Acceptable Use of Technology - Sauk Valley Community College

SVCC provides technology resources to meet the College's purpose, to support our educational and community values, and to support our programs and initiatives. SVCC's Information Services organization's goal is to provide high quality services to the campus community. To ensure that our high standards are met, we have certain expectations regarding the use of technology resources at the College.

Access to SVCC technology resources--computing facilities, telecommunications and network services, servers, equipment, software, applications, information resources, printing and scanning services, and user and technical support provided by Information Services staff--is a privilege, not a right. This privilege is extended to all users-- faculty, staff, students, trustees, alumni/ie, affiliated individuals and organizations, partner non-profits and PK-12 schools. Accepting access to this technology carries an associated expectation of responsible and acceptable use.

The "Acceptable Use Policy" describes activities that SVCC considers violations of use of technology resources. The examples listed are not exhaustive and may change from time to time as technology and applications change. The examples are provided solely for guidance to users. If you are unsure whether any use or action is permitted, please contact ITS at (815) 835-6229 for assistance.

While there are cases in which use of technology resources is deemed not responsible or not acceptable, there are also cases in which technology resources are used in the conduct of behaviors which violate College policies, codes of conduct, or local, state, or federal law, in those cases, either the Student Code of Conduct or the legal system shall be imposed. Though the use of technology resources is the focus of this document, members of the SVCC community and others using SVCC's technology resources are advised that use may also be governed by other College policies including but not limited to those in the student handbook, College catalog, faculty handbook, other policies governing academic, student life, or personnel matters at the College or agreements between the College and affiliated organizations. SVCC's technology and information resources are not to be used for commercial purposes or non-College related activities without written authorization from the officer(s) of the College that have been so designated (contact Information Services for further information). To ensure proper network performance, and security as well as appropriate use, College staff may monitor and record user activity.

SVCC reserves the right to enforce applicable penalties and/or immediately terminate access to College systems and network services to any user in cases where technology resources have been used in a manner that is disruptive or is otherwise believed to be in violation of "acceptable use" or other College policies or law. As a recognized agent under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the College will act in accord with the provisions of this act in the event of notification of alleged copyright infringement by any user. Instances of inappropriate use of technology resources will be referred to the appropriate official for disciplinary action by the College and will be subject to this policy as well as to other applicable College policies and guidelines. In addition, individuals may be subject to civil suit, and/or local, state, and federal prosecution depending on their actions. Among sanctions that can be imposed for violation of this or other applicable College policies, the College reserves the right to restrict an individual's access to technology resources. The College reserves the right to deny employment to any individual found in violation of this policy.

The College retains control, custody and supervision of all Computer Technology. The College reserves the right to monitor the use of Computer Technology activity by any user. No user shall have expectations of privacy in their use of Computer Technology, including e-mail messages and stored files, except proprietary research by faculty members who need to protect work, product, etc.

Jump to:
User Responsibilities
Examples of Violations of "Acceptable Use"
  Authorized Access / Accounts
  Services
  Software, Data & Information
  Email/Internet Messaging/Voice Mail/Voice Services
  Web Pages & Servers
  College Mailing Lists

User and Staff Responsibilities :

As a user or staff member of SVCC's technology resources, you have a shared responsibility with the College technologies staff to maintain the integrity of our systems, services, and information so that high quality services can be provided to everyone. Your responsibilities include:

To use the College's technology resources responsibly and appropriately, respecting the rights of other users to system, services, and information access 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
To respect all contractual and license agreements, privacy of information, and the intellectual property of others.
To comply with College, federal, state, and local regulations regarding access and use of information resources (e.g., College policies regarding the Institutional Information System and dissemination of information outside the campus, FERPA, Federal Copyright Act, The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act, Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, codes of professional responsibility, etc.).
To maintain your own system accounts (to include files, data and processes associated with those accounts); for PC files, data, and processes, this includes taking appropriate action to backup your PC system.
To exercise due diligence in protecting any computer you connect to the Sauk Valley Community network from viruses, worms, and security vulnerabilities by regularly using anti-virus software (provided by ITS for College issued computers or personally purchased anti-virus software for personally owned computers) and installing available security updates/patches for your operating system and any applications you use, and avoiding the installation of untrusted programs on your computer
To keep your technology accounts (computer, network, voice/voice mail) secure. If you suspect unauthorized access, report it to your supervisor and ITS at ext 229.
To not share your privileges with others. Your access to technology resources is not transferable to another member of the Sauk Valley Community College community, to family members, or to an outside individual or organization. If someone wishes access to Sauk Valley Community College's technology resources, they should contact the ITS at ext 229.
To comply with posted policies governing use of public computing facilities.
To present a web page that reflects the highest standards of quality and responsibility. As web page owner, you are responsible both for the content of your web page and all links and references from your web page are consistent with this and other College policies, copyright laws, and applicable local, state, federal laws. Published web pages are not to be used for commercial purposes or for activities not related to the purposes of the College, without written authorization from the College.
To understand the implications of sharing personal information or data via the Internet, WWW, e-mail, Instant Messaging or other services that either are open to access by others on and off-campus, or that can be forwarded to others.
To record your name and an appropriate greeting on your voice mail account.
To keep all institutional data in safe-keeping. Information containing any personal data of students, staff or other should not leave the institution unsecured.

