Code of Computing
I. General Principles
A. This code governs the use of computers, networks, and other
computing resources at
B. Individuals who are granted computing accounts or who use
computing resources at the College accept the responsibilities that accompany
such access. Each user is expected to use College accounts and resources for
educational, research, or administrative purposes; except as otherwise provided
in this code, activities unrelated to these purposes are prohibited. Use of
computing resources in violation of the regulations set forth in this code will
be reviewed through established College procedures for student and employee
misconduct. Restrictions imposed on usage of computer and network systems may
be challenged through the same procedures.
C.
D. All federal and state laws, as well as general College
regulations and policies, are applicable to the use of computing resources.
These include, but are not limited to, the Family Education
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g; the Electronic
Communications Privacy Act of 1986, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2510 et seq.; the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark.
Code Ann. §§ 25-19-101 et seq.; and state and federal computer fraud statutes, 18 U.S.C. § 1030 and Ark. Code.
Ann. §§ 5-41-101 et seq. Illegal reproduction of
software and other intellectual property protected by
E.
II. Administration of Computing Resources
A. In General
1. The College, in accordance with state and federal law and the
policies of the Board of Trustees, may control access to its information and
the devices on which it is stored, manipulated, and transmitted.
2. The College has the responsibility to: (a) develop, implement,
maintain, and enforce appropriate security procedures to ensure the integrity
and privacy of individual and institutional information, however stored; (b)
uphold all copyrights, patents, licensing agreements, and rules of
organizations that supply information resources.
3. Responsibility for administering the College's computing and
network resources and for the security of these resources rests with the
Department of Computing Services and units designated in writing by Computing
Services.
B. System Administrators
1. A system administrator is any person designated, within any campus
unit, to maintain, manage, and provide security for shared multi-user computing
resources, including computers, networks, and servers.
2. System administrators shall perform their duties fairly, in
cooperation with the user community and College administrators. They shall
adhere to this code and all other pertinent College rules and regulations,
shall respect the privacy of users to the greatest extent possible, and shall
refer disciplinary matters to appropriate College officials.
C. Data Collection
1. Given the nature of the technology, a wide range of information
can be easily collected by College personnel using system software. For
example, software may be configured to provide aggregate information on the
number of users logged in, the number of users accessing certain software, etc.
2. No information shall be routinely collected that is not
required by system administrators in the direct performance of their duties,
such as routine backup for system recovery.
D. Privacy of Electronic Files
1. Users do not own accounts on College computers but are granted
the privilege of exclusive use of their accounts. Use of College computing
resources for storage or transmission of data does not alter any ownership
interest of the user in that data. Users are entitled to privacy regarding
their computer communications and stored data.
2. College officials will access electronic files, including
e-mail files, only under one or more of the following conditions:
a. The user consents in writing to such access.
b. There is a valid search warrant or court order, or a request
for electronic records that are open to public inspection under the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act.
c. There exists an emergency situation in which the physical
safety and/or well-being of person(s) may be affected or College property may
be damaged or destroyed. Responsibility for authorizing access rests with the
Chief Information Officer or the Vice President for Administration and
Planning.
d. There exist reasonable grounds to believe that a violation of
law or College policy is occurring or has occurred. Access will take place only
after a reasonable effort has been made to obtain consent. Responsibility for
authorizing access rests with the Chief Information Officer or the Vice
President for Administration and Planning.
e. Access is necessary for maintenance of computers, networks, data,
and storage systems; to maintain the integrity of the computer, network, or
storage system; or to protect the rights or property of the College or other
users. Authorized personnel may routinely monitor and log usage data, such as
network session connection times and end-points, CPU and disk utilization for
each user, security audit trails, and network loading. In all cases, the
privacy rights of users shall be protected to the greatest extent possible.
E. The
1. The electronic files, including e-mail files, of College
employees are potentially subject to public inspection and copying under the state Freedom of Information Act
("FOIA"), Ark. Code Ann. §§ 25-19-101 et seq.
2. The FOIA defines "public records" to include
"data compilations in any form, required by law to be kept or otherwise kept, . . . which constitute a record of the performance or
lack of performance of official functions which are or should be carried out by
a public official or employee [or] a governmental agency. . . ."
F. Education Records
1. Records containing information directly related to a student
are confidential and protected from public disclosure by the Family Educational
Rights & Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1232g, and the Arkansas Freedom of Information Act, Ark.
Code. Ann. § 25-19-105(b)(2).
2. No one shall access any such records maintained in an
electronic format or disclose or distribute their contents in any manner
inconsistent with federal and state law and College regulations.
