|
Code of Ethics
Revised
August 2007
Computer
Network and Internet Access: Privileges & Responsibilities -
East Tennessee State University (ETSU) operates a wide-area
network that interconnects local area networks in academic
and administrative offices, student computer labs, and in
the dormitory rooms. The University maintains connections
into the Tennessee Information Infrastructure (TNII), the
Internet and the World Wide Web. Thus, the University's
network is a part of the global network that provides access
to information and information processing technologies. By
having access to the University's network and its resources,
students, faculty, and staff can communicate and collaborate
among themselves and their counterparts throughout the
world. This privilege carries with it responsibilities with
which all users must comply.
Everyone
within the ETSU community who uses networked computing and
communications facilities has the responsibility to use them
in an ethical, professional and legal manner and to abide by
TNII policies. Users
should respect the privacy rights of others. ETSU's
facilities and network access capabilities should never be
used for purposes intended to incite crime. Communications
which violate Tennessee, federal, or international law are
not acceptable. For example, the use of ETSU's computer and
network resources to threaten or harass others or the
misrepresentation of one's identity in electronic
communications for the purpose of illegal or unauthorized
actions or activities will not be tolerated. These
statements concerning responsibility are not meant to be
exhaustive. Any questionable use should be considered "not
acceptable." Serious or repeated instances of abuse will be
referred to the proper authority for disciplinary or legal
action.
Computer
Resources - All users of any institutionally maintained
electronic data, data files, software, and networks are
expected to handle the resource in a responsible and ethical
manner. A user's interest ceases when it invades the right
of personal and/or institutional privacy; results in the
destruction of personal and/or institutional property;
demonstrates a potential for loss, embarrassment, litigation
to the individual and/or institution; or causes a limited
resource to be used in a wasteful or careless manner.
All
information processed through Information Technology is
considered sensitive and/or confidential. The responsibility
for the release or discussion of data is assigned to the
official custodian of the data file(s). Access to
information is based on a legitimate "need to know" and
directly related to assigned duties.
University electronically maintained data, data files,
software, and networks will be used for authorized purposes
only. Users are responsible for the security of the
resources.
Any use
of the resource deemed irresponsible or unethical (as
defined in the Faculty Handbook section 1.11) will result in
the immediate denial of use of the resource. The violation
will be referred to the proper authorities for disciplinary
and/or legal action including, but not limited to,
restitution, restrictions, reprimand, suspension, probation,
expulsion, termination, and, if necessary, legal
action. Appeals will be handled through due process channels
(APA) already established for students and/or staff. Student
violations will be referred to the Vice President for
Student Affairs and/or Vice President for Health Affairs,
faculty violations will be referred to the Vice President
for Academic Affairs and/or the Vice President for Health
Affairs, and staff violations will be referred to the Vice
President for Business and Administration.
The
following examples attempt to convey the intent of
irresponsible and/or unethical use: violation of
Federal/State copyright laws; violation of the Family
Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974; use of the
resource for obscene material; deliberate wasteful use of
the resource; unauthorized altering of hardware, software,
or data; piracy of data or software belonging to another
person; or careless use of the resource which may result in
the release of restricted information.
**WARNING** Any person who knowingly brings on campus, has
in their possession or distributes any virus without the
authorization and written permission of the Office of
Information Technology, will be considered to be in
violation of the above and will be vigorously
prosecuted. **Campus** is defined to include any property
owned, leased, maintained or controlled by ETSU and includes
any site or area where any system owned, leased, operated
and/or maintained by ETSU is housed.
NOTICE
TO USERS: It is the policy of East Tennessee State
University to protect all institutional computing resources
including, but not limited to, hardware and software,
consisting of the actual equipment being supplied by the
university as well as the programs and related materials
used in conjunction therewith. In accordance with local,
state, and federal law, indiscriminate examination of
individual user's files is not permitted, nonetheless as a
means of maintaining the integrity and security of those
aforementioned resources.
East Tennessee State University
retains the right to inspect individual accounts and files
stored on any system owned, maintained and/or leased by said
university. While no prior authorization by individual users
is required to inspect those files and accounts, you are, by
virtue of accepting the account offered by ETSU and
"logging" on to its computing equipment, granting to the
university prior unrestricted permission, subject to
university policy, to review, examine and/or otherwise view,
by any method at the sole discretion of the university and
without any additional advance notice to said user, any
account and/or file stored on university computer resources.
Should
such a review take place, you will be given notice, as a
courtesy only, of the results of said review within a
reasonable time after the review is completed. While use of
university computing resources for personal use is strictly
forbidden, should you have materials for which you have any
reasonable expectation of privacy or which you consider to
be confidential for any reason, you should retain those
materials on media which can be secured as you would any
other personal items or materials which you consider private
in nature.
For such
a policy to work, it is essential that users observe
responsible and ethical behavior in the use of the
resources. In an effort to assist the user community in
effective use of the limited computer resources, it seems
reasonable to highlight some specific responsibilities and
types of behavior that represent abuse of a user's
privilege. The examples do not constitute a complete list
but are intended to convey the intent of the code.
Users
should not damage or attempt to damage computer equipment or
to modify or attempt to modify equipment so that it does not
function as originally intended. It is equally wrong to
damage or modify or attempt to damage or modify the software
components: operating systems, compilers, utility routines,
etc.
Users
have the responsibility of protecting their accounts through
the proper use of passwords, but the fact that an account is
unprotected does not imply permission for an unauthorized
person to use it. Further, accounts are to be used only for
the purposes for which they have been established. (Only the
individual owner of an account is authorized to use that
account. Providing passwords or in any way permitting or
making it possible for anyone other than the authorized
owner of the account to use computer resources is not
authorized and may be a violation of Tennessee Law. Under
this condition both the owner and the unauthorized user may
be subject to legal action if determined to be appropriate
by ETSU legal counsel.) Additionally, it is wrong to use a
university-sponsored account for funded research, personal
business, or consulting activities. There are special
accounts for such purposes.
Users
should not use private files without authorization. Owners
of such files should take precautions and use the security
mechanisms available. However, the fact that a file is not
protected does not make it right for anyone to access it,
unless it is specifically designated as a public access
file. It is equally wrong for anyone to change or delete a
file that belongs to anyone else without
authorization. Violation of property rights and copyrights
covering data, computer programs, and documentation are also
wrong. In the event of accidental access or private files,
confidentiality of those files must be maintained.
Any
deliberate wasteful use of resources is irresponsible; it
encroaches on others' use of facilities and deprives them of
resources. Printing of large unnecessary listings and the
playing of games solely for entertainment are examples of
such abuse. Users are expected to be aware of the resources
they are using and to make reasonable efforts to use these
resources efficiently.
All
state and federal copyright laws will be abided by at all
times. Users must not copy any part of a copyrighted program
or its documentation which would be in violation of the law
or the licensing agreement without written and specific
permissions of the copyright holder.
Serious
or repeated instances of abuse of computer facilities and
resources will be referred to the proper authorities for
disciplinary or legal action including, but not limited to
restitution, restrictions, reprimand, suspension, probation,
expulsion, or termination.
If you
have questions or problems implementing any of the above
please contact the Office of Information Technology at
423-439-4648 or email oithelp@etsu.edu.
|
