Network Acceptable Use Policy (NAUP)

Information and Technology Services at Guilford provides network connections to support the educational mission of the college, and these facilities should be used for that purpose. Access to Guilford's computing, telecom, and network facilities and services (collectively, the "Network") is a privilege granted solely to Guilford faculty, staff and registered students and those individuals outside the college who have been authorized by Guilford to utilize the network. Your use of the network is subject to compliance with the following policy. It is the responsibility of each individual to use the network appropriately and in compliance with all college, city, county, state and federal laws, regulations and policies. All users of the Guilford network should be aware of the nature of their actions and be aware that those actions reflect on the college as a whole. Your use of Guilford's network constitutes your agreement to abide by these policies.

Guilford accepts no duty or obligation to monitor, review or filter any material that may be available using the network. You accept complete and sole responsibility and risk for any materials accessed, downloaded or used by means of the network, including the accuracy, relevance and appropriateness of any information or other data. These policies and procedures may be changed without prior notice. The current version of these policies is available on the Guilford Web site. The current location is at www.guilford.edu/policies. Use of the network is subject to all relevant policies contained in the Guilford College Student Handbook (students), Faculty Handbook (faculty) and Administrative and Staff Handbook (administration and staff) regardless of whether a particular policy in a handbook also is expressly mentioned in this document.

Acceptable Use and Responsibilities

Network Accounts & Responsibilities:

  1. Each individual is responsible for the use of his or her e-mail and network accounts. Never exchange passwords or allow others to use your e-mail or network accounts. Unauthorized use of an individual's e-mail or network account or any attempt to gain access to an account other than your own is prohibited. Access to and use of the network is not transferable by a user to any other individual or organization.
  2. Use of the network to annoy, threaten, abuse or harass others is also prohibited. Guilford's policy on harassment, sexual harassment and respect for all persons extends to use of any electronic technology or communication, including but not limited to email correspondences, electronic postings and voicemail. Further the Guilford College Email Policy contains guidelines for the appropriate and official use of the Guilford College email system including the approved methods of sending mass email through the Buzz and announcements through the Beacon. The Guilford College Student Handbook (students), Faculty Handbook (faculty) and the Administrative and Staff Handbook (administration and staff) contain further information on these policies and a description of your options for addressing such harassment. Communication of obscene, threatening or defamatory material to or from the Internet by means of the Guilford network, or through the Network, is prohibited.
  3. Forgery, impersonation or other misrepresentations of one's identity or origin via electronic or other forms of communication, including concealment or falsification of one's age in order to access, obtain or view material otherwise restricted from minors, is a violation of the applicable handbook. This prohibition is not intended to apply to the mere non-disclosure of ones own identity through use of devices to maintain anonymity such as a nickname, a pseudonym or an anonymous remailer, so long as such a device does not assist or facilitate the violation of any other provision of this policy.
  4. Users of Guilford's network must not violate any copyright or other intellectual property law or licensing agreement, including unauthorized copying of software, use of unlicensed software and use or distribution of software, video, audio, text or images in a manner inconsistent with such laws or licensing agreements.
  5. The Guilford College Student Handbook describes the nature of plagiarism and identifies such activity as an academic honor code violation. This prohibition includes plagiarism of World Wide Web sources or other materials obtained over computer networks, as well as inadequate citation or attribution of any intellectual property that is not your own.
  6. You should not consider information stored on or transmitted through the network and the Internet in general to be private or confidential. Information stored on the Network, college owned computers, or servers, is the property of the College.

Network Facilities:

  1. You must not use Guilford's network to gain or attempt to gain unauthorized access to remote computers or to interfere with the use of or access to any other computer, nor to facilitate others to do so. Residential room or office connections may not be used to provide Internet access to anyone outside of the college community for any purposes other than those that are in direct support of the academic mission of the college and are approved by the college. No network facility or connection may be modified or extended beyond the scope of its intended use, including all wiring, hardware and residential room or office jacks. A data port may be accessed only by the computer system registered to that port; any attempt to substitute another computer may result in the port's automatic deactivation.
  2. College owned computers, workstations or networks are to be used solely to support college-related activities and the college mission such as Guilford courses, professional and scholarly endeavors, research projects, departmental activities, student organizations and related communication and work. College resources are not to be used for financial gain or commercial activity that is unrelated to a valid college function. Creation of servers or other technologies that interfere with the Network’s functionality, efficiency, or integrity are prohibited.

Network Performance & Integrity:

  1. Network use or applications that inhibit or interfere with the use of the network by others are not permitted, whether the resources involved are internal to Guilford or involve the Internet generally. (For example, applications that interfere with the stability or throughput of the network are not permitted. This can include purposefully installed applications or unintentionally installed applications such as spyware or Trojans.) Intentional or unintentional actions that indicate a willful disregard for the rights of others, which may interfere with the speed or use of the network by others, are not permitted and may result in deactivation.
  2. You must not disclose without authorization any personal information or other data that identifies another individual user of the Network or use such information or data for any financial gain or commercial purpose.
  3. Any attempt to compromise the integrity or security of the network, or to facilitate unauthorized network access, is prohibited.

 

Consequences for Violations

If Guilford has a reason to believe that its network is or has been used in violation of the legal rights of any other person or entity or of any college, city, county, state or federal law, regulation or policy, the college reserves the right to review, access or monitor any information, communication or data stored on or transmitted through the network in order to facilitate an investigation or secure evidence related to a violation. Guilford may also conduct such review, access and monitoring activities, as may be incidental to performance of network management or maintenance tasks or to improvement of network performance or requested by senior administrators. Except for disclosure to law enforcement officials or as otherwise may be provided by law, Guilford will attempt to provide reasonable notice under the circumstances prior to disclosure to any outside party of such information, communication or data belonging to any holder of a network or e-mail account.

Additional consequences may include reimbursement to the college of any expenses incurred as a result of the violation. Violations resulting in deactivation of connectivity may incur reconnection fees as follows.

Failure to abide by the above listed policy may (depending on the severity) result in:

  1. a) IT&S and/or Campus Life will inform the student, faculty, or staff member that they are in violation of the policy. IT&S will provide information about the violation and ways to prevent future violations. b) A second similar violation occurs and network access for the individual is deactivated. There will be a $25 reconnection fee charged to the student. Connectivity will be restored upon payment of the fee to the Director of Student Accounts, acceptance of the receipt by IT&S, and verification from IT&S and/or Campus Life that the problem is resolved. c) Any additional similar incidents or noncompliance with the above steps will result in judicial violations and additional reconnection fees increasing in increments of $25 for each additional reconnection.
  2. IT&S and/or supervisor will inform the faculty or staff member that they are in violation of the policy.  IT&S will provide information about the violation and ways to prevent future violations.  b) A second similar violation occurs and the supervisor or appropriate administrator is informed  c) Any additional similar incidents or noncompliance with the above steps, could result in a document being placed in the personnel file, disciplinary action, or termination.
  3. IT&S, Campus Life or other administrative areas are informed by outside parties that a particular person or computer is downloading/uploading copyrighted materials or performing other illegal activities. Network deactivation and reconnection fee of $25 will be assessed to the student..  Students may be referred for disciplinary action and employees may face disciplinary action or termination.
  4. Referral to law enforcement agency when necessary/appropriate

 

Possible violations of the above policy should be reported to the Office of Information Technology and Services, and it may refer the matter to the appropriate college-related authority. If you are aware of any potential violation of these policies, please provide the relevant information to Office of Public Safety, or Office of Information Technology and Services, 336-316-2360, lkraus@guilford.edu.