Policies

Responsible Use of College Computers and the Internet @ Saint Mary's College

Saint Mary's College has invested much in computing resources and encourages the College community to use these resources effectively in their work and studies.

The College encourages and supports freedom of expression and an open environment for the pursuit of scholarly inquiry. When using Saint Mary's College computer resources, everyone is held to the ethical standards established by principles commonly accepted as a guide to behavior in a community of scholars. The following serve only as examples of how those standards apply to specific areas of computer and network usage and are not meant to be a comprehensive list of what may or may not be done. This statement does not alter any existing College policy or procedure.

Copyright

Copyright is a form of protection provided by federal law to the authors of "original works of authorship." This protection applies to both published and unpublished works. It is the exclusive right of copyright owners to copy, distribute, perform, and display their work and make derivative works from the original. Copyright extends to literary, musical, dramatic, choreographic, pictorial/graphic, sculptural, motion picture, sound, and architectural works.

Those who do not hold the copyright to material are not authorized to distribute it without permission. In some cases, the doctrine of "fair use" can apply. Copyrights do expire, but the expiration dates vary based on when the work was originally created and published or registered. For works created after January 1, 1978, copyright extends from the moment it was created until 70 years after the author's death. For works made for hire and for anonymous and pseudonymous works, the duration of copyright is 95 years from publication or 120 years from creation, whichever is shorter.

The Fair Use provision in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 permits legal reproduction of a copyrighted work for purposes such as criticism, comment, teaching (including multiple copies for classroom use), scholarship, and research. Four factors are considered in determining whether use made of a work can be regarded as "fair use:"

• Purpose and character of use, including whether such use is of a commercial nature, or is for non-profit educational purposes.
• Nature of the copyrighted work.
• Amount and sustainability of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.
• Effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work.

Copyright and the limitations of fair use also apply to the use of materials on Blackboard, electronic reserves, and other course content distribution methods.

The sharing of copyrighted music, film, or other media through file sharing programs (including, but not limited to, BitTorrent, Popcorn Time, Shareaza, Tribler, etc.) does not qualify as fair use. File sharing programs are not permitted on computers using the campus network (including BelleNet and DeviceNet). Many file sharing programs automatically turn on file sharing when the software is installed, and the software is active when the computer is on, even if it is not being used.

Saint Mary's College must take appropriate action under the terms of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 if it receives notice of copyright infringement. A notice of infringement could be a notice from a record or film industry representative that a copyrighted work is being downloaded or distributed without the permission of the copyright owner. If the notice is in regard to a student, the College will immediately terminate her BelleNet/DeviceNet network access and Student Affairs will contact her for further action. If the notice is in regard to a faculty or staff member, the College will report violations to the appropriate department heads or senior officers.

Students visiting the ResNet Office for assistance with their personal computers that have file sharing software installed will have it removed before technical support is provided.

Passwords and Privacy

All Saint Mary's students, faculty, and staff are provided with usernames and passwords that give them access to e-mail, the public computers, individual office computers, network drives, PrintLimit, Blackboard, and other network resources.

The use of your Saint Mary's e-mail account is required for all e-mail correspondence with the College. Notices regarding College closings, severe weather, and other emergencies will be distributed only to Saint Mary's e-mail accounts.

Computer and network accounts provide access to personal, confidential material. Use only those computer usernames and passwords for which you are authorized, and use them only for the purposes for which they are intended. Do not share your passwords with others for any reason. Revealing your Saint Mary's password to any other individual is a serious breach of network security.

Information Technology at Saint Mary's College will not request your password, nor distribute passwords via e-mail.

Requests to obtain an initial account password or have a password reset must be made in person at the Helpdesk, and valid government-issued identification must be shown.

Students requesting that their password be reset should visit the ResNet Office. Password reset requests must be made in person, and valid government-issued identification must be shown.

Faculty and staff requesting that their password be reset should visit the Helpdesk. Password reset requests must be made in person, and valid government-issued identification must be shown.

Students registered for at least one class at Saint Mary's who primarily attend another institution (University of Notre Dame, Holy Cross College, Bethel College, Indiana University South Bend) are eligible for an account, which will be created automatically.

Guests at Saint Mary's College who are attending conferences or summer programs may request an account to access the computers in the clusters and classrooms. These requests are arranged through Campus and Community Events, as there are changes associated with having these accounts created.

Prism PINs can be reset online at http://www.saintmarys.edu/prismreset. 

Passwords should be changed frequently. Banner passwords are required to be changed every 90 days. Passwords should be difficult for others to guess - do not use birthdates, names, license plate numbers, Social Security numbers, names of pets, family members, or fictional characters, or words found in dictionaries. Good passwords typically include pieces of words, a mix of capitalized and lowercase letters, and numbers.

Electronic mail is not a secure method of communication. Avoid sending information over e-mail that is highly private or sensitive, including credit card information, Social Security numbers, and passwords of any kind.

