Purpose 
To establish conditions for appropriate use of College computers, available information technology, and networks. 

Scope 

This policy is intended to promote the responsible and ethical use of the computing resources of Hampden-Sydney College. In light of the contribution that computers can make to furthering the educational and other objectives of the College, it is in the best interest of the community as a whole that computing resources be used in accordance with practices which ensure that the rights and privileges of all users are protected and the goals of the College are achieved. At Hampden-Sydney College, the procedures for protecting the privacy of students are the same whether face to face or online. As such, The Key page 84 as well as the Academic Catalogue page 34  provide written documentation of Hampden-Sydney College's adherence to the rules set forth in the Family Educational Rights to Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).

This policy applies to all computing systems and telecommunications facilities owned, leased, operated, or contracted by the College. This includes word processing equipment, microcomputers, minicomputers, mainframes and associated peripherals, software, and digital and/or voice communication equipment, regardless of whether used for administration, research, teaching, or other purposes. This policy also extends to any use of College facilities to access computer facilities elsewhere. 

It should be noted that system administrators of various on-campus and off-campus computing facilities and those responsible for access to those facilities may promulgate additional regulations to control their use, if not inconsistent with this policy. System administrators are responsible for publicizing any additional regulations concerning the authorized and appropriate use of the equipment for which they are responsible. 

Responsibilities 
As in all aspects of the College community, a user of computing facilities should act honorably and in a manner consistent with ordinary ethical obligations. Cheating, stealing, making false or deceiving statements, plagiarism, vandalism, and harassment are just as wrong when done in the context of computing as they are in all other aspects of College conduct. Individuals should use only those computing facilities they have been authorized through ordinary channels to use. They should use these facilities:

  • in a manner consistent with the terms under which they were granted access to them;
  • in a way that respects the rights and privacy of other users;
  • so as not to interfere with or violate the normal, appropriate use of these facilities; and
  • in a responsible and efficient manner.

College computing resources are not to be used for commercial purposes or non-College-related activities without prior written permission from appropriate College officials. Individuals should respect the rights and privacy of other authorized users. Thus they should respect the rights of other users to security of files, confidentiality of data, and the ownership of their own work. Users should refrain from:

  • Using the computer access privileges of others
  • Accessing, copying, or modifying the files of others without their explicit written permission
  • Any activity which violates local, state, or federal statute
  • Sending or posting harassing or libelous content (in electronic mail, blogs, or websites, for example)

Elements 
All users must agree to, and abide by, the Appropriate Use of Electronic Resources Policy of Hampden-Sydney College. "Users" is defined as any individual with authorized access to College computing and communications systems (data/telecommunications network).

  1. The User is responsible for being the sole beneficiary of electronic access to which he/she has been explicitly assigned (your email or web account, for example).
  2. The User agrees never to grant/authorize access to his/her explicitly assigned electronic access (No sharing of accounts or passwords).
  3. The User may not be paid, or otherwise profit, from the use of and College-provided computing resource or from any output produced from it. Further, the User may not promote any commercial activity using College resources. Commercial activities include, but are not limited to: advertisements, chain letters, and electronic commerce (Example: You cannot use the Ethernet connection in your residence hall or office to run or promote a business). Exceptions are made for single-item "For Sale" advertisements which may be of interest to the College community.
  4. College-owned computing resources may not be used for any activities that violate local, state, or federal statute (See "Enforcement" below).
  5. The User agrees to obtain written permission from photographed individuals prior to posting those images to sites within the hsc.edu domain.
  6. The User agrees to abide by official copyright policy of the College.

Enforcement 
John B. Fuqua Computing Center consistently strives to enable users to employ technological resources in pursuit of fulfilling the College's overall mission. Additionally, the Computing Center bears the responsibility of protecting the privacy of the College's users, protecting the academic and business systems of the College, and assuring that all constituents represent the College in a legal and ethical manner; all while protecting the freedoms associated with an academic community. In protection of these pursuits, all complaints of illegal or unethical activity are investigated to the fullest extent legally possible. 

In the event of a verified offense:

  1. System Administrator(s) and/or the Network Operations Center disable the electronic access of the offender, under the direction of the Director of Computing.
  2. A written report of the alleged incident and findings of the electronic investigation are provided to the appropriate College official:
    Student Offenses - Dean Of Students
    Staff Offenses - Vice President of Business Affairs and Finance
    Faculty Offenses - Dean of Faculty
    Guest Offenses - Vice President of Business Affairs and Finance
  3. Suspended electronic access is restored only upon notification from the appropriate College official