A.
All users of The University of Findlay’s computing and network resources must
comply with the following statements:
1. Compliance with Law
and University Policies
Users must comply with
all federal, state, and other applicable laws; all generally applicable
university rules and policies; and all applicable contracts and licenses.
Examples of such laws, rules, policies, contracts, and licenses include the
laws of libel, privacy, copyright, trademark, obscenity, and child pornography;
the Electronic Communications Privacy Act and the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,
which prohibit “hacking”, “cracking”, and similar activities; the university’s
policy handbooks; the university’s sexual harassment and non-discrimination
policies; and all applicable software license. Users are responsible for
ascertaining, understanding, and complying with the laws, rules, policies,
contracts, and licenses applicable to their particular uses.
2. Authorizations
Users must access only
those computing resources they are authorized to use and use them only in the
manner and to the extent authorized. This provision applies to digital, printed
or written data. Ability to access computing resources does not, by itself,
imply authorization to do so. Accounts and passwords may not, under any
circumstances, be shared with, or used by, persons other than those to whom
they have been assigned. Users who share access to accounts with third parties
will be held liable for consequences caused by the third parties’ use of their
accounts.
3. Privacy
Users must respect the
privacy of other users and their accounts, regardless of whether those accounts
are securely protected. Again, ability to access another person’s account does
not, by itself, imply authorization to do so. Users are responsible for ascertaining
what authorizations are necessary and obtaining them before proceeding.
4. Consumption of
Resources
Access to University
computing and network resources is granted for purposes consistent with The
University of Findlay’s mission and for limited personal use. Use of IT
resources for personal or recreational activities may be limited depending on
the capacity of computing and network resources. Users must limit use so as not
to consume an unreasonable amount of those resources or to interfere unreasonably
with the activity of other users. UF may require users of the resources to
limit or refrain from uses of specific resources in accordance with this
principle. The reasonableness of any particular use will be judged in the
context of all of the relevant circumstances.
5. Non-commercial uses
only
Users must refrain from
using computing and network resources for personal commercial purposes.
Personal use of university computing resources for other purposes is permitted
when it does not consume a significant amount of those resources, does not
interfere with the performance of the user’s job or other university
responsibilities, and is otherwise in compliance with this policy. Further
limits may be imposed upon personal use in accordance with normal supervisory
procedures.
B.
Enforcement and Sanctions
Users
who violate this Policy may be denied access to The University of Findlay’s
computing and network resources and may be subject to other penalties and
disciplinary action, both within and outside of the university.
Violations
will normally be handled through the university disciplinary procedures
applicable to the relevant user. For example, alleged violations by students
will normally be investigated, and any penalties or other discipline will
normally be imposed, by the Office of Student Affairs. The university may also
refer suspected violations of applicable law to appropriate law enforcement
agencies.
The
University may temporarily suspend or block access to an account prior to the
initiation or completion of such procedures when it reasonably appears
necessary to do so in order to protect the integrity, security, or
functionality of university or other computing resources, or to protect the
university from liability. Under carefully arranged circumstances, UF reserves
the right to limit access to network resources and to access data stored on
university owned systems in order to ensure the stability and availability of
network resources for the common good of the university community.
C.
Security and Privacy
The
University of Findlay employs various measures to protect the security of its
computing and network resources and of their users’ accounts. Users must be
aware, however, that the university cannot guarantee such security. Users
should therefore engage in “safe computing” practices by establishing
appropriate access restrictions for their accounts, guarding their passwords,
and changing them regularly.
Users
must also be aware that their uses of UF’s network resources cannot be
considered completely private. The normal operation and maintenance of the
university’s computing resources require the backup and caching of data and
communications, the logging of activity, the monitoring of general usage
patterns, and other such activities that are necessary for the rendition of
service.
The
university may specifically monitor the activity and accounts of individual
users of university computing and network resources, including individual login
sessions, content and communications, without notice, when
(a) the user has
voluntarily made them accessible to the public, as by posting to a web page,
public file sharing application, etc.;
(b) it reasonably
appears necessary to do so to protect the integrity, security, or functionality
of university or other computing resources or to protect the university from
liability;
(c) there is reasonable
cause to believe that the user has violated, or is violating, this Policy or
another written university policy;
(d) an account appears
to be engaged in unusual or unusually excessive activity, as indicated by the
monitoring of general activity and usage patterns; or
(e) it is otherwise
required or permitted by law.
Any
such individual monitoring of content or communications, other than specified
in “a”, required by law, or necessary to respond to perceived emergency
situations, must be authorized in advance in writing or email by a member of
the UF senior staff or their designee.
The
university, in its discretion, may disclose the results of any such general or
individual monitoring, including the contents and records of individual
communications, to appropriate university personnel or law enforcement agencies
under the direction of a court of law and may use those results in appropriate
university disciplinary proceedings.