Procedures and Guidelines for Telecommunications Access and Use
Access Approval
Access to and use of the Palomar Community College District telecommunications equipment,
facilities and networks must be authorized by the appropriate faculty member, computer
laboratory director, supervisor or administrator. Students using computer classroom
or laboratory facilities will be expected to adhere to the guidelines for student
conduct published in the Student Conduct Code. Commercial use of telecommunications
equipment or facilities except for the development of course-related materials by
faculty or staff is not permitted unless approved in advance by the governing board.
Commercial product advertising must also be approved in advance by the governing
board. Use of District property including telecommunications resources for political
activities as defined by
California Education Code Section 7054
is prohibited. (See Definitions.) In the event that these procedures are not followed,
the District may initiate disciplinary action including the withdrawal of permission
to use District telecommunications resources. An appeal of such disciplinary action
would conform to the guidelines relating to student conduct, "Academic Due Process,"
the "Handbook of Policies Covering Classified Employees in the Bargaining Unit Represented
by the CCE/AFT," or the Administrative Team Handbook" as appropriate. While District
telecommunication technicians may monitor transmissions for purposes of network
traffic administration, it is the District’s policy not to monitor transmissions
for content except when required to do so in the normal course of business, in a
criminal investigation, in response to a lawfully issued subpoena or valid court
order, or when specific written permission to do so is granted by the Superintendent/President.
(See Definitions -- "content," "normal course of business.")
Copyright and Plagiarism Issues
The Palomar College community is encouraged to become familiar with the District’s
policy encouraging the full use of information technology. Anyone approved to use
District telecommunications equipment or facilities, however, must agree to adhere
to copyright and software licensing laws. In addition, anyone who uses District
telecommunications equipment or facilities to retrieve from and/or publish material
on the Internet must respect copyright constraints and the guidelines for fair use
of such materials. Anyone who uses District telecommunications equipment or facilities
agrees to adhere to the Academic Integrity Code of Conduct, Board Policy 305, that
prohibits plagiarism, defined as "false representation of another’s work as one’s
own," for any material published on District intranets or the Internet. The illegal
capture, printing, duplicating, and mounting of Web sites or other electronic resources
on District computers is expressly forbidden. Users wishing to publish electronic
material on District equipment must follow the District guidelines as detailed in
the "Access Approval" section of this document. The user and not the District accepts
responsibility for the content and currency of all electronic material.
Laboratory or Classroom Computer Facilities
System administrators such as instructional computer laboratory directors are responsible
in consultation with faculty using the facility for setting minimum guidelines applicable
to a particular laboratory within the parameters established for use of District
information technology resources. These guidelines should be prominently displayed
in the laboratory or on the startup screen of computers. While informing students
of appropriate and inappropriate use of Internet, World Wide Web, and e-mail in
a particular lab should be included in the guidelines, filtering software preventing
access to these resources shall not be installed on District computers or servers.
User Responsibilities
The individual user is responsible for maintaining the security of any passwords
to accounts that are issued. These passwords must be kept confidential by taking
care that others do not learn them through carelessness on the part of the authorized
user. The user must not attempt to mislead a potential reader about the origin of
a message. The user must not attempt any malicious act which would threaten the
integrity of the District telecommunications equipment, programs, or facilities.
Attempts to gain unauthorized access to files, data or programs or to introduce
a virus on a District computer or network are to be construed as malicious acts
and may result in disciplinary action. The user must respect the privacy of others
and the security of the system. The user must obey federal and state laws relating
to the communication or receipt of threats, harassment, obscenity or pornography.
Privacy of Telecommunications Transmissions
District computers and telecommunications equipment are public property, purchased
with public funds and provided to public employees and enrolled students for use
in conducting the public's business. They also provide educational opportunities
to qualified members of the public. The privacy of student and employee records
shall be protected by appropriate security procedures. Users should be aware, however,
that communications including e-mail may become accessible to unauthorized individuals.
District technicians may have access to telecommunications transmissions while performing
network or other telecommunications maintenance or when troubleshooting network
problems.
E-mail
The District considers e-mail transmitted using District resources to be private
correspondence between the sender and recipient and will not monitor it for content.
As the Internet tends to be a public medium, however, the sender is responsible
for the content of any e-mail that the user transmits and is expected to follow
the guidelines appropriate to discourse in an academic community.
Violations
All suspected violations of the Palomar Community College District Network and Telecommunications
User Policy or these procedures shall be reported to the appropriate District director,
chairperson or administrator who shall determine what action is necessary in keeping
with legal obligation and District policies.
Definitions
- Content: The substance of telecommunications transmissions as contrasted with
the form or style thereof. For purposes of the Telecommunications User Policy, substance
shall be understood to include, (a) the words and graphics of the messages, (b)
e-mail addresses to which transmissions are sent and from which they are received,
and (c) and Web site addresses to which connections and/or links are made.
- District:
The officers and other employees of the Palomar Community College District as well
as its vendors and consultants.
- Filtering Software: Software that prevents access
to Websites or monitors content.
- Normal course of business: The District will
monitor transmissions for the purpose of insuring integrity and security in the
conduct of college business, to insure that college policies and procedures are
followed, and in compliance with federal and state accounting standards. The following
are examples of college business activity:
- Student registration, grade and transcript
processing,
- Electronic data interchanges with other educational institutions and
governmental agencies,
- Electronic funds transfers and purchase orders,
- Pursuant
to a contract agreement,
- In compliance with a contracted District audit or other
comprehensive audit of a program,
- Activities associated with the accreditation of
programs,
- In connection with an emergency, if the knowledge of that information
is necessary to protect the health or safety of students or other persons,
- Pursuant
to a District investigation of sexual harassment, physical or verbal abuse, or alleged
violations of District policies on security and confidentiality.
- Telecommunication
resources: A broad term covering all hardware, software, conduit, cable, lines of
transmission, and all related equipment and maintenance support services for telephone,
fax, e-mail, Internet, radio, and television owned, rented, leased, and used by
the District.
- Use of District Resources for Political Activities (Section 7054
of the California Education Code): No school district or community college district
funds, services, supplies, or equipment shall be used for the purpose of urging
the support or defeat of any ballot measure or candidate including but not limited
to any candidate for election to the governing board of the district. (b) Nothing
in this section shall prohibit the use of any of the public resources described
in subdivision (a) to provide information to the public about the possible effects
of any bond issue or other ballot measure if both of the following conditions are
met. The informational activities are otherwise authorized by the Constitution or
laws of this state. The information provided constitutes a fair and impartial presentation
of relevant facts to aid the electorate in reaching an informed judgment regarding
the bond issue or ballot measure. A violation of this section shall be a misdemeanor
or felony punishable by imprisonment in the county jail not exceeding one year or
by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), or by both, or imprisonment
in a state prison for 16 months, or two or three years.
- User: any person who
uses telecommunications resources owned by, rented by, or leased to the Palomar
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