Acceptable Use Policy
An addendum to this document, "Amendments to State of Oregon Policies on Acceptable Use of State Electronic Information Systems," outlines the University's departures from statewide acceptable use regulations. You can pick up a copy of this addendum in the Computing Center Documents Room (175 McKenzie Hall), or view it on the web at http://studentlife.uoregon.edu/policy/aup_addend.html Appropriate Use of Computing ResourcesWhen you are provided access to university computing resources, your use of them may be explicitly or implicitly limited. For example, if you are given access to an administrative computing system solely to enter accounting information or prepare class rosters, it is inappropriate for you to use the system to play a compute-intensive online computer game. Access to administrative systems should be used solely for the purposes for which the access was provided. The situation with academic timesharing computers and microcomputer labs is less narrowly defined. As with the university library, access to academic computing resources is provided in part so you can learn, explore, and grow as part of your education or employment at the university. However, activities related to the university's scholarly mission take precedence over computing pursuits of a more personal or recreational nature. For example, those completing class assignments or conducting research for a graduate program or publication have priority over those using computing resources to process personal email, explore network resources, etc. Some applications (such as Muds/Moos/Mucks/Mushes, IRC, Talk, and online computer games) may be unsupported or actively discouraged, due to the demands they place on our limited modem pool, CPU, and lab resources. Please cooperate with Computing Center staff if you are asked to refrain from running applications like these when resource use is heavy. Prohibited ConductThe University Conduct Code, OAR 571-21-030, also applies to electronic forums. The code prohibits, among other things, lewd or indecent conduct, threat of imminent physical harm, sexual or other harassment, stalking, forgery, intentional disruption of university services, and damaging or destroying university property. Similarly, the code's prohibitions against illegal discrimination, including discriminatory harassment and sexual harassment, also apply to electronic forums. Sharing of Accounts or Lab Passes ProhibitedAs a result of enrolling or being employed by the university, certain computing resources may be made available for your use. The university manages access to its limited computing resources by requiring that users identify their accounts with a unique personal user name and a secret password, or present a lab pass or sticker they obtained. Sharing an account or lab pass with others is prohibited; i.e., authorization to use university computing resources is not shareable or transferable. Computing Center staff members are pleased to assist you in getting properly authorized to access the resources you need. We are also prepared to discuss alternative service providers with you if you are not eligible to access computing resources at the university. Unauthorized use or misuse of university computing resources may constitute theft of services, and may be criminally punishable. Violators may also be civilly liable for the value of the stolen resources. Commercial Use of Resources ProhibitedThe university is committed to ensuring that all commercial enterprises have equal opportunity to conduct business. This might not be possible if the university unwittingly underwrote some enterprises by providing access to computing resources which could then be commercially exploited. Moreover, in many instances the university negotiates special academic pricing agreements for obtaining the computing resources it needs. Most such agreements are contingent upon the university prohibiting commercial use of the resources. Breaching educational licensing agreements could have serious financial consequences for the UO. Thus, commercial use of the university's computing resources is strictly prohibited. Note: While chain letters may or may not be considered a commercial use of computing resources per se, you may not use university computing resources to transmit or propagate chain letters. Violations of Electronic PrivacyAccess to electronic files, network communications, and related data is protected by various Federal statutes, including the Electronic Communication Privacy Act. Like an unauthorized telephone wiretap, unauthorized access to a person's electronic data is prohibited, and may subject the perpetrator to serious penalties. Examples of specifically prohibited behaviors include:
Keep in mind that shared systems are inherently insecure. Authorized Computing Center or computer lab staff may access accounts and transmissions for troubleshooting and maintenance--and, if there is reasonable suspicion of misuse, they may access them for investigative purposes. You should also be aware that security systems whose purpose is to identify unauthorized users of a system may also monitor authorized users. In general, material whose privacy must be guaranteed should not be stored on shared computers. Good quality encryption tools are now widely available, and should be used whenever you work with sensitive information. Interference with Computer Use or OperationsEfforts to interfere with the use or operation of computing or networking resources are prohibited. These include:
We ask that you cooperate with system administrators if you are advised of potential security problems associated with your account or system. Recognition of CopyrightsThe University of Oregon respects copyright laws and insists that its faculty, students, and staff do likewise. Copying proprietary software is theft, and will not be tolerated on campus. Illegally copied software subjects the university to risk of litigation, and denies software authors the compensation they deserve. Moreover, use of such software could result in your suspension or dismissal from the university, and either criminal prosecution or a civil suit for copyright infringement, or both. Similarly, if you make materials available for others to retrieve or use (via a World Wide Web server, postings to a USENET newsgroup, etc.), be sure to respect their copyrights. In general, every document, image, or sound is copywritten upon creation, and may only be used or redistributed with the permission of the copyright holder. Wise Use of Limited ResourcesGiven the university's limited resources, as well as the direct social costs accrued from wasteful behavior (such as printing output that isn't needed), we ask that you be careful how you use computing resources, especially
Please cooperate in helping us make the most of the limited resources we have available. Personal Responsibility for Online StatementsWe all enjoy our constitutionally protected right to free speech and the tradition of academic freedom here at the UO. However, with these freedoms comes responsibility for what you say and write. If you defame someone online or invade his or her privacy, you may be sued. Exercise your freedom to speak out, but do so responsibly and in a way that reflects creditably on the university. Disciplinary ActionViolations of these policies that constitute a breach of the Student Conduct Code or the Faculty Handbook will be referred to appropriate authorities. Computing Center personnel may take immediate action, as needed, to abate ongoing interference with network and system operations, or to ensure system integrity. If you have questions related to acceptable use of UO computing services, please contact the Associate Vice President of Information Systems (hugi@oregon.uoregon.edu;346-1702)
|
||||||||