Alaska Pacific University

Guidelines for Use of Computer and Network Resources


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

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 MIS'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 MIS 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 MIS systems, networks, or user accounts.
  • DO NOT use APU or MIS 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 MIS 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 MIS 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.

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 MIS..

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:

  1. The suspected accounts will be immediately be suspended pending the outcome of any investigation.
  2. The files and data on the account will be inspected for evidence.
  3. 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

FOR MORE INFORMATION

If you have any questions or concerns about ethical and legal use of computers and networks, contact MIS at webmaster@alaskapacific.edu or phone 907-562-8359.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

These policy guidelines include language adapted from those of many other universities and departments, including University of Washington, UCLA, Virginia Tech., University of Houston, Rice University, Princeton University, University of Illinois, and Ohio State University.