Administrative Policy Regarding Computer User Responsibilities

The computer resources* of The City University of New York (CUNY) and Queensborough Community College (QCC) must be used in a manner that is consistent with the College's and University's education purposes and environment. All users of computer resources are expected to act in a spirit of mutual respect and cooperation, and to adhere to the regulations for their use set forth in this document.

The rules of conduct for computer use include, but are not limited to, the list below. Interpretation of the rules of conduct will be addressed by QCC's Chief Information Officer (IT), and the Vice President for the Division of Strategic Initiatives & Advancement, as appropriate. As a user of CUNY/QCC computer resources:

• You must have a valid authorized account to use computer resources that require one, and may use only those computer resources that are specifically authorized. You may use your account in accordance with its authorized purposes and may not use an unauthorized account for any purpose.
• You are responsible for the safeguarding of your computer account. You should change your password frequently and should not disclose it to anyone. You should take all necessary precautions in protecting the account, no matter what type of computer resources you are using.
• You may not circumvent system protection facilities.
• You may not knowingly use any system to produce system failure or degraded performance. Chain letters are prohibited.
• You may not engage in unauthorized duplication, alteration or destruction of data, programs, or software. You may not transmit or disclose data, programs, or software belonging to others. You may not duplicate copyrighted materials.
• Intrusion into private files, obtaining or spreading programs or files that can cause damage to any computer files or the operation of the computer system, or wasting the resources (people, capacity, computing) of these facilities is prohibited.
• You may not engage in abusive or improper use of computer hardware. This includes, but is not limited to, tampering with equipment, unauthorized attempts at repairing equipment, and unauthorized removal of equipment components.
• Users must not destroy the integrity of information available here and at other sites. All programs and data files stored on Queensborough Community College computing facilities are presumed to be private and confidential. Users must not compromise the privacy of any other user in any way.
• Access to electronic communications services such as electronic mail (both local and off-campus) and the Internet is a privilege that must be used with intelligence and discretion. Improper use of this privilege includes but is not limited to wasting computing resources, attempting to gain unauthorized access to communication resources, harassing other users by sending or accessing annoying, obscene, libelous or threatening messages, and displaying questionable textual or graphical information within CUNY/QCC or beyond via its network facilities.
• Computer resources are provided for CUNY and QCC-related purposes. You may not use computer resources for private purposes, including but not limited to, the use of computer resources for profit-making or illegal purposes. Solicitation for commercial or partisan political purposes is prohibited.
• Users should immediately disclose to the Chief Information Officer any unauthorized computer activity and cooperate with system administrators in their operation of the computer system and investigation of abuse.
• The use of College computer resources may be subject to College regulations and you are expected to be familiar with those regulations. College regulations are subject to revision. You are expected to be familiar with any revisions to the College regulations.

CUNY and QCC reserve the right to monitor, under appropriate conditions, all data contained in the system to protect the integrity of the system and to ensure compliance with regulations. The College is capable of accessing, reviewing, and recording:

1. Access to the system, including successful and failed login attempts and logouts;
2. Inbound and outbound file transfers;
3. Terminal connections to and from external systems;
4. Sent and received e-mail messages;
5. Web sites visited, including uniform resource locator (URL) of pages retrieved;
6. Date, time, and user associated with each event.

Any user who is found to be in violation of these rules shall be subject to the following:

1. Suspension and/or termination of computer privileges;
2. Disciplinary action by appropriate College and/or University officials;
3. Referral to law enforcement authorities for criminal prosecution;
4. Other legal action, including action to recover civil damages and penalties.

* Computer Resources is an inclusive term referring to any and all computing/information technology, hardware, software and access. Hardware includes, but is not limited to, terminals, personal computers, workstations, printers, mice, monitors, cabling, peripheral devices. Software includes, but is not limited to, mainframe shared software, networked software and stand-alone software residing on personal computers. Access includes, but is not limited to, accounts on timesharing systems as well as access to stand-alone personal computer systems and other relevant technology such as e-mail and the Internet.