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SUMMARY
Your use of APU computing and networking
resources is governed by:
- Extensive federal and state law
and policy
- Internet acceptable use practices
- Alaska Pacific University (APU)
policy
- Information Technology (IT)
policy
All Alaska Pacific University policies
regarding the appropriate use of university resources and responsible
personal conduct apply to your use of APU computing and networking
resources. In addition, your use of APU resources must comply with
the restrictions and acceptable practices established specifically
for these resources. Staff use of these systems is subject to the
approval of their departments and supervisors.
Evidence of illegal activities or policy
violations will be turned over to the appropriate authorities as
soon as possible after detection. Depending upon their nature, violations
of law or policy will be met with responses including revocation
of access, suspension of accounts, disciplinary actions, and prosecution.
Further, as the computing and networking
infrastructure of Alaska Pacific University underlies many crucial
activities for the entire University community, APU's primary responsibility
is to protect and sustain the operation of those facilities. As
such, APU may take whatever steps it feels appropriate to remedy
or prevent activities that, in APU's judgment, endanger the orderly
operation of APU networks or systems, and/or which threaten the
IT's network connections to the Internet and/or other institutions
or networks.
These guidelines are intended as a
supplement to the basic APU
policy on ethics in computer use and the University's software
copyright policy.
APPROPRIATE USE GUIDELINES
Your use of APU computing and networking
resources is a privilege that depends on your using the resources
appropriately. Appropriate use includes, but is not limited to,
adherence to the following guidelines:
Legal Guidelines
You must use all IT and APU resources
in strict accordance with local, state, and federal laws. These
laws cover such areas as illegal access to computer systems, networks,
and files; copyright violations; and harassment issues.
- DO NOT copy and/or use software,
images, music or other intellectual property unless you are certain
that you have the right to do so. (See the page on software
copyright policy for more details.)
- DO NOT make copies of APU software
for use on non-APU machines unless explicitly permitted to do
so.
- DO NOT transmit to others inappropriate
images, sounds, or messages that might reasonably be considered
harassing. Harassment is defined as the creation of an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive working or educational environment.
- DO NOT attempt to break into APU
or IT systems, networks, or user accounts.
- DO NOT use APU or IT systems or
networks as a staging ground for attempts to break into other
systems or networks.
- DO NOT use APU resources for partisan
political purposes, such as using email to circulate advertising
for political candidates.
Responsible Use Guidelines
You must use APU systems and networks
in a way that demonstrates a respect for individuals' rights to
privacy and freedom from intimidation, harassment, or interruption.
- DO be sensitive to the public nature
of shared facilities. In APU public labs.
- DO follow the posted rules.
- DO take good care of the APU lab
equipment.
- DO NOT create excessive noise at
any time or play games when others are waiting for a workstation.
- DO NOT display on-screen images,
sounds, or messages that could create an atmosphere of discomfort
or harassment for others.
- DO NOT bring food into the computer
labs.
- DO NOT remove any equipment from
the area.
- DO NOT lock a workstation or computer.
- DO NOT obstruct the work of others
by in any way fostering a hostile, intimidating, or offensive
environment.
Intended IT Use Guidelines
Your use of university computing and
networking resources should be for your activities that support
the mission of the university. The focus of your computing and networking
activities should be on research, education, and administration.
It is illegal and improper for you
to use APU or other IT computers or networks for personal gain,
for example, to sell access to your account or to perform work
for profit in a manner not authorized by the university.
Use of APU computing and networking
resources for the sharing of information must be in support of
your research, class, or work-related activities. You may provide
information that can legally be distributed on the Internet for
others to access. You may provide access to an interactive program
that performs some minor task such as subscribing someone to an
email list or doing a keyword search.
Games can be educational, but must
take second place to other work and must be played in such a way
as to not disrupt others. If you are playing a game in a computer
lab, watch for the workstations to fill up. When others are waiting,
log out and offer them the workstation.
Email Guidelines
Your use of email must meet the same
common sense standards you would apply to your use of campus telephones
and campus mail. Further, your use must not interfere with the operation
of the computers and networks or with the work of others.
