Personal Responsibilities

Every library patron has personal responsibility for reporting any misuse of Vernon College's telecommunications facilities to the Information Technology Office (552-6291, ext 2242) or to any faculty or staff member. Misuse includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Sharing of passwords or dial-in access account information;
• Invasion of privacy of the users;
• Unauthorized access to data belonging to other users;
• Downloading or uploading pornographic material (see point 3);
• Unethical or illegal solicitation;
• Using abusive or otherwise objectionable language in either public or private messages;
• Downloading any software (i.e., newer versions of Netscape, American Online Instant Message, games, add- ins for Netscape, etc.) to the hard drive of a Vernon College computer; and
• Changing the homepage setup and/or any other settings in Netscape.

 
Inappropriate Network Use

Vernon College's network may not be used for any of the following:

• Commercial advertising;
• Lobbying for votes;
• Encouraging the use of illegal substances;
• Accessing, downloading, or uploading pornographic or inappropriate material (see point #3 )
• Sending messages, E-Mail, or files that are racist, sexist, and/or contain obscenities;
• Sending inflammatory messages;
• Sending a message with someone else's name on it;
• Sending a large number of personal messages from computers on campus;
• Knowingly placing a computer virus on the network; or
• Placing unlawful information on the network.

 
Policy on Pornography

Vernon College's computers are not to be used for knowingly accessing, downloading, or uploading sexually explicit graphics and information in terms patently offensive as measured by contemporary community standards. However, material which has specific instructional uses at Vernon College is excluded from this statement. For example, nursing and biology students may need access to graphics and text dealing with human anatomy or sexuality even though some community members will consider such graphics sexually explicit and offensive. This statement is not meant to limit academic freedom in any way. Those students in MCOT 1106 who use dial-in access from their home computers must take responsibility for preventing persons under the age of 18 from accessing unsuitable material. This can not be the responsibility of Vernon College.

 
Network Security

Security is a high priority in the Vernon College system. Any user who identifies a security problem is required to report it immediately to Information Technology. The problem should never be demonstrated to any person outside of Information Technology.

 
Electronic Mail

Right to privacy regarding the contents of E-Mail has already been debated in the courts. Think of E-Mail as being very similar to a postcard. It may pass through a lot of points where it can be read before it reaches its destination. Also, remember that when an E-Mail message is sent or received, a copy of it may be stored on the hard disk of a server remote from your computer. Regular backups are made of these hard disks. Even after an E-Mail message has has been deleted, it is very possible for it to still exist in a readable form on some computer. Vernon College will retain the right to examine E-Mail when some compelling reason exists to do so.

 
Web Pages

Web pages may be designed by students as part of classroom instructions. These pages will only be put on the Vernon College web server for students in Introduction to Internet and Intermediate Internet classes.

 
Security of Personal Information

Students should be aware that not all INTERNET sites are secure. If students choose to transmit personal information such as credit cards numbers while using Vernon College's telecommunications facilities, they do so at their own risk. Vernon College can not be responsible for any problems which occur.

 
All Wright Library Patrons are obligated

Any use of the Vernon College telecommunications resources will constitute agreement to abide to these policies. Failure to adhere to the guidelines could result in being prohibited from any further use.

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