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Examples of Violations of "Acceptable Use"

Authorized Access/Accounts

Attempting to obtain unauthorized access or circumventing user authentication or security of any host, network or account. This includes accessing data not intended for the user, logging into a server or account the user is not expressly authorized to access, or probing the security of systems or networks.
Supplying or attempting to supply false or misleading information or identification in order to access SVCC's technology resources.
Sharing your passwords or authorization codes with others (computing, e-mail, voice mail, long distance code, etc.)
Using technology resources for unauthorized uses.
Logging onto another user's account; sending e-mail, voice mail, etc. from another's or from an anonymous account.
Unauthorized use of the College's registered Internet domain name(s).
Using another person's telephone authorization code, line, or network system access for chargeable services.
Using voice services to incur charges for collect or third-party calls which are billed to the College and not to your direct line.
Changing your SVCC issued machine name to a name that is different from that assigned by ITS.

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Services

Attempting to interfere with service to any user, host, or network. This includes "denial of service" attacks, "flooding" of networks, deliberate attempts to overload a service, port scans and attempts to "crash" a host.
Use of any kind of program/script/command designed to interfere with a user's computer or network session.
Damaging a computer or part of a computer system.
Knowingly spreading computer viruses.
Modifying the software or hardware configuration of College technology resources, including dismantling computers in the lab for the purposes of connecting a notebook computer to the peripherals.
Excessive use of technology resources for "frivolous" purposes, such as game playing or downloading of files. This causes congestion of the network or may otherwise interfere with the work of others, especially those wanting to use public access PCs or network and Internet resources.
"Hacking" on computing and networking systems of the College or using the College's network to “hack” other networks.
Using College technology resources (networks, central computing systems, public access systems, voice and video systems) for new technologies research and development without College review and authorization.
Failure to follow the College's guidelines for use and/or deployment of wireless access points (WAPs).
Staff members are prohibited from using the internet for personal use while performing their regular assigned duties. Staff members may use the internet for personal use during non-working hours (scheduled breaks and lunch, etc.) with permission from their immediate supervisor.
Users and staff members are prohibited from accessing, submitting, publishing, displaying, or posting any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented or explicit, threatening, racially offensive, harassing, or illegal material.

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Software, Data & Information

Inspecting, modifying, distributing, or copying software or data without proper authorization, or attempting to do so.
Violating software licensing provisions.
Installing software on public access and other College machines without appropriate authorization (from ITS or the department to which the machines belong).
Installing any diagnostic, analyzer, "sniffer," keystroke/data capture software or devices on College technology resources.
Breaching confidentiality agreements for software and applications; breaching confidentiality provisions for institutional or individual information.

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Email/Internet Messaging/Voice Mail/Voice Services

Harassment or annoyance of others, whether through language, frequency or size of messages, or number and frequency of telephone calls.
Sending e-mail or voice mail to any person who does not wish to receive it, or with whom you have no legitimate reason to communicate. If a recipient asks to stop receiving mail, the user must not send that person any further mail.
Sending unsolicited bulk mail messages ("junk mail" or "spam") which, in the College's judgment, is disruptive to system resources or generates a significant number of user complaints. This includes bulk mailing of commercial advertising, informational announcements, political tracts, or other inappropriate use of system e-mail distribution lists.
Forwarding or otherwise propagating chain e-mail and voice mail and pyramid schemes, whether or not the recipients wish to receive such mailings. This includes chain e-mail for charitable or socially responsible causes.
Malicious e-mail or voice mail, such as "mailbombing" or flooding a user or site with very large or numerous items of e-mail or voice mail.
Forging of e-mail header or voice mail envelope information.
Forging e-mail from another's account. Sending malicious, harassing, or otherwise inappropriate voice mail from another's voice line.
Collecting replies to messages sent from another institution, organization, or Internet Service Provider where those messages violate this Acceptable Use Policy or the Acceptable Use Policy of that other provider.

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Web Pages & Servers

Posting content on your web page that provides information on and encourages illegal activity, or is harassing and defaming to others.
Linking your web page to sites whose content violates College policies, local, state, and/or federal laws and regulations.
Running web sites that support commercial activities or running server systems under the College's registered domain name, svcc.edu or variation thereof, without the College's authorization. Contact SVCC's ITS department at (815) 835-6229 if you have questions.

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College Mailing Lists

Posting a message whose subject or content is considered unrelated to the subject matter of the mailing list to which it is posted. For moderated mailing lists, the decision as to whether a post is unrelated will be made by the moderator. For mailing lists that are not moderated, we employ the practice of "self-policing" -- that is, members serve as moderators, commenting (to the sender, to the list) about inappropriate posts.
Posting chain letters of any type.
Forging header information on posts to College mailing lists.

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