The University expects all members of the St. John Fisher community to use computing and information technology resources in a responsible manner and to respect the public trust through which these resources have been provided, the rights and privacy of others, the integrity of facilities and controls, and all pertinent laws and policies and standards.
At Fisher, the computing and information technology resources support the instructional, research, and administrative activities of the University. Computing and information technology resources include but are not limited to: Banner, Web presence, email appliances, telephone and instant messaging applications. Users of these computing facilities and services have access to a valuable institutional resource, sensitive data, and external networks. The Office of Information Technology (OIT) establishes, maintains, and supports, the computing facilities and services at the University.
The purpose of this policy is to outline the appropriate use of these resources. This policy applies to all users of computing and information technology resources, including faculty, staff, students, alumni, trustees, patrons of the Library, vendors and other suppliers, contract employees, and volunteers. By using campus computing services, users agree to abide by the guidelines contained in this document.
General Guidelines
- The computing and information technology resources at St. John Fisher are to be used in a responsible, ethical, and legal manner.
- Users of the University’s computing and information technology resources are expected to respect the rights of others at all times, following the general rules of common sense and common courtesy.
- Email is an official means of communication to students, faculty and staff within St. John Fisher. Therefore, the University has the right to send communications to students, faculty and staff via email and the right to expect that those communications will be received and read in a timely fashion.
- University policies (as found in the Student Handbook, the Employee Handbook, and the Faculty Statutes) provide guidance for the application of freedom of expression to electronic communication. Users of the University’s computing and information technology resources are expected to act in accordance with these policies and with local, state, and federal law identified in but not limited to, the Telecommunication Act of 1995, the Patriot Act, and New York State Article 156.
Appropriate Use
The computing and information technology resources at St. John Fisher are only available to the users defined above. Preserving the access of information resources is a community effort that requires each member to act responsibly and guard against abuses. Therefore, both the community as a whole and each individual user have an obligation to abide by the following standards of acceptable and ethical computer use:
- Use only those computing and information technology resources for which you have authorization;
- Use computing and information technology resources only for their intended purpose;
- Protect the access and integrity of computing and information technology resources;
- Abide by applicable laws, and University policies and respect the copyrights and intellectual property rights of others, including the legal use of copyrighted materials;
- Respect the privacy and personal rights of others (see General Guidelines above);
- Use computing and information technology resources in a manner consistent with the educational mission of the University.
- Primary use of the University’s computing and information technology resources should be to advance the educational mission, research, and administrative activities of the University.
Examples of Policy Violations
Examples of violations to this policy include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Using someone else’s account and password or sharing your account and password with someone else;
- Using computing and information technology resources you have not been specifically authorized to use including another user’s electronic mail, data, or programs;
- Altering or destroying information without authorization;
- Forging or in any way misrepresenting your identity;
- Using the University’s computing and information resources and facilities to violate federal, state, University policy, or local laws or statutes.
- Accessing content referring directly or indirectly to illegal, pornographic or other inappropriate material;
- Intentionally releasing a virus or worm that damages or harms a system or network;
- Preventing others from accessing an authorized service;
- Downloading, using or distributing copyrighted materials;
- Tapping a phone line or running a network sniffer without authorization;
- Purposely looking for or exploiting security flaws to gain system or data access;
- Sending chain letters;
- Intercepting or monitoring any network communications not intended for you;
- Using computing or network resources for advertising or other commercial purposes;
Enforcement of the Appropriate Use Policy
The Office of Information Technology (OIT) is required to monitor system and network activities to promote performance and integrity. Although OIT personnel and administrators do not routinely monitor an individual’s computer use, examine files, or read email in an individual’s account without permission or notice, exceptions may be necessary. These include circumstances in which a use or activity is suspected of disrupting the computing network or facilities; violating local, state, or federal law; violating policies or standards of conduct; being an inappropriate use of computing and information technology resources as described by this document or policy; or to administer or improve system or network performance; or in other circumstances where the University deems it necessary to the interests of the University. The computing and information technology resources provided by the University, including any files and emails in the system, remain the property of the university.
- Web content and links referring directly or indirectly to illegal, pornographic or other inappropriate material are specifically prohibited. All web pages will be reviewed regularly and any site deemed unacceptable by these guidelines will be removed. The University reserves the right to remove any information published through its campus network if determined to be in violation of the University policy, or not in the interest of the University.
Enforcement of this policy may include, among other actions, any or all of the following actions if users violate this policy:
Judicial sanctions as described in the Student Handbook, the Employee Handbook, or the Faculty Statutes.
- For employees, this means disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment;
- For students, this means disciplinary action, up to and including reassignment or removal from housing and/or suspension or expulsion from the University;
Persons violating this policy may be subject to:
- Loss of computing privileges at the University;
- Prosecution under applicable civil or criminal laws.
Employees who may have questions relating to the content of this policy should contact his/her immediate Supervisor/Manager or the Human Resources Department. Students with questions relating to the content of this policy should contact the Dean of Students.