General Use

A. Any member of the College Community with a valid Berea College I.D. Card (a “User”) may use any of the computers in the student public access areas, except when these areas have been reserved. Users may also apply for and receive a network mail account. Temporary access to Information Technology Resources may also be extended on a limited basis to campus visitors. The College reserves the right, in its sole and absolute discretion, to refuse access to its Information Technology Resources to any person who is not a member of the College Community.

B. All Users are responsible for helping to maintain a sound computing environment. Acts which serve to degrade Information Technology Resources, whether deliberate or otherwise, are prohibited. Berea College has the right to monitor, limit, or restrict specific technologies that disrupt or degrade Information Technology Resources. 

C. Information Technology Resources are made available primarily for academic and administrative activities. Unauthorized use of Information Technology Resources for commercial purposes is prohibited. 

D. Administrative or academic use of Information Technology Resources takes precedence over non-academic use. 

E. Individuals should report any reasonable suspicion of computer security problems to the IS&S Service Center or the Director of Network Services. 

F. Software applications licensed by Berea College may not be copied except according to the applicable license agreement. Illegal copying of licensed software is prohibited. 

G. The following statement was adopted by the Faculty on May 14, 1992, and forms an integral part of this Policy: 

Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to works of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgment, right to privacy, and right to determine the form and terms of publication and distribution. 

Because information stored on electronic media is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in electronic environments, such as computer, VCR, etc. As members of the academic community, we value the free exchange of ideas. However, just as we do not tolerate plagiarism, we do not condone the unauthorized copying of software, including programs, personal files, applications, databases, and codes. Violations will be handled in the same manner as all other acts of dishonesty. (Adapted from a statement developed by EDUCOM, an organization of over 2000 colleges and universities.) 

H. Current state and federal laws regarding obscenity and pornography, libel and slander, and misuse of the mails for threats and anonymous letters apply to electronic mail, Internet and bulletin boards. Users are expected to use common courtesy, avoiding vulgarity, obscenity and profanity.

I. The general codes of conduct for students and employees apply to all users of Information Technology Resources. 

J. Berea College reserves the right to terminate, limit or restrict any individual user’s access. 

K. The President, Provost, Dean of Faculty, or a Vice President of the College may, without notice, terminate, limit or restrict user access for good cause. The Chief Information Officer may authorize immediate removal of any data, file or system resource that may undermine the College’s Information Technology Resources.