Policy on the Proper use of Information Resources, Informational Technology, and Networks at Baker College

June 16, 1992

It is the policy of the College to maintain access for its community to local, national, and international sources of information and to provide an atmosphere that encourages access to knowledge and sharing of information.

It is the policy of the College that information resources will be used by members of its community in accordance with policy and regulations established from time to time by the College and its operating units.

In accordance with the above policies, the College works to create an intellectual environment in which students, staff, and faculty may feel free to create and to collaborate with colleagues both at Baker College and at other institutions, without fear that the products of their intellectual efforts will be violated by misrepresentation, tampering, destruction, and/or theft.

Access to the information resource infrastructure both within the College and beyond the campus, sharing of information, and security of the intellectual products of the community all require that each and every user accept responsibility to protect the rights of the community. Any member of the College community who, without authorization, accesses, uses, destroys, alters, dismantles, or disfigures the College information technologies, properties, or facilities, including those owned by third parties, thereby threatens the atmosphere of increased access and sharing of information, threatens the security within which members of the community may create intellectual products and maintain records, and in light of the College's policy in this area, has engaged in unethical and unacceptable conduct. Access to the networks and to the information technology environment at Baker College is a privilege and must be treated as such by all users of these systems.

To ensure the existence of this information resource environment, members of the College community will take actions, in concert with State and Federal agencies and other interested parties, to identify and set up technical and procedural mechanisms to make the information technology environment at Baker College and its internal and external networks resistant to disruption.

In the final analysis, the health and well-being of this resource is the responsibility of its users, who must all guard against abuses which disrupt and/.or threaten the long-term viability of the systems at Baker College and those beyond the College. The College requires that members of its community act in accordance with these responsibilities, this policy, relevant laws and contractual obligations, and the highest standard of ethics.

Information resources in this document are meant to include any information in electronic or audio-visual format, or any hardware or software that make possible the storage and use of such information. As example, included in this definition are electronic mail, local databases, externally accessed databases, CD-ROM, motion picture film, recorded magnetic media, photographs, and digitized information, such as the content of FALCON.

Though not exhaustive, the following material defines the College's position regarding several general issues in this area.

The College characterizes as unethical and unacceptable, and just cause for taking disciplinary action up to and including non-reappointment, discharge, dismissal, and/or legal action, any activity through which an individual:

1. violates such matters as College or third-party copyright or patent protection and authorizations, as well as license agreements and other contracts
2. installs software or hardware components without authorization
3. interferes with the intended use of information resources, which is only for the purposes of, and in a manner consistent with, the instructional and administrative objectives of the College
4. seeks to gain or gains unauthorized access to information resources
5. without authorization, destroys, alters, dismantles, disfigures, prevents rightful access to, or otherwise interferes with the integrity of computer-based information and/or information resources
6. distributes "Chain" Email, or uses "Chat," IRC, MUD, or MOO for any purpose that is inconsistent with College objectives
7. without authorization, invades the privacy of individuals or entities that are creators, authors, users, or subjects of the information resources
8. violates College policy regarding sexual or racial harassment

This policy is applicable to any member of the College community, whether at the College or elsewhere, and refers to all information resources, whether individually controlled or shared, stand alone or networked. Individual units within the College may define "conditions of use" for facilities under their control. These statements must be consistent with this overall policy, but may provide additional detail, guidelines, and/or restrictions. Where such "conditions of use" exist, enforcement mechanisms defined therein shall apply. Where no enforcement mechanism exists, the enforcement mechanism defined in the "Information Systems Division: Conditions of Use Policy" shall prevail.

Disciplinary action, if any, for faculty and staff shall be consistent with the College's current Policies and Procedures Manual and bargaining union contracts, where applicable. Where use of external networks is involved, policies governing such use also are applicable and must be adhered to.

Disciplinary action, if any, for students and guests shall be consistent with the College's current student Code of Conduct.