Purpose of the Policy

 

The following policy has been developed as a complement to relevant laws and policies to define acceptable and unacceptable computer use practices, to promote an understanding of responsible usage of the institution’s technology resources, and to protect and conserve those resources. The policy is not intended to be exhaustive and Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC) reserves the right to limit, restrict, or extend computing privileges and access to its technology resources.

 

Policy Statement

 

In support of its mission of teaching and service, ABAC provides access to technology resources for students, faculty, staff, and other authorized users within institutional priorities and financial capabilities. The technology resources of ABAC, including facilities, hardware, software, networks, and computer accounts, are the property of the State of Georgia. The use of these resources is a privilege granted by ABAC to authorized users to conduct business. ABAC requires all persons authorized to use its technology resources to do so responsibly and in compliance with all state and federal laws, all contractual and license agreements, and all policies of ABAC and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. Authorized users of the institution's technology resources must act responsibly to maintain the integrity and security of these resources. Each user of an institution’s computing resources is ultimately responsible for the use of that computing resource and for the use of his or her computer account.

The institution’s policy upholds the January 13, 2003, executive order by Governor Sonny Purdue, which states:  “State-provided Internet access is intended for public business.  Employee use of the Internet may be recorded and monitored.  No employee is permitted to use or access the Internet for pornographic, obscene, or other improper purposes.” 

 

Inappropriate Use of Technology Resources

1. No one shall knowingly endanger the security of any institutional technology resource, nor willfully interfere with authorized usage by circumventing or attempting to circumvent normal resource limits, logon procedures, or security regulations.
2. No technologies shall be connected to the institution's technology resources that interfere with authorized usage of those resources. The institution reserves the right to restrict the use of any technologies that may endanger the security and/or integrity of its technology resources.
3. Encroaching on or disrupting another person's use of institutional computers is prohibited. Examples of such acts include but are not limited to: Internet gaming; Internet radio; Internet file transfers; sending excessive messages either locally or off-campus [including but not limited to electronic chain letters]; initiating denial of service attacks; spamming; sniffing; running scams; reconfiguring; or using an inordinately high percentage of bandwidth.
4. The institution’s technology resources and network facilities shall not be used for personal gain or commercial purposes.
5. Passwords to any computing resource shall only be issued to authorized users. Password recipients are responsible for the integrity of their passwords and shall not distribute it to unauthorized users.
6. Misrepresenting a person's identity or relationship to the institution when obtaining or using institutional computer or network privileges is prohibited.
7. Accessing, reading, altering, or deleting any other person's computer files or electronic mail without specific authorization is prohibited.
8. Copying, installing, distributing, infringing, or otherwise using any software, data files, images, text, or other materials in violation of copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, other intellectual property rights, contracts, or license agreements is prohibited. All usage of technology resources shall be in compliance with federal and state copyright laws and in full conformance with the Regents Guide to Understanding Copyright and Fair Use.
9. Creating, installing, or knowingly distributing a computer virus, "Trojan horse," or other surreptitiously destructive program on any institutional computer or network facility, regardless of whether any demonstrable harm results, is prohibited.
10. Only those persons with proper authorization shall modify or reconfigure any institutional computing resource or network facility.
11. Users of institutional technology resources shall have no expectation of privacy of materials stored on those resources. The institution reserves the right to access any of its computer resources when federal or state laws or institutional policies may have been violated or where institutional contractual obligations or institutional operations may be impeded. Computer users should not place confidential information in computers without protecting it appropriately. The institution cannot and will not guarantee the privacy or confidentiality of computer files, electronic mail, or other information stored or transmitted by its computers. All computer usage on ABAC technology resources and network facilities is subject to the provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act, O.C.G.A. §50-18-70 et seq.
12. Authorized computer users shall take full responsibility for messages that they transmit through the institution's technology resources. The institution's technology resources shall not be used to transmit any communications prohibited by law, including but not limited to fraudulent, harassing, obscene, or threatening messages.
13. System administrators shall perform their duties fairly, in cooperation with the ABAC community, their administrative supervisors, institutional policies, and funding sources. System administrators shall respect the privacy of others to the extent allowed by law and shall refer all disciplinary matters to appropriate authorities.