- DO NOT send email to someone who
has requested that you not do so.
- DO NOT send frivolous or excessive
messages, either locally or off campus.
- DO NOT create, send, or forward
chain letters (messages that are forwarded many times to people
who have not solicited the information).
- DO NOT flood another system, network,
or user account with email.
- DO NOT send email to someone you
do not know, just because you see them logged in or like their
name.
- DO NOT send email to individuals
or groups who you could not reasonably expect to welcome email
from you. If you have any doubt, ask their permission before adding
them to any list (for example, your addressbook).
- DO NOT obscure the true identity
of the sender of email or forge email messages.
It is your responsibility to determine
the purpose of an electronic mail list (e.g., a LISTPROC or LISTSERV)
before subscribing or sending messages to the list. Persons subscribing
to an email list will be viewed as having solicited any material
delivered by the list, as long as that material is consistent with
the purpose of the list.
- DO NOT harvest email addresses from
an institution's directory or through the use of tools such as
finger.
- DO NOT subscribe anyone to an email
list except with the individual's permission.
Personal
Web Page Guidelines for Students
Current APU
students are eligible to post or link personal pages on APU's website
based on the following guidelines:
DO - Include
your name and e-mail address on your primary page.
DO - Express
yourself in language and usage that is appropriate to a broad public
audience of potential readers/viewers.
DO - Think twice
about what information you give out about yourself (e.g. campus
or home address, photos, phone numbers, etc.). Remember that your
information will be available worldwide!
DO - Include
the date of last update on each page (a recommended practice, but
not a requirement).
DON'T - post
information (text, photos or graphics) unless you are the owner
or have the permission of the owner. Specifically DON'T use copyrighted
materials without permission. APU seals and trademarks may not be
used on student pages, but may be used on faculty and staff pages
that relate primarily to their professional roles at the University.
DON'T - post
the photo of anyone without his or her permission.
DON'T - use
obscene or intolerant language, or similarly offensive graphic or
video images, inappropriate for electronic and all other forms of
university discourse. Since any content reflects on the image of
Alaska Pacific University, the determination of what is obscene,
offensive, or intolerant is within the sole discretion of the Office
of Public Relations.
DON'T - link
to pages and sites that you know would not meet these guidelines.
DON'T - use
your pages for commercial, for-profit enterprises.
These guidelines
apply to all student pages, be they for personal use or for senior
projects.
Effective September
1, 2001, all student sites will be removed each August 15th (or
next business day) to ensure students sites remain current. Students
who wish to have their page(s) reposted/linked may do so by contacting
the Director of Public Relations at pr@alaskapacific.edu. The Director
will review the content and if it meets the above criteria, will
post/link the page(s) to the student site section. The Director
will also periodically review content of all pages during the year
to see if they meet with the above guidelines.
Bulletin Board and News Group Guidelines
Your use of Internet and local bulletin
boards and news groups should follow the same guidelines as those
listed above for email lists.
Account Guidelines
Once you create an account on any APU
computer, you are responsible for any and all use made of that account.
Accounts are granted for you to use for your work or study at the
university.
- DO NOT use easy-to-guess passwords.
- DO immediately report any suspected
unauthorized use of your account by sending email to webmaster@alaskapacific.edu
- DO change your password frequently
and protect it.
- DO NOT share your login name or
password or allow someone else to create an account in your name.
- DO NOT type your password while
someone is watching.
- DO NOT open up access to your account
so that people not affiliated with the university can use university
resources. An example of illegal activity be allowing a family
member who is not affiliated with the university to use your email
service or to access online information services through your
account, even if these services are publicly available.
- DO NOT attempt to obtain unauthorized
access to other users' accounts, data, or files.
- DO NOT attempt to crack, capture,
or use other users' passwords, not even for a joke.
- DO NOT create or maintain a file
of passwords for any system or network on APU computers.
- DO NOT communicate any information
concerning password, personal access code, or other confidential
information without the expressed consent of the account or data
owner or the controlling authority of the computer facility to
which the account or data belongs.