Privacy is to be preserved to the greatest extent possible. Saint Mary's College and Information Technology respects the privacy of all users. Exceptions to this policy are made under specific conditions, such as a program or account that is suspected of causing disruption to the network or other shared resources. Information Technology also uses applications such as Remote Desktop for troubleshooting and desktop support related issues on College-owned computers. These tools are never used for actively observing or monitoring computer usage.

Identification and Access Cards

All Saint Mary's students, faculty, and staff are given one picture identification card while they are enrolled or employed at Saint Mary's College. This card, which is College property, is the individual's responsibility and may not be loaned to anyone.

Students needing a Saint Mary's ID card can obtain one by visiting Student Involvement (located on the second floor of the Student Center). Faculty and staff can obtain one by visiting Human Resources located in the Facilities Building. Those requesting an ID card will need to show government-issued identification (driver's license, passport) before it will be created. Students and employees should obtain their Saint Mary's ID card by the end of their first week on campus.

If a student needs a new Saint Mary's ID card because:

• the photo on the old card is no longer visible (a common problem after numerous swipes through the residence hall detex card readers and dining hall visits), the student may bring the old card to Student Involvement for a replacement at no charge.
• the mag stripe (for detex) on the card can no longer be read, the student may bring the old card to Student Involvement for a replacement at no charge.
• the old card has broken, the student may bring the old card pieces to Student Involvement for a replacement. The student must provide over 50% of the broken card, otherwise she will be charged a $20.00 replacement fee. 
• the old card was lost or stolen, the student will need to pay a $20.00 replacement fee, charged to her student account. Students should bring government-issued identification to Student Involvement to have a new ID card made.

If an ID card is lost/stolen after Student Involvement closes for the day or during a weekend, the student needs to visit the Security Building and request a temporary card from the dispatcher. The temporary card may be used to eat in the dining hall for a limited time or until the ID card is replaced. The temporary card will not work for the Detex system.

Faculty and staff do not have to pay for replacement ID cards.

New ID cards will not be made for unnecessary reasons, such as not liking the picture that is on the card.

Expiration of Network Accounts

Students:

• Saint Mary's College allows alumnae to access their e-mail accounts for six months after they complete their degree requirements and graduate. Accounts typically expire on December 1 following May graduation.
• Information Technology/ResNet recommends that students create a new personal e-mail account and begin providing that address as their contact information immediately upon graduation.
• The ResNet website (http://www.saintmarys.edu/resnet) will post information annually on recommended sources for personal e-mail accounts and how to transfer messages from a Saint Mary's account to a personal account.
• With the move to Google Apps for Education, Information Technology is examining ways to allow students to retain an e-mail account associated with Saint Mary's College. In the meantime, graduates beginning with the Class of 2013 will not have their Saint Mary's account deleted until we can transition it to an alumnae account. Details for alumnae accounts have not been set. An announcement will be sent to alumnae when specifics have been determined.

Staff/Administrators:

• Saint Mary's College terminates the accounts of staff and administrators immediately upon their leaving the College. This includes dismissal, resignation, and retirement.
• Information Technology will allow access to that account (e-mail, network drives, etc.) to another individual in the department for a period of up to 90 days upon a request from the head of that department.
• Information Technology will forward the e-mail sent to that account to another individual in the department for a period of up to one year upon a request from the head of the department.

Faculty:

• Saint Mary's College terminates the accounts of faculty immediately upon their leaving the College due to resignation or dismissal.
• Saint Mary's College allows faculty who retire from the College to retain their network account (e-mail, network drives, etc.).
• Retired faculty accounts that are inactive and/or not migrated to new systems when requested by Information Technology will not be restored after the deadlines for such projects have passed.

College Computers and Printers

Access to the College computers and printers is a privilege that may be revoked at any time for abusive conduct.

Responsible use of the college computers, printers, and network resources requires that you:

• Respect the software images created by Information Technology for installation on all College-owned computers. The software images are developed to provide for a wide range of software needs as well as provide a certain level of security for students, faculty, and staff. The installation of software beyond what is provided on the software image may not be possible. Requests for exceptions should be directed in writing to helpdesk@saintmarys.edu for review by Information Technology and requests may require approval from the Dean of Faculty. 

• Respect the copyright and license provisions as they apply to all programs and data made available on the campus computers and the Internet. Arrangements for course-related software to be installed on cluster and classroom computers should be made at least two months prior to the beginning of the semester the software will be used. Information Technology will e-mail faculty and staff annually regarding their software needs for the cluster and classroom images. Information Technology will confirm that appropriate licensing has been secured before the software is added to the images.

• Respect the copyright of all materials to their incorporation into papers/assignments, software, presentations, multimedia applications and Internet servers.

• Respect the rights of others by not tampering with their accounts, passwords, programs or data. 

• Avoid the use of College computing and network resources for private commercial purposes.

