Computing Resource Use Policy

Policy Revision September 1996

Policy Statement

The University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), through the Office of Information Technology, provides central computing facilities and services for the instructional, research, and administrative computing needs of the university. Access to the university’s computing facilities and resources, which include but are not limited to all CPUs, online and offline storage, and network and communications facilities, is a privilege granted to UNCW faculty, staff, and students. Users of these resources are responsible for reading and understanding this document.

UNCW equipment may be monitored to insure the safety, operating performance, and patterns of usage of the equipment. Therefore, users do not have an expectation of privacy regarding their uses of the system, and the issuance of confidential passwords or specific addresses should not be understood to provide an expectation of privacy. Further, information contained on UNCW equipment and in UNCW accounts, including e-mail, if "made or received pursuant to law or ordinance in connection with the transaction of public business by any agency of North Carolina", unless subject to specific statutory exceptions and exemptions, may be subject to inspection under the Public Records Law of the State of North Carolina.

UNCW resources are provided for university employment, research, and academic purposes. Although occasional, brief personal uses are permissible, such as on lunch or other breaks by employees, or for family communication by students, such uses are only permissible if:

  • the use is lawful under state and federal law;
  • the use is not prohibited by any Board of Governors, UNC, or UNCW policies;
  • the use does not harm or invade the rights of others;
  • the use does not overload UNCW systems or otherwise harm or negatively impact system performance;
  • the use does not state or imply university sponsorship or endorsement;
  • the use does not result in commercial gain or private profit (other than allowable under intellectual property policies or other applicable university policies or officially sanctioned practices);
  • the use does not interfere or conflict with the performance of academic or university assignments, duties, and work.

Users are responsible for all use of their computer accounts; therefore, they should make appropriate use of the system-provided protection features and take precautions against others obtaining access to their computer resources. Users will only use their accounts for the purpose for which they are approved, and accounts are not transferable. Users will not compromise the university systems at any time by sharing their accounts with other users, on- or off-campus; nor will they attempt to subvert other systems from the university.

The university recognizes the value and potential of publishing on the Internet, and so allows and encourages students, staff, and faculty to do so consistent with this policy. Contents of all electronic pages, including direct links to other pages or computers, must be consistent with university policies and local, state, and federal laws. The university does allow for personal pages that provide information about an individual that is relevant to that individual’s role at the university. Links from the official UNCW home pages will be made for faculty, staff, and registered student organizations. The campus home pages will not link directly to individual students’ personal pages. Users may, if they choose, link to other faculty, staff, or student personal pages.

As a condition of maintaining personal pages on university systems or equipment, the following statement will appear on all personal pages: "The views and opinions expressed in this page are strictly those of the page author. The contents of this page have not been reviewed or approved by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington."

 

Guidelines

Conduct which violates this policy includes, but is not limited to, activities on the following list:

 

1. Unauthorized use of a computer account. Do not try to obtain a password for someone else’s computer account or share a computer account. Do not attempt to disguise the identity of the account or machine you are using. Do not attempt to forge or conceal the source (sender, user, or host computer) of any communication, transmission, or computer access.

 

2. Use of the campus network to gain unauthorized access to remote computers.

 

3. Accessing directories, programs, files, or data not belonging to you unless there is specific authorization to do so or the information is meant to be publicly available.

 

4. Unauthorized attempts to circumvent data protection schemes or uncover security loopholes. This includes creating and/or running programs that are designed to identify security loopholes and /or decrypt intentionally secure data.

 

5. Knowingly or carelessly performing an act that will interfere with the normal operation of computers, terminals, peripherals, or networks. This includes running or installing on any computer system or network, or giving to another user a program intended to damage or to place excessive load on a computer system or network (such as computer viruses). Tampering with components, blocking communication lines, or interfering with the operational readiness of a computer. Deliberately wasting/overloading computing resources, such as printing too many copies of a document.

In addition, inappropriate mass mailings, including multiple mailings to newsgroups, mailing lists, or individuals (e.g. spamming, flooding, or bombing). Initiating, executing, or propagating cancel-bots (messages that delete other messages) or electronic chain letters is also prohibited.

6. Violating terms of applicable software licensing agreements. In particular, you must not copy or distribute copyrighted or site-licensed software.

7. Reproducing and/or distributing copyrighted materials without proper authorization. Be sure you have permission to publish the information, graphics, or photographs on your pages if you are not the author or creator. Photographs of an individual or personal information about an individual must not be included without the permission of the individual. E-mail messages, unless otherwise indicated in the text, or by special permission of the author, may also be subject to copyright, and should not be forwarded without the permission of the author.

8. Displaying obscene, illegal, or sexually harassing images, sounds, or text in a public computer facility or location that is in view of others.

9. Transmitting or reproducing materials that are libelous or defamatory in nature. This includes, but is not limited to, information or images that infringe upon the rights of another person, that is abusive or threatening, profane, or is sexually, racially, or religiously offensive to the average person. Information that is libelous is defined as provably false, unprivileged statements that do demonstrated injury to an individual’s or a business’ reputation.

10. Using university or campus logos, wordmarks, service marks, or other symbols of the university or campus on personal home pages.

11. Creating pages which contain direct links to pages that violate this policy. In this case, users may be requested to deactivate links to materials that violate this policy.

12. Failure to abide by the current specific account usage Rules that are maintained on the VAXcluster. These Rules are viewed by entering the command RULES from within your user account.

Enforcement

Misuse of computing, networking, or information resources may result in the loss of computing and/or network access. Any conduct which violates local, state, or federal laws will result in the immediate loss of all university computing privileges and will be referred to appropriate university offices and/or law enforcement authorities. Users will also be held accountable for their conduct under all applicable university policies and procedures. Violation of this policy is an offense under the Code of Student Life, is "misconduct" and "unacceptable personal conduct" under applicable personnel policies, for which dismissal or discharge proceedings may be appropriate, and may also constitute a criminal violation under Chapter 14, Article 60, of the North Carolina General Statutes.

January 27, 1997

Return to Case Documents