Purpose

Computing and Information Technology are an integral part of the business of education at the Wayne County Community College District. WCCCD has made a substantial investment of human and fiscal resources to create and maintain the IT systems. The system is designed to enhance the sharing of information, communication and the exchange of ideas. Access to these systems is a privilege that comes with certain responsibilities and obligations and, therefore, is subject to District policy, as well as local, state, federal and international laws.

Scope

This policy applies to permanent and temporary WCCCD employees, students, contractors, consultants and other users at WCCCD, and covers e-mail on District-owned computing and networking resources. The policy applies to all technology that can access the district network including but not limited to pc, laptops, PDA or any other wired or wireless equipment.

Policy

The District provides Information Technology resources to a number of users, including faculty, staff, students and consultants. All users have a responsibility to employ computing and networking resources in an effective, ethical and legal manner. All are responsible for the integrity in which computing and networking resources are used.

Acceptable uses

• Use all the systems and softwares only for acceptable purposes
• Making sure that your user-id and password are protected from unauthorized use
• Be courteous in your use of public resources
• Practice considerate communication with good morals and ethics in using the network
• Comply with all copyright and other laws concerning software and other materials that may be used in the District
• Users must respect and comply with all relevant local, state, federal and international laws, District policies and procedures, and contractual agreements

Unacceptable uses

• Attempting to gain unauthorized access to resources and information, including other’s user-id and passwords;
• Purposely causing excessive strain to WCCCD system 
• Effort to evade, threaten, or hinder the District's system or network security procedures
• Using the District’s IT resources for any unlawful activities or for offensive, demeaning, harassing or disruptive purposes
• Inappropriate use of the systems; willful introduction of viruses or other infections; wasteful acts such as unnecessary print jobs; tampering with network components; connecting unapproved technology to campus networks
• Make or use illegal copies of copyrighted materials, software, or music, store such copies on District systems, or transmit them over District's networks
• Using District IT resources for personal monetary gain unless pre-approved in writing by the Chancellor or his designee
• Attaching personal technology to the District’s network resources, including wireless access without approval from the IT director
• Using computer programs to crack passwords or access controlled information

Privacy and Use of Information

WCCCD does not guarantee that electronic communications will be private. Users should be aware that it is possible that any electronic communication can be forwarded, intercepted, printed or stored by others, depending on the technology. All messages created, sent or retrieved using District-owned resources are considered the property of the District.

Users should be aware that all communications, including text and images, may be disclosed to law enforcement or other third parties without prior consent of the sender or receiver.

Monitoring

At this time, WCCCD does not regularly monitor the content of electronic communications. However, without advanced notice, WCCCD management reserves the right to monitor the content of any electronic communications to support operational, maintenance, auditing, security and investigative activities. Users should structure their electronic communications with the understanding that the District management may, from time to time, examine the content of e-mail and other electronic communications.

Non-compliance

COPYRIGHT AND LICENSING AGREEMENTS

It is the District’s policy to comply with all laws governing intellectual property. Anyone accessing the Internet using District owned resources is not permitted to copy, transfer, rename, add or delete information or programs belonging to others unless given express permission to do so by the owner. Failure to observe copyright or license agreements may result in disciplinary action by the District and/or legal action by the copyright owner.

The District and its employees are legally bound to comply with the Federal Copyright Act (Title 17 of the U.S. Code) and all proprietary software license agreements. Civil penalties for violation of copyright laws exposes the District and the responsible user to liability for damages suffered by the copyright owner, as well as fines for each illegal copy. In addition, violations of copyright laws that are committed "willfully and for purposes of commercial advantage or private financial gain" expose the District and the responsible user to criminal penalties including fines for each illegal copy and a possible jail term.

For the comprehensive WCCCD User Acceptable Policy, please refer to  the Board of trustees
Administrative Memorandum