III. Use of Computing Resources
A. In General
This section does not cover every situation involving the proper
or improper use of College computing resources; however, it does set forth some
of the responsibilities that a person accepts if he or she chooses to use those
resources. The purpose of this section is to establish rules for the benefit of
all users and encourage responsible use of computing resources.
B. Use without Authorization Prohibited
1. No one shall
a. connect with or otherwise use any College computer, modem,
network, or other computing resource without proper authorization.
b. assist in, encourage, or conceal any unauthorized use, or
attempted unauthorized use, of any College computer, modem, network, or other
computing resource.
c. misrepresent his or her identity or relationship to the College
to obtain access to computing resources.
2. Users shall use only those computing and network resources that
have been authorized for their use and must identify computing work with their
own names or an approved means of identification so that responsibility for the
work can be determined and users contacted, if necessary.
C. Accounts
1. Users shall use their accounts for the purposes for which they
are established, as well as personal communications. Accounts and other College
computing resources shall not be used for personal financial gain or benefit or
for the benefit of organizations not related to the College, except: (a) in
connection with scholarly pursuits, such as faculty publishing activities; or
(b) in accordance with College policy on outside employment.
2. Users shall not subvert restrictions associated with their
accounts, such as quotas and levels of access.
3. Users shall follow all applicable procedures for
accessing College computing systems as published in the College's web
pages and in the online HELP and NEWS facilities for each system.
4. No one shall give any password for any College computer or
network to any unauthorized person, nor obtain any other person's password by
any unauthorized means. Users are responsible for the use of their computer
accounts and shall not allow others access to their accounts, through sharing
passwords or otherwise. Users should take advantage of system-provided
protection measures to prevent such access.
5. When a user ceases being a member of the campus community or is
assigned a new position and/or different responsibilities within the College,
his or her account and access authorization shall be reviewed. A user shall not
use facilities, accounts, access codes, privileges, or information for which he
or she is not authorized.
D. Security and Related Matters
1. No one shall
a. knowingly endanger or compromise the security of any
University computer, network facility, or other computing resource or willfully
interfere with others' authorized computer usage.
b. attempt to circumvent data protection schemes, uncover
security loopholes, or decrypt secure data.
c. modify or reconfigure or attempt to modify or reconfigure
any software or hardware of any College computer or network facility in any
way, unless specific authorization has been obtained.
d. use College computer resources and communication facilities to
attempt unauthorized access to or use of any computer or network facility, no matter
where located, or to interfere with others' legitimate use of any such
computing resource.
2. No one shall attempt to access, copy, or destroy programs or
files that belong to other users or to the College without prior authorization,
nor shall anyone use College computing resources for unauthorized monitoring of
electronic communications.
3. No one shall create, run, install, or knowingly distribute a
computer virus, Trojan Horse, or other surreptitiously destructive program,
e-mail, or data via any College computer or network facility, regardless of
whether demonstrable harm results.
4. Users shall not place confidential information in computers
without protecting it appropriately. The College cannot guarantee the privacy of
computer files, e-mail, or other information stored or transmitted by computer;
moreover, the College may access such information in accordance with Part II of
this code. Persons who have access to confidential or sensitive information
shall disclose it only to the extent authorized by the Family Educational
Rights & Privacy Act, the Arkansas
Freedom of Information Act, and other applicable laws, and only in
connection with official College business.
5. Users shall not knowingly or recklessly perform any act that
will interfere with the normal operation of computers, terminals, peripherals,
or networks and shall not intentionally waste or overload computing resources.
E. Intellectual Property
No one shall copy, install, use, or distribute through College
computing resources any photographs, logos, images, graphics, graphic elements,
audio, video, software, html markup, data files, or other information in
violation of U.S. copyright, trademark, or patent laws or applicable licensing
agreements. It is the user's responsibility to become familiar with the terms
and requirements of any such laws or agreements. This subsection does not apply
to any material that is in the public domain.
F. User Communications
1. Users assume full responsibility for messages that they
transmit through College computers and network facilities.
2. No one shall use the College's computing resources to transmit
fraudulent, defamatory, or obscene messages, or any material prohibited by law.
3. No one shall use the College's computing and network resources
to:
a. annoy, harass, threaten, intimidate, terrify, or offend another
person by conveying offensive language or images or threats of bodily harm to
the recipient or the recipient's immediate family.
b. repeatedly contact another person to annoy or harass,
whether or not any actual message is communicated, and the recipient has
expressed a desire for the contact to cease.
c. repeatedly contact another person regarding a matter for which
one does not have a legal right to communicate (such as debt collection), once
the recipient has provided reasonable notice that he or she desires such
contact to cease.
d. disrupt or damage the academic, research, administrative,
or related pursuits of another person.
e. invade the privacy, academic or otherwise, of another
person or threaten such an invasion.
