Official University Policy Manual: Western Illinois University

Official University Policy Manual

File Code: PRO.COMPUSE.POL
Approval Date: 2/2/07
Approved By: President

Policy on WIU Computer Use

Western Illinois University's computing facilities (its network, servers, workstations, imaging and recording hardware, licensed software of any and all kinds) are a public good. The facilities exist to promote the creation, storage, and management of information by and for the faculty, staff, and students of the university and, to a more limited extent, of the public at large. WIU's ability to create, store and manage digital information while large is not unlimited. Network capacity, the numbers and kinds of access points, and monetary considerations all constrain the university's ability to create, deliver, and handle digital information. The purpose of this policy is to provide a regulatory framework allowing for the maximum benefit to accrue to the largest number of computing facility users within the system's constraints.

Responsibilities

All users of computing resources at WIU bear the responsibility of using these resources in an ethical, considerate and lawful manner. University judicial procedures or disciplinary action will be applied to those who violate the policy and the rules and regulations set forth within it.

Connecting to the network is a privilege that carries with it the responsibility to see that one's actions don't harm others. Responsible use of computing resources includes:

Appropriate use of printing, including:
- avoiding the offloading of course/department printing onto student labs (i.e., making required course material only available online with the expectation that student must/will print those materials);
- resisting the temptation to use lab printers as copiers (to produce multiple copies of the same document);
- scheduling large print jobs to print at non-peak or low-demand hours;
- printing only the parts of the documents/web pages that are actually needed.
Respecting the need to share network bandwidth – responsible users avoid using excessive bandwidth during peak daytime hours. Extremely large transfers should be scheduled with UCSS for low traffic times.
Maintaining upgradeable and current anti-virus software;
Honoring copyright restrictions on electronic material
Respecting that the primary uses of student computer labs are for academic purposes; responsible use of these labs includes:
- limiting the use of computers during peak/busy times to coursework, as opposed to leisure use of computers like gaming, non-research web browsing, etc. (When necessary, and especially during times of peak usage, persons engaging in non-instructional uses of computers are expected to surrender their computers to students who need to do school-related work.)
- minimizing disruptive or noisy behavior of patrons as well as their guests (including children)
- using the computing resources in such a way that would make the lab an inhospitable or harassing environment
Ensuring that any computer or computing device connected to the University network follows Microsoft's, Apple's, or other vendor or manufacturer's instructions for keeping operating systems and other software current, particularly with respect to security upgrades and critical patches;
Backing up any and all of one's data stored on University computers; additionally, users should remove material from network storage as it becomes outdated or unneeded;
Protecting the integrity of accounts and of the University networks by regularly changing passwords, by not giving passwords to other persons, by not leaving unattended any computer logged in to the University network and by not allowing unauthorized persons access to the University computers or network.

Finally, it is the responsibility of those using WIU's computing resources to be familiar with the hardware and software they use; software and hardware not supported by UCSS (see link for supported equipment) may be used, but the assistance for non-supported software and hardware will be provided at the discretion of UCSS.

Rights

All members of the WIU community have the right to computing access, including use of the campus LAN and the Internet for access to computer applications, electronic mail and World Wide Web browsing. Federal and state laws, and University policy establish qualified rights, enumerated below, to users. Additionally, users reserve the right to engage without infringement in computer-related activities not enumerated below, insofar as those activities are not prohibited by State or Federal law, or by other approved University policies, guidelines or handbooks.

Users of WIU computing services have qualified rights to:

Privacy: Student records accessed via computing services by appropriate personnel are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Security: Users may expect the university to take reasonable measures to protect the security of computer systems and files.
Freedom of Inquiry and Expression: Users are guaranteed the academic freedom to conduct research, publish the results of their work, and communicate using the campus LAN and the Internet.

Restrictions

WIU students, faculty, staff, or other authorized users will not use University computing facilities for:

Any activity that violates the integrity or interferes with the normal operation of the University computing system;
Unauthorized use of another person's identification and password;
Unauthorized transfer of a file or files;
Unauthorized entry into a file to use, read or change its contents;
Any other activity which causes a significant drain upon University computing resources;
Any other activity that interferes with the work of another WIU student, faculty member, staff member, or university or other official;
Unauthorized financial gain or commercial activity;
Any obscene, harassing, or defamatory activity;
Any activity which is illegal under Federal or State law, including, but not limited to:
- Accessing child pornography;
- Participation in chain letters;
- Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted material, including software, text, images, audio, or video. See Copyright, Intellectual Property, and Fair Use regulations.
Ownership and Acknowledgment of Intellectual Property: Users have the responsibility for works published on personal web pages. The University Intellectual Property Policy further addresses the ownership of work stored on University computers.
Freedom from Harassment: Policies of the Board of Trustees prohibit ethnic, racial, or sexual harassment.
Due Process: All faculty, staff, and students, regardless of their status in the University community, shall be afforded the rights and privileges of due process when accused of violations of this Computing Use Policy.