 

Misuse of Technology Resources

 

Persons misusing the institution's technology resources in violation of federal and state laws, Board of Regents and institutional policies are subject to disciplinary actions by the institution and/or forfeiture of their computer privileges. 

In the event such misuse of computer resources threatens to compromise the integrity or jeopardize the security of institutional computer resources or harm authorized users of those resources, the institution's director of technology or his/her designee is authorized to take any and all necessary actions, including the immediate confiscation and/or disabling of an institutional computer resource or the temporary or permanent termination of a computer account, to protect, investigate, and ensure the security and proper use of the computer resources.

1. Allegations that a faculty or staff member has violated the Employee Use Policy will be dealt with in the manner set forth below.  Allegations that students have violated the Student Use Policy will be dealt with in accordance with existing policies for allegations of student misconduct.

 

2. An initial report of a faculty or staff member violating the policy shall be immediately reported to that person’s immediate supervisor.  The supervisor will then determine the details of the alleged violation and make a determination that the details did, or did not, violate the Employee Use Policy.

 

1. If the faculty or staff member’s immediate supervisor cannot determine if the policy was violated, or -

 

2. There is any dispute between the faculty or staff member and their immediate supervisor over the determination that the policy had been violated, then -

 

3. The issue may be referred to an administrative panel set forth in the section below, Responsible Office, for a determination whether or not the alleged activity violated the Employee Use Policy.  This panel shall provide, in a timely fashion, a determination that the alleged acts did, or did not, violate the Employee Use Policy.

 

3. Once a determination has been reached that the faculty or staff member has violated policy, the immediate supervisor of the faculty or staff member concerned, shall follow these guidelines:

 

1. First violation.  The supervisor should make sure the faculty or staff member understands the policy, and that their acts were a violation of the policy.  No formal disciplinary action need be taken, but the matter should be documented for future reference.

 

2. Second violation (of the same nature as the first).  The supervisor should provide the faculty or staff member with a written notice that the policy was violated, that this was a second occurrence of the same violation, and that future violations will result in disciplinary action.

 

3. Third violation (of the same nature as the first).  The supervisor should provide written notice to the faculty or staff member that their repeated violation of the Policy on Employee Use of Technology Resources constitutes a breach of discipline, and the matter will be handled in accordance with the ABAC Manual of Policies and Procedures.

 

4. Repeated violations, each of a different nature, which indicate to the faculty or staff member’s immediate supervisor that the individual concerned demonstrates an intentional disregard of the Policy on Employee Use of Technology Resources, may also be considered together as a breach of discipline, and may be handled in accordance with the ABAC Manual of Policies and Procedures.

 

Responsible Office

 

This policy shall be administered and enforced by an administrative panel composed of the Director of Technology, the Vice President of Fiscal Affairs, the Director of Human Resources, the Director of College Services, and the Chief of Public Safety.  In the event the violation involves someone who reports to a member of the panel, the panel member should be excused.

 

Definitions

 

Technology Resource

 

Technology resources comprise all computers, computer peripherals, and electronic data replication, storage, transmission, and manipulation devices owned and/or controlled by any part of ABAC or connected to the institution's communications facilities, including departmental computers and the institution's computing network facilities accessed by anyone from anywhere.

 

Authorized Use

 

Authorized use of ABAC technology resources is use of technology resources that is consistent with the education and service mission of the institution and consistent with this policy.

 

Authorized User

 

Authorized users are as follows:

1.      Current faculty, staff, and students of ABAC;

2.      Individuals whose access furthers the mission of the institution and whose usage does not interfere with other users' access to technology resources.

Updated:   March 2004