Barnard Computer Use Policy

Barnard College Information Technology (BCIT) maintain certain policies with regard to the use and security of their systems. All users are expected to be familiar with these policies. Violations of BCIT policy can lead to the suspension of computer account(s) pending investigation of circumstances. Serious violations of the policy will be subject to Barnard's established disciplinary procedures or referred directly to outside authorities as appropriate. Unauthorized use of the College's computing facilities can be a criminal offense. The penalties may be as severe as suspension or dismissal from the College and/or criminal prosecution. 

While all contents in storage on data and voice systems are generally regarded to be private, they are subject to the rules of Barnard College, including the College’s ability under certain circumstances to access, restrict, monitor and regulate the systems which support and contain them. Employees of the College, whose use of the College’s computing resources are provided for work-related purposes, may be directed to share certain files and information with others or to make a computer account accessible to a supervisor to assure effective backup or execution of the work.

The College will exercise its right to monitor and access an individual’s use of the College’s data and voice systems only if there is a reasonable basis to believe that the individual may have violated a civil or criminal law, College policy, rule, or code of conduct. This determination can only be made upon the recommendation of an officer of the College, with the prior approval of the President in each instance. Note also that this provision does not supersede any grievance and due process rights that may be afforded to the affected employee or student by virtue of any relevant College policy or procedure. The College will comply with any lawful subpoena or other legally binding request for College records, including voice and data files, from government agencies, or civil or law enforcement authorities.

Ownership

College-owned data, voice and broadcast systems are provided for authorized use by the members of the College community and certain others primarily for the business of the College. Personal use of these systems should be limited to infrequent incidental use. Under no circumstance may the College’s systems be used for business purposes of other organizations.

Barnard College is the owner of administrative databases, mailing lists, directories and other data maintained for administrative purposes on College computers and data, voice and broadcast systems. Therefore, users may not copy, store, display, distribute or otherwise use such data without the prior permission of the College. Privately-owned computer systems, when attached to the campus data network and/or other campus resources, are subject to the same responsibilities and regulations as pertain to College-owned systems.

Other Terms and Conditions

• Unauthorized attempts to gain privileged access or access to any account not belonging to you on any Barnard system are not permitted.
• Individual accounts cannot be transferred to or used by another individual. Sharing accounts or passwords is not permitted.
• Users are responsible for all matters pertaining to the proper use of their own account; this includes choosing safe passwords and ensuring that file protections are set correctly.
• No Barnard system may be used as a vehicle to gain unauthorized access to other systems.
• No Barnard system may be used through unauthorized dial-up access.
• No Barnard system may be used for unethical, illegal, criminal or commercial purposes.
• Any user who finds a possible security lapse on any Barnard system is obliged to report it to the system administrators. Do not attempt to use the system under these conditions until the system administrator has investigated the problem.
• Please keep in mind that many people use the Barnard systems for daily work. Obstructing this work by consuming gratuitously large amounts of system resources (disk space, CPU time, print quotas) or by deliberately crashing the machine(s) will not be tolerated. Please cooperate by running large jobs at off-peak hours.
• All users should be aware that the system administrators conduct periodic security checks of Barnard systems, including password checks. Any user found to have an easily guessed password will be required to choose a secure password during their next login sequence.
• Use of the Barnard facilities by outside individuals or organizations requires prior permission from Barnard and may require payment of fees to the College and to the appropriate software vendors where applicable.
• Use of Barnard systems for commercial uses, except by approved outside organizations, is strictly prohibited. Such prohibited uses include, but are not limited to, development of programs, data processing or computations for commercial use and preparation and presentation of advertising material.
• Frivolous, disruptive, or inconsiderate conduct in the computer labs or other public workstations areas is not permitted.
• No Barnard system may be used for sending nuisance messages such as chain letters and obscene or harassing messages.
• No Barnard system may be used for playing computer games.
• Copying, storing, displaying, or distributing copyrighted material using College systems or networks without the express permission of the copyright owner, except as otherwise allowed under the copyright law, is prohibited. Under the Federal Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998, repeat infringements of copyright by a user can result in termination of the user's access to College systems and networks.

The EDUCOM Code

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

Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments. Violations of authorial integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access, and trade secrets and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community. (3/9/01)