Computer and Technology Use

The procedure below is a draft that was developed in 2001. This procedure will be reviewed and updated over the next several months through the participatory governance process. However, the District is still subject to California state and Federal privacy laws which pertain to technology use. All necessary steps will continue to be taken to ensure the rights and privacy of our students, staff, faculty, and administrators are protected.

• Purpose
• Audience and Agreement
• Rights
• Privileges
• Responsibilities
• Accounts
• Confidentiality
• System Usage
• System Performance
• Unauthorized Access
• Copyright
• Violations
• Additional Guidelines
• Legal Mandate

Purpose

West Valley-Mission Community College District (WVMCCD) owns and operates a variety of computer and communication systems which are provided for the use of West Valley-Mission Community College District students, faculty, and staff in support of the programs of the District and are to be used for eduction, research, academic development, and public service only. Commercial uses are specifically excluded. All students, faculty and staff are responsible for seeing that these computer and communication facilities are used in an effective, efficient, ethical, and lawful manner.

This document establishes rules and prohibitions that define acceptable use of these systems. Unacceptable use is prohibited, and is grounds for loss of computer and communication privileges, as well as discipline or legal sanctions under Federal, State, and local law.

Audience and Agreement

All users of WVMCCD computer and communication systems must read, understand, and comply with the policies outlined in this document, as well as any additional guidelines established by the administrators of each system. Such guidelines will be reviewed by the District and may become subject to Board approval as a District policy or procedure.

By using any of these systems, users agree that they will comply with these policies.

Rights

These computer and communication systems, facilities, and accounts are owned and operated by WVMCCD. WVMCCD reserves all rights, including termination of service without notice, to the computer and communication resources which it owns and operates. These procedures shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of WVMCCD, nor shall they conflict with applicable acts of Law.

Systems users have rights that may be protected by Federal, State, and local law.

Privileges

Access and privilege on WVMCCD computer and communication systems are assigned and managed by the administrators of specific individual systems. Eligible individuals may become authorized users of a system and be granted appropriate access and privileges by following the approval steps prescribed for that system.

All access to the District's computer resources, including the issuing of passwords, must be approved by a designee of the District.

Users may not, under any circumstances, transfer or confer these privileges to other individuals. Any account assigned to an individual shall not be used by others without written permission from the system's administrator. The authorized user is responsible for the proper use of the system, including any password protection.

Responsibilities

Users are responsible for maintaining the following:

1. An environment in which access to all District computing resources are shared equitably among users. The system administrator of each system sets minimum guidelines with which users must conduct their activities.
2. An environment conducive to learning. A user who uses the District's computing systems to harass, or make defamatory remarks, shall bear full responsibility for his or her actions.
1. Further, by using these systems, users agree that individuals who transmit such remarks shall bear sole responsibility for their actions.
2. Users agree that WVMCCD's role in managing this system is only as an information carrier, and that they will never consider transmission through this system as an endorsement of said transmission by WVMCCD. Many of the WVMCCD computing systems provide access to outside networks, both public and private which furnish electronic mail, information services, bulletin boards, conferences, etc.
3. Users are advised that they may encounter material which may be considered offensive or objectionable in nature or content. Users are further advised that WVMCCD does not assume responsibility for the contents of any of these outside networks.
4. The user agrees to comply with the acceptable use guidelines for whichever outside networks or services they may access through WVMCCD systems.
5. Further, the user agrees to follow proper etiquette on outside networks. Documents regarding etiquette are available through system administrators and through specific individual networks.
6. The user agrees never to attempt to transmit, or cause to be transmitted, any message in which the origination is deliberately misleading (except for those outside services which may conceal identities as part of the service).
7. The user agrees that, in the unlikely event that someone does transmit, or cause to be transmitted, a message that is inconsistent with an environment conducive to learning or with a misleading origination, the person who performed the transmission will be solely accountable for the message, not WVMCCD, which is acting solely as the information carrier.
3. An environment free of illegal or malicious acts.
1. The user agrees never to use a system to perform an illegal or malicious act. Any attempt to increase the level of access to which (s)he is authorized, or any attempt to deprive other authorized users of resources or access to any WVMCCD computer system shall be regarded as malicious, and may be treated as an illegal act.
4. A secure environment.
1. Any user who finds a possible security lapse on any system is obliged to report it to the system administrators. The system must not be used until the system administrator has investigated the problem.
2. Knowledge of passwords or of loopoles in computer security systems shall not be used to damage computing resources, obtain extra resources, take resources from another user, gain unauthorized access to resources or otherwise make use of computing resources for which proper authorization has not been given.
3. Users are responsible for backup of their own data.

Accounts

An account assigned to an individual must not be used by others without written permission from the system administrator. The individual is responsible for the proper use of the account, including proper password protection.

Confidentiality

Programs and files are confidential unless they have been made available, with written permission, to other authorized individuals. The District reserves the right to access all information stored on District computers. File owners will be notified of file access and/or maintenance. Every effort is made to insure the privacy of a user's files. However, if policy violations are discovered, they will be reported immediately to the appropriate systems administrator.

System Usage

Electronic communications facilities (such as e-mail) are for District related activities only. Fraudulent, harassing or obscene messages and/or materials are not to be sent or stored.

System Performance

No one should deliberately attempt to degrade the performance of a computer system or to deprive authorized personnel of resources or access to any District computer system.

Unauthorized Access

Loopholes in computer security systems or knowledge of a special password should not be used to damage the computer system, obtain extra resources, take resources from another user, gain access to systems or use systems for which proper authorization has not been given.

Copyright

Computer software protected by copyright is not to be copied from, into, or by using campus computing facilities, except as permitted by law or by the contract with the owner of the copyright. This means that such computer and microcomputer software may only be copied in order to make back-up copies, if permitted by the copyright owner. The number of copies and distribution of copies may not be done in such a way that the number of simultaneous users in a department exceed the number of original copies purchased by that department.

Violations

An individual's computer use privileges may be suspended immediately upon the discovery of a possible violation of these policies. Such suspected violations will be confidentially reported to the appropriate system administrator.

Violations of these policies will be dealt with in the same manner as violations of other District policies and my result in disciplinary review. In such a review, the full range of disciplinary sanctions is available including the loss of computer use privileges, dismissal from the District, and legal action. Violations of some of the above policies may constitute a criminal offense.

Additional Guidelines

System administrators will establish more detailed guidelines, as needed, for specific computer systems and networks. These guidelines will cover such issues as allowable connect time and disk space, handling of unretrievable mail, responsibility for account approval and other items related to administering the system.

Legal Mandate

The following is a statement regarding this system that is mandated, or may soon be mandated, by Federal and State law. In some cases, local policy is also promulgated. This policy and procedure shall not be construed as a waiver of any rights of WVMCCD.

The systems have the ability to read your mail: your own account, and the system administrator account. While reasonable attempts have been made to ensure the privacy of your accounts and your electronic mail, this is no guarantee that your accounts or your electronic mail is private. The systems are not secure, nor are they connected to a secure network.

For more information Contact:

Ron Smith

Director of Information Systems 

Office: (408) 741-2126

Click to contact

- Last updated Thursday, February 22, 2007 -