Computer Use Policy
Computer Use Policy
Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy
New Mexico Junior College provides numerous information technology resources for use
by the College's students, faculty, and staff. Information technology includes, but
is not limited to, all College computing equipment, software, systems, and networks.
These resources are provided to support the College's mission and institutional goals.
The use of these systems is a privilege and all users are expected to act responsibly
and to follow the College's policies governing the use of these resources. Violations
of this policy could 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 College, and legal action. Violations of some portions of the policy
may constitute a criminal offense.
The College's Information Technology Acceptable Use Policy requires that each campus user abide by and agree to the following guidelines:
I. Respect security requirements for computer accounts.
A. A computer or electronic mail (e-mail) account assigned to an individual, including student accounts, must not be used by others. Faculty, students, and staff are individually responsible for the proper use of their accounts, including password protection and appropriate use of Internet resources. Making your password or another person's password or access code available to others or otherwise attempting to evade, disable or "crack" password or other security provisions, or assisting others in doing so, threatens the work, privacy and well-being of many others and is a serious violation of College policies. Also, faculty, students and staff are responsible for choosing an appropriate password that is difficult for others to guess. If an individual suspects their password has been compromised, they should change the password immediately.
II. Respect copyright laws.
A. Computer software use must conform to copyright laws and licensing agreements. Copyright law protects software whether a copyright notice is explicitly stated in the software or its documentation. Software licensed by the College must only be used in accordance with the applicable license. It is illegal to make duplicate copies of software products unless authorized to do so by its author or publisher. Computer users have no right to give or receive duplicates of software without authorization or to install duplicated software onto College computing equipment.
III. Respect the rights of others using of the system.
A. Computer users shall not use the College's information technology resources to participate in activities that are harassing in nature or prohibited by law. Sending messages, information, or images that are threatening, harassing, or discriminatory in nature is in violation of College policies and may be in violation of the law. Displaying potentially offensive material in a computer laboratory or other campus location is not allowed. Users are absolutely prohibited from utilizing systems to create, access, store or disseminate materials that may be sexually or racially offensive, or otherwise insulting or derogatory to persons of a certain race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, or veteran status.
Respect electronic mail guidelines.
A. In support of the College's mission, the College encourages the use of its electronic
mail services to share information, to improve communication, and to exchange ideas.
Any electronic mail address or account associated with the College is the property
of the College. Those who use the College's electronic mail services are expected
to adhere to state and federal laws, the policies and procedures of the College, and
should follow normal standards of professional and personal courtesy and conduct.
Electronic communication under a false name or designation is prohibited. Sending
anonymous communications does not disassociate senders from assuming responsibility
for their actions.
B. Electronic mail services should not be used in ways that strain the College's
computing resources or interfere with others' use of the electronic mail system. Prohibitive
uses include, but are not limited to, sending or forwarding chain letters, exploiting
list-servers by amplifying widespread distribution of electronic mail, and sending
the same electronic mail message repeatedly.
C. Employees are prohibited from using the "All Employee" mass distribution list
to distribute non-work related messages. Information in regards to work, employees,
and NMJC sponsored events are acceptable.
D. Confidentiality of electronic mail cannot be assured. The system administrator,
technical managers, or other persons may need to view the contents of computer accounts
and electronic mail to perform maintenance or to diagnose and correct problems. When
performing maintenance, the College will make reasonable attempts to ensure the privacy
of computer accounts and electronic mail, but cannot guarantee total privacy of the
accounts. The user however acknowledges and consents that the College may monitor
e-mail communications and internet usage in order to insure compliance with this agreement.
If policy violations are discovered, they will be reported immediately and appropriate
action will be taken.
V. Respect the operational guidelines governing the use of the information technology facilities.
A. Administrators responsible for computer systems may establish more detailed
guidelines governing the use of the College's computing equipment and facilities.
These guidelines cover such issues as allowable connect time, disk space allocations,
handling of unretrievable mail, responsibility for account approval and other items
related to administering the systems. The downloading of any software onto computing
equipment owned or operated by New Mexico Junior College (unless downloaded material
is considered a faculty resource) without prior written approval is not permitted.
During peak system utilization times, computer users engaged in activities which are
not directly related to the business of the College may be asked to relinquish their
access to the system. Settings on computers are not to be changed. Computer users,
whether on campus or accessing NMJC resources remotely, are expected to abide by these
rules and use the College's computing resources in a responsible and professional
manner.
B. The college prohibits the use of programs that degrade the available bandwidth,
including but not limited to music/radio programs, videos, and game playing from Internet
sites, unless these programs are incorporated into instruction.
C. The College provides information technology resources for users to engage in
activities that support the work of the institution. Use of the College's resources
for commercial reasons, fund-raising, political campaigns, or illegal purposes is
not acceptable. Non-authorized solicitations on behalf of individuals, groups, or
organizations are prohibited.
VI. Agreement
A. All users of New Mexico Junior College computing systems must read, understand, and comply with the policies outlined in this document. By using any of the College's information technology resources, users agree to comply with these policies.
NEW MEXICO JUNIOR COLLEGE 2014-2015 EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK Policy No. 223
