Terms of Use
Johnson State College abides by the Vermont State Colleges Computing and Telecommunications Technology Conditions of Use Policy, as outlined below. For information or questions about this site, please send an e-mail to Web.Editor@jsc.edu.
Vermont State Colleges Manual of Policy and Procedures, Policy 414 (4/28/00)
Computing and Telecommunications Technology Conditions of Use Policy
Vermont State Colleges (VSC) owns and maintains computing and
telecommunications technologies to support the education, research and daily
work of its faculty, staff, and students. Vermont State Colleges computing
and telecommunications technologies are collectively referred to as VSCnet.
By connecting thousands of computers at Vermont State Colleges with each
other and with national and international computer networks, VSCnet
provides a wide range of educational benefits.
The purpose of this policy is to define responsible and ethical behavior of
VSCnet users in order to preserve the health, availability, and integrity of
VSCnet resources and promote the goals and values of the VSC. This policy
also allows for the support of investigations of complaints under other policies
such as sexual harassment as well as state and federal laws on privacy and
computer abuse. This policy applies to all users of VSCnet resources. The
right to use VSCnet, its resources, and the Internet is dependent upon
compliance with this policy.
In order to balance the values of our learning community with its legal rights
and requirements, the VSC will enforce its right to track, monitor or access
electronic mail or other files in accordance with this policy, with or without
notice to the employee, student or other user, and may bypass any password.
Under this policy, only a president (or designee in the president’s absence),
with the advise and consent of the Chancellor (or designee in the Chancellor’s
absence), shall have the power to authorize any tracking, monitoring or
accessing of electronic mail or other files on VSCnet without notice to the
person or persons involved. Authorization for such interception shall be
based only on reasonable belief that one or more or Rules 1-24, listed below,
are being violated by one or more persons.
Priorities
The priorities for use of VSCnet resources are:
Highest: All education, research, and administrative purposes of Vermont State
Colleges.
Medium: Other uses indirectly related to Vermont State Colleges purposes with
education or research benefit, including personal communications.
Lowest: Recreation and entertainment.
Not permitted:Selling access to Vermont State Colleges resources, commercial activities not
sanctioned by the Chancellor's office; intentionally denying or interfering with service; unauthorized use or access that is forbidden by this or by local policy; reading or modifying files without proper prior authorization; using the technology to impersonate another, to send chain letters, to violate state and/or federal law or Vermont State Colleges policies; or more than minimal use of VSCnet and computing resources for recreation and entertainment purposes.
Rules
1. VSCnet may not be used for threatening, obscene, harassing and or
libelous conduct.
2. VSCnet may not be used for illegal purposes.
3. VSCnet may not be used to send unsolicited advertising, the
propagation of computer worms and viruses or breaking into other
machines within VSCnet or on the Internet.
4. Your password is issued for your use only. Sharing your password with
others and allowing others to use your password or user identity or
address is prohibited.
5. Using a password other than your own is prohibited.
6. Unauthorized access to any information resource without written
owner permission is prohibited.
7. Tampering with the physical network (cables, hubs, computers and
peripherals etc.) is prohibited.
8. Intercepting or attempting to intercept mail or other files is prohibited,
except that the Vermont State Colleges (through its authorized
managers or agents) may track, monitor, or access electronic mail or
other files in accordance with this policy, with or without notice to the
employee, student or user, and may bypass any password.
9. Originating or attempting to originate email from someone else is
prohibited.
10. Logging on or attempting to log on to a machine without an account is
prohibited.
11. Using or attempting to use any network address or identity not
assigned to you by VSC or college authorities --even on a machine you
may own -- is prohibited.
12. Use of VSCnet for profit-making activities is prohibited.
13. Re-selling network access is prohibited.
14. Unreasonable use of VSCnet and computing resources for personal
business is prohibited as well as using more than a fair share of such
resources.
15. Publishing or otherwise making available on a web, ftp, file or other
server any information, software, document, graphic or icon without
permission of the copyright owner is prohibited.
16. Intentionally and substantively interfering with the freedom of
expression of others on VSC premises or in VSC-sponsored activities is
prohibited.
Computing and Telecommunications Page 3
Technology Conditions of Use Policy
17. Attempts to deny VSCnet access to others via mail bombs, chain email,
spam and similar automated processes is prohibited.
18. Persons who are not associated with the Vermont State Colleges and
persons associated with the Vermont State Colleges who have been
denied network access may not be granted access to end user-owned
computers connected to the VSC network. Computer owners who
violate this provision will themselves be denied the right to connect
their computer to VSCnet.
19. The installation and/or deinstallation of any software on a VSC or
college-owned machine without the prior written authorization of the
local computing authority* is prohibited
20. The installation of any hardware device or component on a VSC or
college-owned machine or the removal of such a device or component
from a VSC or college owned machine without the prior written
authorization of the local computing local computing authority* is
prohibited.
21 Connecting a computer to VSCnet without prior written permission of
the local computer authority* is prohibited.
22. Operating a server of any kind on VSCnet without prior permission of
the local computing authority* is prohibited. Operators of approved
servers must provide server passwords to the local computing
authority* on demand.
23. Registering a domain name associated with a VSC IP address without
prior permission of the Director of Computing Services at the
Chancellor's Office is prohibited.
24. Use of the VSCnet counter to the best interests of the VSC is
prohibited.
Compliance
Continued use of VSCnet requires compliance with this policy. Violation of
VSC policy and rules concerning VSCnet use will be handled via existing
college procedures. Violations by students may lead to a range of actions from
denial of VSCnet access to expulsion from college. Violations by employees
may lead to a range of disciplinary sanctions including, but not limited to; a
warning, denial of access to VSCnet, and termination of employment.
Violations will not result in suppression of any information disclosed as
result of the violation.
Implementation
These Conditions of Use are a condition of employment for all employees and
a part of the Employee Handbook and the Student Handbook at all Vermont
State Colleges.
Subject to the review and approval of the Chancellor, College President or
their designees will prescribe locally applicable rules to implement these
Conditions of Use. Such rules will be posted and displayed with the VSCnet
Conditions of Use.
*NOTE The “local computing authority” is a person designated by the
President of each college and the Director of Computing Services at the
Chancellor’s Office.
Signed by: Robert G. Clarke, Chancellor