Restrictions

Users of WIU computing resources will observe and respect the following restrictions:

Activity that violates the integrity or interferes with the normal operation of the University computing system is prohibited;
Unauthorized use of another's identification or password is illegal and therefore prohibited;
Unauthorized transfer of a file or files, or unauthorized entry into a file for any purpose is illegal and therefore prohibited;
Any activity that interferes with another authorized user's work or which causes a significant monopolization or drain of computing resources is prohibited;
In student computing labs, children not accompanied by adults, and food or drink are prohibited;
No computing device or technology infrastructure equipment may be connected to the WIU computing infrastructure without consultation with and permission from UCSS;
All computers connected to the WIU network must have installed anti-virus software that is current and upgradeable; UCSS will provide an anti-virus software package that may be installed on all systems covered under the current license agreement;
Unauthorized financial gain or commercial activity is prohibited;
Any obscene, harassing, or defamatory activity is prohibited;
Also prohibited is any activity that is illegal under Federal or State law, including, but not limited to:
- Accessing child pornography;
- Participation in chain letters;
- Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of copyrighted material, including software, text, images, audio, or video. See Copyright, Intellectual Property, and Fair Use regulations. UCSS reserves the right to block downloads of copyrighted materials.
Additionally, the following text is presented prior to login on WIU owned computers and must be agreed to before one permitted access to use the computer: This system is to be used only by authorized personnel, and all others will be prosecuted. Activities on this system are automatically logged and subject to review. All data on this system is the property of Western Illinois University, which reserves the right to intercept, record, read or disclose it at the sole discretion of authorized personnel. Specifically, system administrators may disclose any information on or about this system to law enforcement or other appropriate individuals. Users should not expect privacy from system review of any data, whether business or personal, even if encrypted or password-protected. WIU abides by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, and takes precautions to prevent the disclosure of confidential information. Use of this system constitutes consent to these terms.

Consequences

Misapplication of WIU's computing resources may bring a variety of consequences, ranging from temporary disconnection from the network to expulsion from the university, criminal arrest and/or other legal action. Additionally, employees may face the appropriate disciplinary action.

An unintended misapplication of the network, such as unwittingly participating in a denial-of- service attack, may result in temporary disconnection until the problem is resolved. Malicious use of computing resources, such as the purposeful introduction of viruses or other harmful programs into the network or violation of copyright laws or using the state owned network to run a business may result in permanent disconnection and other appropriate university sanctions. Using the network to harass, threaten, or defraud others or to access, create or distribute child pornography, or to commit other crimes may result in legal action.

The following is a partial list of the state and federal laws governing all users of the WIU's computing resources.

Obscenity and Pornography
- Accessing, Viewing, or Downloading Child Pornography 18 USC § 2252
- Forfeiture of computer for committing above 18 USC § 2510 et seq.
- Illinois Compiled Statutes 720 ILCS 5/11-20.1
Restriction of access by minors to materials commercially distributed by means of World Wide Web that are harmful to minors 47 USC § 231
Transporting of Obscene Materials for Sale or Distribution 18 USC § 1465
Intercepting Electronic Communications 18 USC § 2703 et seq
Computer Fraud 18 USC § 1030
- Illinois Compiled Statutes Computer Fraud 720 ILCS 5/16D-6
- Illinois Compiled Statutes Computer Tampering (hacking, maliciously spreading viruses, etc.) 720 ILCS 5/16D-3
- Illinois Compiled Statutes Illicit or Unauthorized Use of a Password 720 ILCS 5/16D-7
Slander and Libel 47 USC § 230c1
- Illinois Compiled Statutes Slander and Libel 740 ILCS 145/1
Copyright 17 USC
- Rights of Copyright Holders 17 USC § 106 to 121
- Infringement of Copyright 17 USC § 501 to 513
- Circumvention of Copyright Protection Systems 17 USC § 1201

Risks

Computing networks allow for the easy, anonymous and rapid transfer and storage of data among a widely distributed set of users. However, the very power of networks in allowing for distributed information transfer makes them vulnerable to malicious third parties.

WIU will take reasonable steps to insure the integrity of its computing network and the reliability of its computing resources. Nonetheless, persons using WIU's computing network must assume the risk that data may inadvertently be corrupted or destroyed by network or resource failure. Furthermore, despite due diligence on the part of the university, malicious third parties may capture, corrupt, or destroy data transferred or stored on the network.

Computer viruses and/or spyware may be discovered on a users' computer during installation of anti-virus software or as a consequence of successful operation of the same. The removal of viruses and/or spyware from a user's computer may, in isolated instances, result in the loss of some or all data from that computer. Liability for the loss of user data from viruses and other malicious code, or from attempts to contain or remove malicious code, is borne by the user.

Therefore, persons using WIU's computing resources and network should take steps to protect their data by backing it up and should be prudent about storing or sharing sensitive information on the network.

Vice President - Administrative Services