- DO NOT use another user's account
even if you find someone has left a university computer lab workstation
without logging out. When you find an active session belonging
to someone who has left the lab, just log them out or ask a lab
assistant to do so.
Privacy Guidelines
You must not intentionally seek information
about, browse, obtain copies of, or modify private files or passwords
belonging to other people, whether at Alaska Pacific University
or elsewhere, unless you are specifically authorized to do so by
those individuals.
You should assume that your files and
folders may be seen in the course of system or network administration
duties. Investigation of files and folders will take place any time
there is a system or network problem requiring action or when you
ask APU staff for help with a computing problem related to those
files. Any inspection of electronic files, and any action based
upon such inspection, will be governed by all applicable federal
and state laws and by university policies.
- DO NOT send 'talk' requests or other
messages to the screens of users who you do not know or to people
who ask you to not do so.
- DO NOT look at someone's private
files without his or her permission, even if it is possible for
you to do so.
- DO NOT attempt to access personal,
departmental, student , or any other records to which you are
not expressly permitted access.
System and Network Integrity Guidelines
You must respect the integrity of university
systems and networks and other people's systems and networks. You
must not access any APU computers or networks nor any computers
or networks connected to the university network without proper authorization.
In no case may you disrupt or harm computers, computer software,
computer data or information, or networks regardless of whether
the computer, software, data, information, or network in question
is owned by the University.
- DO consider the impact of your action
on others, and respect the interests of other computer users and
managers.
- DO report suspected security flaws
to webmaster@alaskapacific.edu
- DO NOT attempt to test security
flaws yourself.
- DO NOT attempt to disrupt operation
of any system or network.
- DO NOT alter any data, software,
or directories other than your own without proper authorization.
- DO NOT probe or connect to any computers
without a legitimate reason to do so.
- DO NOT attempt to gain root access
on any of the APU systems unless you have been given authorization
by the system administrator.
- DO NOT use APU systems or networks
as a staging ground to crack other systems or networks.
- DO NOT install invasive software,
such as worms or viruses, on any APU system over any network.
CONSEQUENCES OF ILLEGAL OR
UNETHICAL ACTIONS
Actions that are illegal or against
university policy will be referred to the appropriate officials
regardless of whether or not a computer was involved in their commission.
APU's role is to provide technical assistance to the authorities.
Only minor computer and network policy violations will be handled
internally by Alaska Pacific University or IT.
APU may monitor user activities and
access any files or information in the course of performing normal
system and network maintenance or while investigating policy or
violations. Anyone using APU resources expressly consents to such
monitoring and is advised that if such monitoring reveals possible
evidence of criminal activity, APU will provide the evidence to
law enforcement officials.
ENFORCEMENT
If you violate any of the APU computer
and network use policies you are subject to loss of access to computing
resources as well as to university disciplinary and/or legal action.
If APU has evidence of misuse of computing
and networking resources through a specific account, APU will take
the following steps to protect the systems, networks, and the user
community:
- The suspected accounts will be immediately
be suspended pending the outcome of any investigation.
- The files and data on the account
will be inspected for evidence.
- The violation will be reported to
the appropriate authorities:
- APU policy violation to the assistant
director for Client Services
- University policy violation to
Student Affairs, the appropriate instructor, department chair,
or supervisor.
- Illegal activity to the police,
the FBI, the Secret Service, Human Rights, and state auditors
or the Attorney General's Office.
Violators are subject to any and all
of the following:
- Loss of computer account (i.e, loss
of computing and networking access)
- University disciplinary actions
(as prescribed in the "Student Code of Conduct" or "Alaska
Pacific University Handbook")
- Civil proceedings
- Criminal prosecution
Offenders may be prosecuted under laws
including (but not limited to):
- The Privacy Protection Act of 1974
- The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act
of 1986
- The Computer Virus Eradication Act
of 1989
- Interstate Transportation of Stolen
Property Act
- The Alaska Criminal Code
- The Electronic Communications Privacy
Act
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