or software on the hard disk drives.

Security: All messages created, sent, or retrieved over the Internet are the property of the college and should be considered public information. The college reserves the right to access and monitor all messages and files on the computer as deemed necessary and appropriate. Internet messages are public communication and are not private. All communication, including text and images, can be disclosed to law enforcement or other third parties without prior consent of the sender or receiver.

Systems regulations: Individuals who receive a computer access code (username and password) are liable for any and all activities on their accounts. Usernames and passwords are given the same significance as a handwritten signature; delegation of a username and password to another person, or use of another person's username or password, may be considered false representation.

Prohibited Activities (all users):
Use of computer resources for any of these activities is strictly prohibited:

• Knowingly sending, receiving, downloading, displaying, printing, or otherwise disseminating material that is sexually explicit, profane, obscene, harassing, fraudulent, racially offensive, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful;
• Disseminating or storing commercial or personal advertisements, solicitations, promotions, destructive programs (that is, viruses or self-replicating code) or political information or for the conduct of private business affairs; computer resources should not be used for personal gain or advancement of individual views;
• Wasting computer resources by, among other things, sending mass mailings or chain letters, spending excessive amounts of time on the Internet, playing games, engaging in online chat groups, printing multiple copies of documents, printing excessively long Internet documents or otherwise creating unnecessary network traffic;
• To interfere with the privacy of others;
• For direct financial gain (e.g., commercial consulting or manuscript preparation for hire);
• In conjunction with programs (such as copying the password file, password cracking programs or Satan) that are designed to probe, describe, or to defeat computer security features of computer systems located at the college or elsewhere, or the use of ordinary tools (e.g., ping or finger) in a manner that may probe or describe network topology or computer security features without the express written consent of the Director of Hardware & Network Services;
• To effectuate, or to attempt to effectuate, access to any system for which the person is not an authorized user;
• To decrypt, or to attempt to decrypt, scrambled files (e.g., the password file) that are not owned by the user;
• To use “sniffing” or similar programs so as to gain access to communications or data to which the user is not a party in a manner that degrades system or network performance (e.g., transmission of software containing a virus, cancelbot, trojan horse, worm, or other harmful component or running a program that has no purpose);
• To alter systems configuration files (e.g., autoexec.bat or config.sys);
• To remove college-owned software, or alter files owned by another user;
• To upload, post, publish, transmit, or reproduce in any way, information, software or other material which is protected by copyright or other proprietary right;
• To transmit any unlawful message to anyone that is threatening, abusive, libelous, obscene or pornographic, whether in text, audio, or graphic form, and regardless of whether or not the message was solicited;
• To send unsolicited messages (such as chain letters or electronic junk mail) that may be perceived as harassing, annoying, or obscene;
• To conduct business for political purposes, to interfere with or intercept the electronic communications of another user;
• To obscure or to attempt to obscure the identity and location of a remote connection;
• To physically abuse or misuse college computing equipment, and
• To engage in activities prohibited by local, state, or federal law.

Rules & Regulations for Open Lab Facilities
Purpose of open labs: The primary purpose of JCCs open computing lab facilities is for completion of class assignments requiring the use of college-owned software and hardware. Individuals who receive a computer access code (username and password) are liable for any and all activities on their accounts. You should never sign anyone else in under your password.

Lab hours: Operating hours for open lab facilities will be posted. The instructional vomputing staff reserves the right to close the facilities with little or no notice for repair purposes. Hours will be posted and may vary during vacation periods, summer sessions, and during mid-term recesses.

Internet access: The instructional computing staff will make every effort to provide Internet access to users searching academic resources in the open lab facilities. Recreational use of the facilities may be limited during peak usage times. Additional terminals are provided in the Hultquist Library on the Jamestown Campus for students who wish to access Internet services during regular library hours.

PC games: PC games are generally not allowed in the open computing lab facilities.

Personal equipment and software: Users are not allowed to connect personal laptops into the network without special permission of the instructional computing Staff. Personal software may not be loaded onto any networked computers in the open labs. In addition, Internet files may not be downloaded onto the system hard drives.

Reserving equipment: All equipment in the open labs is available on a first-come, first-serve basis. No reservations will be taken. If all equipment is in use, a waiting list will be started and users performing non-academic functions will be asked to vacate the equipment for users waiting to do academic assignments.

Saving work: No one is allowed to store personal work and/or software on the hard disk drives in the open labs. All users should have a personal data disk for saving their work. Any files or software found on the hard drives will be deleted. The instructional computing staff is not responsible in any way for unsaved data lost due to power failure, computer failure, or any other unplanned or unavoidable event or emergency.

Virus protections: Instructional computing staff reserves the right to refuse entry into an open lab to any individual who has an un-removable virus on his/her disk. In addition, Instructional computing staff reserves the right to remove any individual who refuses to scan his/her disk.

Printing: There are a limited number of printers available in the open labs. To avoid printing delays and backups, please print only necessary files. To avoid backups at closing time, users will be notified to begin print jobs at least 15 minutes prior to closing.

Food and drink: Food and drink are not allowed in computing facilities. Anyone found with food or drink will be asked to dispose of it or leave.

Noise: Noise and loud talking are to be kept to a minimum in order to avoid disturbing others. Disruptive individuals will be asked to leave the lab area.

Access to College Computing Facilities and Accounts
Students:
Registered students of JCC have the privilege to access computing resources in designated open labs. Access to departmental or discipline-related labs such as CAD, art, business, humanities, and continuing education, is dependent on enrollment in designated courses or permission of instructor.

Students enrolled in credit-bearing courses pay a technology fee per credit hour. Accounts are created for students in credit-bearing courses to access general software packages and services. However, students must apply for special services such as CAD/CAM unless they are enrolled in courses that require use of such packages. In such cases, accounts with these special services are automatically set up for them. Questions about student accounts should be addressed to the instructional computing Staff in any of the open lab facilities or in Hultquist Library on the Jamestown campus.

Alumni:
Alumni who have a valid gold card are eligible to use local computing resources in open labs. Alumni must show the gold card to lab staff in order to get an account. Alumni guests’ accounts do not include access to Internet services.

If you become aware of someone violating these policies, you are obligated to report the incident immediately to the Director of Instructional Computing and Software Services or the Director of Hardware/Network Services.