Computer Policies The computing facilities at Baylor are provided for the use of Baylor students, faculty and staff in support of the programs of the University. All students, faculty and staff are responsible for seeing that these computing facilities are used in an effective, efficient, ethical and lawful manner. The following policies relate to their use. 1. Computer facilities and accounts are owned by the University and are to be used for university-related activities only. All access to central computer systems, including the issuing of passwords, must be approved through the Computer Center. All access to departmental computer systems must be approved by the department chairman or an authorized representative. 2. Computer equipment and accounts are to be used only for the purpose for which they are assigned and are not to be used for commercial purposes or non-university related activities. 3. An account assigned to an individual, by the Computer Center or a department, must not be used by others without explicit permission from the instructor or administrator requesting the account and by the Computer Center or department assigning the account. The individual is responsible for the proper use of the account, including proper password protection. 4. Programs and files are confidential unless they have explicitly been made available to other authorized individuals. Computer Center personnel may access others' files when necessary for the maintenance of central computer systems. When performing maintenance, every effort is made to insure the privacy of a user's files. However, if violations are discovered, they will be reported immediately to the appropriate Vice President. 5. Electronic communications facilities (such as MAIL) are for university related activities only. Fraudulent, harassing or obscene messages and/or materials are not to be sent or stored. 6. No one should deliberately attempt to degrade the performance of a computer system or to deprive authorized personnel of resources or access to any university computer system. 7. Loopholes in computer security systems or knowledge of a special password should not be used to damage computer systems, obtain extra resources, take resources from another user, gain access to systems or use systems for which proper authorization has not been given. 8.Computer software protected by copyright is not to be copied from, into, or by using campus computing facilities, except as permitted by law or by the contract with the owner of the copyright. This means that such computer and microcomputer software may only be copied in order to make back-up copies, if permitted by the copyright owner. The number of copies and distribution of the copies may not be done in such a way that the number of simultaneous users in a department exceeds the number of original copies purchased by that department. An individual's computer use privileges may be suspended immediately upon the discovery of a possible violation of these policies. Such suspected violations will be confidentially reported to the appropriate faculty, supervisors, department chairmen, Computer Center staff, and Vice Presidents. The Computer Center administrative staff or supervising department chairman will judge an offense as either major or minor. A first minor offense will normally be dealt with by the Computer Center administrative staff or supervising department chairman after consultation with the instructor or administrator requesting the account. Additional offenses will be regarded as major offenses. Appeals relating to minor offenses may be made to the supervising Vice Presidents. Major offenses will be dealt with by the supervising Vice Presidents. Violations of these policies will be dealt with in the same manner as violations of other university policies and may result in disciplinary review. In such a review, the full range of disciplinary sanctions is available including the loss of computer use privileges, dismissal from the University, and legal action. Violations of some of the above policies may constitute a criminal offense. Individuals using campus computer facilities should be familiar with the Computer Crimes Bill passed by the 69th Session of the Texas Legislature. (Copies are available from the Computer Center).