| Policy Tracking | Date |
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| Approved | |
| Revised | March 2, 2011 |
| Reviewed |
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- Computer and Technology Support: Maintenance of computers, networks, most communications equipment, and related software is the responsibility of the IT Department through the IT Help Desk. Such service may include:
- Installation of computer hardware and software
- Writing specifications for new equipment
- New account and account change requests
- Hardware repair and upgrades
- Telephone system support
- Support of licensed software applications
- System printing requests
- Technology consultation services
Under no circumstances shall anyone not so authorized attempt to repair any College-owned equipment or install or remove software on computers assigned for employee use. Faculty may make temporary adjustments to software on classroom computers as needed for instruction.
- Appropriate Use: College technology facilities and accounts are to be used for academic research and instruction, electronic mail, Internet access, and for activities related to the mission of the College.
- Unauthorized Activities: Users should not assume that any use not listed is otherwise excluded. Questions regarding whether a specific use is permitted should be referred to the IT Director, Director of Media Services, or the Director of Instructional Technologies and Distance Learning Support. The following are examples of unauthorized uses of the Blue Ridge Community College Information Technology resources including:
- Use of a BRCC net account by someone other than that individual (employee or student) for whom the account is specifically designated
- Providing unauthorized individuals access to net accounts including sharing user names and passwords
- Interfering with the ability of other users to make effective use of Blue Ridge Community College computer, network, or telecommunications services
- Gaining unauthorized access to files
- Creating computer worms or viruses or deliberately infecting College property
- Using Blue Ridge Community College Net accounts, facilities, or equipment for personal use or profit
- Use of chat rooms for non-College-related purposes
- Interfering with the effective operation of the College’s bandwidth capacity
- Copying, providing, receiving, or using copyrighted material in violation of licensing agreements
- Sending unwanted, threatening, abusive, harassing, obscene or pornographic messages, language, material, or files to others, including posting such on a Web site or otherwise displaying such. These actions may also be considered workplace harassment
- Any illegal activity or unauthorized commercial activity
- Knowingly or unknowingly using unauthorized file sharing programs for accessing music, videos, movies, games, network files, applications, or unauthorized activities.
Blue Ridge Community College divisions may have additional rules relative to computer or equipment use in their respective areas. Users are expected to abide by such rules.
- Violations: Violations of any procedures set forth herein will result in action being taken by the College including: counseling on the proper use of technology resources, temporary or permanent restriction of such use, or formal disciplinary action pursuant toPolicies and Procedures Section 3.10.1[Disciplinary Action – Employees] andSection 4.15.1 [Discipline of Students]. Violations of North Carolina statutes dealing with unlawful access or use of a computer may be referred to the State Attorney General’s Office for investigation and/or prosecution. Similarly, violations of 18 U.S.C. Sec. 1030 (Federal laws dealing with unlawful access to or use of a computer) may be referred to the FBI.
- Abuse, damage, and theft: Any employee or student who willfully abuses, damages, steals, or otherwise renders inoperable any Blue Ridge Community College computer, multimedia or related equipment, network or software, or uses such items for illegal purposes, will be disciplined under thePolicies and Procedures Sections 3.10(employees) or4.15.1(students) as applicable. For the purposes of this section, computer software and digital media are also considered to be property.
- Software Installation: Only software owned and licensed by Blue Ridge Community College or software which carries a public license, may be installed on College computers. Only IT staff may install such software. Demonstration software downloaded from the Internet will be allowed only on employee or classroom presentation computers and must be removed by IT staff after the demonstration is complete.
- Use of Licensed Software: Blue Ridge Community College’s IT Department shall physically hold all the Blue Ridge Community College software licenses. Licensed software may not be duplicated unless the license explicitly permits duplication. Copying such software to a disk or to an unauthorized machine is a violation of Blue Ridge Community College policy as well as a violation of various state and federal laws. Where possible, updates of all licensed software will be made available from the IT staff.
- Software Use Permission Statement (Blue Ridge Community College-produced Software): The following permission statement should be posted (1) whenever a student, faculty member, or staff member makes software available for distribution; (2) when the software is produced with the financial underwriting of the College or with financial underwriting secured through the College; or (3) when the software is intended for use by non-profit, public educational institutions:
"This software is provided free for use by public, non-profit educational institutions. Making copies of this software is permitted for use by such an institution and its employees for work-related purposes. Making copies for personal use or for profit-making purposes is expressly prohibited. Editing by any means mechanical or electronic is expressly prohibited. Specifically, this means that in downloading this software you agree not to modify, adapt, translate, reverse engineer, decompile, disassemble, or otherwise attempt to discover the source code of the software." - Bandwidth Capacity: Bandwidth capacity is the ability to transmit data from one computer to another within a network, to the Internet, or from the Internet. Users should understand that abuse of the network may compromise the system’s resources. Using the Internet for receiving radio broadcasts or streaming media, downloading files or sending large files may be detrimental to network performance; therefore, such activities should be limited to institutional purposes. IT staff can temporarily restrict Internet access of devices which appear to be abusing network bandwidth. Users should consult the IT Helpdesk for guidance in these areas and what constitutes an inordinate use of bandwidth.
- Public Access Facilities and Designated Open Labs: Public Access computer workstations in the Blue Ridge Community College Library are available to students, faculty, staff, and visitors for the purposes of conducting educational research or doing course work. All rules regarding the use of Blue Ridge Community College computers and use of the Internet contained herein shall also apply to public access computers. An abbreviated set of such rules shall be posted in full view of each public access computer and such rules shall direct users to the location of the expanded computer policies and procedures and shall also contain information regarding saving files, printing guidelines, priority of use, etc. Visitors will be charged for all printing from Blue Ridge Community College computers.
- Library Staff: Only Library staff members or lab assistants shall have access to visitor account user names and passwords.
- Teaching Labs: Teaching computer labs are not considered open access labs and are not intended to be used by students beyond the requirements set by the classroom instructor, who shall be responsible for securing the classroom when the class is over.
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