• Avoid excessive printing. When possible, consider providing documents electronically rather than providing hard copies. Double-sided printing is encouraged. PowerPoint slides are ideally printed with a minimum of three slides per page with the "Black and White" option to reduce paper and toner usage.

• Preserve the privacy of personal or institutional data to which you may have access.

• Provide for the security of computer systems and networks for which you are responsible. This includes, but is not limited to, providing for prevention of unauthorized access or destruction of programs and data, and providing for adequate backups.

• Regularly delete unneeded files and e-mail from your own account or computer.

• Regularly back up necessary files. Files stored on the College's personal and shared network drives are backed up daily, but the space available on them is limited. Archiving files to CD or DVD is best for long-term storage.

• You may not log into a computer for a guest or unauthorized user to provide them with access to cluster or classroom computers.

Computer Clusters and Classrooms

The computer cluster and classroom computers and printers are a shared resource for all students, faculty, and staff. The computer clusters and classrooms in academic buildings/areas are equipped with computers and printers for academic work. The computer clusters in the residence halls are for students' academic and recreational use.

Students, faculty, and staff must show a valid SMC/ND/HC ID card when asked to do so by Cluster Consultants or staff. Only those with valid Saint Mary's usernames and are authorized to use the computers.

You may not reserve individual computers for long-term or future use. Computers that are left unattended for 15 minutes may be used by the next person needing to use a computer. Personal belongings should not be left at unattended workstations, and may be removed to accommodate the next user.

Reservations for the computer classrooms and clusters for academic purposes can be arranged through Campus and Community Events. The Trumper Computer Cluster may not be reserved by any group other than Information Technology (for training and upgrade purposes).

The computer clusters and classrooms are 24-hour quiet zones. Loud, disruptive, intimidating or improper behavior is not tolerated. If such behavior is directed towards the Cluster Consultants or other students, or if a person fails to leave the computer cluster or classroom when requested, Security may be contacted to address the situation, and the actions may result in the revocation of computer cluster and classroom privileges.

Do not disconnect the computers or the printers in the clusters and classrooms from their electrical or network connections.

Do not remove tables or other furniture from the clusters and classrooms.

Administrative login access to the cluster and classroom computers is not provided.

Food and drink are not permitted in the computer clusters and classrooms.

College Network Resources and the Internet

Each network or system has its own guidelines for use. Actions that are routinely allowed on one network or system may be controlled or prohibited on other networks. The user should abide by all network and systems procedures in place at Saint Mary's College.

Free access to the network is a privilege that may be revoked at any time for abusive conduct.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Unauthorized attempts to gain privileged access or access to any account or system not belonging to you on any College system are not permitted. 

• Each user is responsible for the proper use of his or her account and any activity conducted with it. Accounts should be protected with secure passwords to ensure unauthorized access is prohibited.

• A network account that has been compromised (e.g. used for sending spam or unauthorized access) will be locked immediately to prevent further access until the account has been secured.

• Each user is responsible for the proper use of his or her computer and any activity conducted with it. Computers should be protected with secure passwords to ensure unauthorized access is prohibited.

• A networked device (computer, phone, game system) that is seen to be attacking other systems (e.g. infected by malware) will be taken off the network immediately until the computer has been secured. 

• Use of another person's account on the network. 

• Tampering with network cabling or routing devices.

• Use of software or hardware designed to disrupt the security of the network or devices on the network, or to covertly observe the actions and/or network traffic of other users.

• Knowingly and intentionally engaging in any activity that spreads malicious software (malware) to campus computers or other computers on the Internet.

• Impersonating another user in the use of the computers, networks, in e-mail or the distribution of electronic messages.

• Use of abusive or otherwise objectionable language (i.e., hate speech, etc) in either public or private messages.

• Using College resources (including the network and devices connecting to the network/Internet) to knowingly access, view, print, store, post, send, or create pornography.

• Actions that are likely to result in the loss of another individual's work or data.

• Sending "Chain letters" or lengthy unsolicited messages to lists of people.

• Distribution of unsolicited advertising.

• Other applications that cause serious congestion on the campus network and interfere with the work of others.

• Using the network for any purposes that violate U.S. or state laws.

Equipment Supported by Information Technology

Information Technology provides technical support for College-owned equipment such as desktop and notebook computers and specific laser printers.

Information Technology does not provide assistance for equipment that is personally owned by faculty and staff.

Information Technology and ResNet provide support for mobile iOS devices (including iPhone and iPad) for students, faculty, and staff.

Information Technology and ResNet do not provide support for other mobile or handheld devices (including Android, Blackberry, and Kindle) for students, faculty, and staff.

ResNet will provide assistance to students with their personally-owned computers. ResNet cannot assist with hardware issues, but will confirm hardware problems and direct students to the computer manufacturer or other support provider for assistance.

Information Technology can provide assistance with software that is used College-wide, such as Microsoft Office products and Banner, but is limited in the support it can provide for department-specific software.