Proper Use of Information Technology Procedure (63.09.11)College Policy Number/Title:
Consistent with College Mission.
Information Technology at Howard Community College is provided to facilitate the educational process and the administrative efforts in support of instruction, business processes, and research for faculty, staff and students of Howard Community College. The use of all information technology facilities must be consistent with the mission of the college and with facilitating the exchange of knowledge and information, while encouraging resource sharing and collaborative projects in academic instruction, student services, and business processes.
Compliance with Appropriate Laws.
The college recognizes that all members of the college are bound by local, state and federal laws relating to copyrights, security, and other statutes regarding electronic media. Faculty and staff are expected to take a leadership role in implementing and maintaining these statutes, as well as any Howard Community College policies and procedures that apply.
Eligibility for Access.
Access to the college's information technology facilities is a privilege granted to the college's students, faculty, staff and others designated by the college.. The college reserves the right to extend, limit, restrict, or deny privileges and access to its information resources. Individuals other than college faculty, staff, and students may be permitted access to information as long as such access does not violate any license or contractual agreement, college policy, or any federal, state, county, or local law or ordinance. All employees must first complete the college Access and Responsibility training and read, complete, and submit the agreement of responsibility for confidential information form to the Human Resources Office.
General User Responsibilities.
The below practices are intended to ensure the best use and operation of college computer resources. Employees and others given access to college computing resources must:
- Access only those resources for which they have been specifically authorized and are responsible for the resources entrusted to them. Employees must make appropriate use of protection features (such as passwords) and take precautions against others obtaining access to their college computer accounts. It is prohibited for users to use the account or password assigned to another person to gain access to student records, college equipment, college files, or the college network.
- Ensure all electronic files, diskettes, and portable drives are scanned for viruses before using them on the college computer network. If needed, call the Technology Help Desk for assistance.
- Ensure that important data stored on the local hard drive is backed up on a regular basis. To facilitate this process, each employee is assigned personal space on the college computer network to store important information, which is automatically backed up on a daily basis.
- Protect information systems by logging off of the college computer network when away from their workstation for extended periods. Desktops should be powered down at the end of the workday.
Ownership.
E-mail accounts and other electronic files are the property of Howard Community College.
Standards of Acceptable Use.
The following standards of acceptable use will apply to the operation of Howard Community College’s information technology systems. Users are responsible for the following standards:
- Information technology provides important means of communication, both public and private. Users and system administrators will respect the privacy of person-to-person communication in all forms, including voice (telephone), text (electronic mail and file transfer), and image (graphics and video). However, employees should not have an expectation for total privacy of their electronic communications. While in conjunction with their assigned duties, it may be necessary for system administrators and human resources personnel to retrieve electronic communications generated or received by employees. Access to employees’ electronic communications by system administrators, supervisors, or human resources staff must not be arbitrary or capricious and performed only with specific college purpose.
- Use will be for the purpose of facilitating the exchange of information to further educational and institutional operations, and will be consistent with the purposes and objectives of the Howard Community College board of trustees and the mission of the college. College computing resources are to be used for college business except as otherwise provided by the "Intellectual Property Produced By Howard Community College Faculty and Staff" procedure 40.02.01 and "Intellectual Property" policy 40.02. This provision applies equally to all college owned or college leased equipment.
- Users will not transmit any communication in any form (e.g. text, images, and sound) where the content, meaning, transmission and/or distribution of the message would violate any applicable law or regulation.
- Use will be consistent with all college policies and procedures and particularly with those governing the use of college property, ethical standards and employee conduct. This means that the following actions are among those which are prohibited by college policies and procedure although prohibitions are not limited to these
| a. | Users will not use HCC's information technology resources for private financial gain, except as noted above in # 2. |
| b. | Users will not divulge student email addresses or other student information to outside sources or to unauthorized users without the consent of the owner of the information. |
| c. | All data found on HCC administrative systems is considered confidential. This is true even if the software system does not enforce this confidentiality. |
| d. | All software found on HCC systems is licensed by HCC and as such may not be copied for personal use, transferred to non‑HCC equipment or modified in any unauthorized manner. |
| e. | The college limits the connections of personally owned devices, such as laptops, PDAs, or peripherals to the wired local area network. However, if required for instructional purposes, such requests should be submitted to the Technology Help Desk five business days prior to the date of expected use. In turn, the appropriate IT director will evaluate requests for feasibility, need, and risk. The VPIT will approve or deny requests and inform the requester within 48 hours after receipt. The responsible IT director will coordinate installation of personally owned devices, if approved. |
| f. | Wireless devices can be attached to the college’s wireless network to allow Internet access from selected locations around the college campus. Users requiring this service must first register their device MAC address with the Technology Help Desk. |
| g. | Access to non-standard ports is restricted for network security. Faculty and staff should contact the Technology Help Desk when access to restricted ports is required for instructional or administrative purposes. |
- It is prohibited for users to interfere with or disrupt network users, services or system resources. Disruptions include, but are not limited to, distribution of unsolicited advertising, creation and/or propagation of computer viruses, transmission of slanderous and/or harassing materials, chain letters, and using HCC facilities to gain unauthorized entry to any other facility, whether they are internal or external to the HCC network.
- Users may not abuse, disrupt or threaten the viability of any system, including those at the college and those on networks to which the college's systems are connected. Access to information resources without proper authorization , and intentional corruption or misuse of information resources is a direct violation of college policy.
- Users may not purchase or download any applications without prior authorization by Information Technology and approval by the president or area vice president. Examples of applications which may not be authorized because of security risks and use of computer resources include file sharing, entertainment, inappropriate content and non campus standards for communication applications.
- Privacy of Social Security Numbers. College employees shall not record an individual’s social security number in any electronic device, document, or database, unless the collection is required by law and used for specific purposes within the college’s administrative computing system (Colleague). Additionally, in accordance with Maryland law, employees must not transmit or require the transmission of an individual’s social security number over the Internet unless there is a secure connection and encryption protection.
Compliance with this and all other Howard Community College Policies and Procedures is expected under the "Ethics and Conduct" policy 63.09 in this handbook; noncompliance is subject to all of the disciplinary provisions of "Ethics and Conduct" policy 63.09 up to and including suspension and/or dismissal and possible criminal prosecution.
Effective Date: 10/7/2005
