Policy for Misuse of Technology Resources

Major Infractions


  1. Purposely rendering the system unusable to a significant number of people.
  2. Removing, altering or reading information that doesn't belong to you without proper permission.
  3. Falsely representing yourself to be another user in communication to others (sending mail, posting notes, using the "write" command, etc).
  4. Allowing another person to use your login, if that person's own login is removed for disciplinary reasons (whether or not you know that!).
  5. Violating the legal right of others.
  6. Logging on as a user other than yourself (with or without permission from the owner of the login), if your own login name is disabled for disciplinary reasons.

    * Punishment (for #1-5, or multiple minor offenses):
    • Removal of your login for the remainder of the semester (see Note 1).
    * Punishment for #6:
    • Extension of previous suspension of privileges.

Major infractions will be referred to the Student Judicial System, which may impose additional penalities. If the incident causes a financial loss to an individual, organization, or the University, financial restitution may be required.



Minor Infractions


  1. Any attempt to annoy or inconvenience users of the system in general which causes no significant permanent damage.
  2. Any attempt to annoy or inconvenience a specific user of the system which causes no significant permanent damage.
  3. Posting an obscene note, knowingly posting a misleading note, or posting a note which is inappropriate for the group in which it is posted.
  4. Attempting to subvert security systems to gain access to others accounts.
  5. Any attempt to circumvent restriction or resource limits established by Information Resources and Technology.

    * Punishment (for #1-2):
    • First offense: Login disabled for two weeks.
    • Second offense: Login disabled for remainder of semester (see Note 1).
    * Punishment (#3):
    • First offense: Permission to use notes revoked for two weeks.
    • Second offense: Permission to use notes revoked for remainder of semester (see Note 1).
    * Punishment (#4):
    • First offense: Login disabled for two weeks.
    • Second offense: Login disable for remainder of semester (see Note 1).
    * Punishment (#5):
    • First offense: Verbal counseling.
    • Second offense: Login disabled for remainder of semester (see Note 1).

Notes


  1. Remainder of the semester will be a period of at least two months. If there are not two months remaining in the current semester, the specified privileges will be denied up to two months into the next semester in which you are registered for classes. Privileges will not be restored during the intervening breaks, and the breaks will not count towards the two months.
  2. Repeated or multiple minor offenses will be considered a major offense. Repeated major offense could result in permanent loss of computing privileges.
  3. These actions can be appealed through the Office of the Associate Provost for Information Resources and Technology.
  4. Occasionally individuals can inadvertently cause problems for others on the system. The systems administrator may take administrative action to correct the problem. This may mean disabling the individual's account until the individual can be counseled.

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