4. Users shall comply with this code as well as the regulations
and policies of newsgroups, lists, and other public forums through which they
disseminate messages.
5. Users shall not
a. initiate or propagate electronic chain letters.
b. engage in spamming or other indiscriminate mass mailings
to newsgroups, mailing lists, or individuals.
c. forge communications to make them appear to originate from
another person, e.g., spoofing.
d. engage in resource-intensive activities unrelated to
College functions, e.g., online role playing games (RPGs).
G. Priority in Use of Computing Facilities
1. In the College library and general-access computer labs, or in
any other environment in which users must share computing resources, priority
shall be given to users engaged in activities directly related to the College's
mission, e.g., completing course assignments or engaging in research. The
library and computer labs may adopt regulations to implement this policy and to
encourage cooperation among users of the same equipment.
2. Use of electronic messaging systems for non-course work is not
permitted in the library and general-access computer labs when others are
waiting to use the equipment.
H. Home Pages, Lists, and Newsgroups
1. The College recognizes the value and potential of electronic
communications and publishing on the Internet. Students, faculty, and staff
have the opportunity to produce, in a manner consistent with this code,
individual World Wide Web pages through their College accounts. However, the
College does not approve, preview, or censor these home pages and accepts no
responsibility for their content, or for the content of electronic mail
communications.
2. Any personal home page or other personal collection of
electronic material that is accessible to others must include the following disclaimer:
"These materials are not endorsed, approved, sponsored, or provided by or
on behalf of
3. Academic and administrative departments, registered campus
organizations, and other entities may apply to the Department of Computing
Services for an "information provider" account to create a home page
on the
4. The following individuals or groups are eligible to establish a
listserv list or netnews newsgroup using College
computing resources: (a) faculty or staff members, with the written approval of
the appropriate department head; (b) registered student organizations, i.e.,
student groups that are formally registered with the
5. Approval for a list or newsgroup must be obtained from the
appropriate system administrator. If resources are available, such approval
shall be granted unless the proposed list or newsgroup (a) duplicates an
existing list or newsgroup or (b) appears to serve a purpose unrelated to the
College's mission. The College neither controls the content of lists and
newsgroups nor assumes any responsibility for their content.
IV. Enforcement and Sanctions
A. System administrators are responsible for protecting the system
and users from abuses of this code. Pursuant to this duty, system
administrators may (1) formally or informally discuss the matter with the
offending party, (2) temporarily revoke or modify access privileges, or (3)
refer the matter to the appropriate disciplinary authority.
B. Any violation of this code may result in the revocation or
suspension of access privileges. Imposition of such a sanction is within the
discretion of the Department of Computing Services or the appropriate academic
or administrative unit.
C. Any violation of this code is misconduct for purposes of the
code of student conduct and College personnel policies and may be punished
accordingly.
D. Any offense that violates local, state, or federal laws may
result in the immediate loss of all College computing and network privileges
and may be referred to the appropriate College disciplinary authority and/or
law enforcement agencies.
Toward this end, college resources may not be used to:
· Perpetuate chain e-mail letters or their equivalents. This includes letters that require the recipient to forward an e-mail to a specified number of addresses in order to achieve some monetary, philosophical, political, superstitious, or other goal. E-mails that are part of a multilevel marketing or pyramid-selling scheme, sometimes known as "Ponzi schemes," are illegal in many places and are specifically forbidden under this policy.
· Create and/or send "spam." Spam is defined as any unsolicited electronic communication that is sent to any number of recipients who did not specifically request or express an interest in the material advertised in the communication. It will be considered a greater offense if the company's electronic communications resources are exploited to amplify the range of distribution of these communications.
· Send or encourage "letter bombs." Letter bombs are extremely large or numerous e-mail messages that are intended to annoy, interfere, or deny e-mail use by one or more recipients.
· Practice an activity designed to deny the availability of electronic communications resources. Also called "denial of service attacks," these activities deny or limit services through mail bombing, malicious executables such as viruses, threatening a virus, or opening a large number of mail connections to a mail host or SMTP relay without authorization or permission.
VI. Acceptable Internet use
Introduction
Use policy
Occasional and reasonable personal use of
Classroom usage will be governed by the Instructor.
Users should have no expectation of privacy while using college-owned or college-leased equipment. Information passing through or stored on college equipment can and will be monitored.
Violations of Internet and e-mail use include, but are not
limited to, accessing, downloading, uploading, saving, receiving, or sending
material that includes sexually explicit content or other material using
vulgar, sexist, racist, threatening, violent, or defamatory language. Users
should not use
Infringements of this policy will be investigated on a case-by-case basis.