The Board of Trustees, in granting access to District computers and networks, expects that employees and students, in their use of these systems, will adhere to legal and ethical standards consistent with the District's mission.

The Board hereby directs the administration to develop regulations and procedures setting forth the specific responsibilities and obligations related to use of District computers and networks. The administration shall also establish disciplinary procedures to enforce this policy that are consistent with policies and laws governing the conduct of employees and students.

1. PURPOSE

This is a District-wide policy adopted by Yuba Community College District (District) to allow for the proper use and management of all College computing and network resources. Those District sites and departments that operate separate networks or systems may add individual guidelines that supplement, but do not relax, this policy.

The District grants access to its networks and computer systems subject to certain responsibilities and obligations set forth herein and subject to all local, state, and federal laws. Appropriate use should always be legal, ethical and consistent with the District's mission.

The District grants access to its networks and computer services to facilitate its educational mission. Authorized users are granted the privilege of use to support the educational activity of the District. Research, scholarly communication, administrative activity, and interaction with students, faculty, staff and administrators throughout this District and throughout the world are appropriate when conducted in accord with the mission of the District.

The District electronic mail and other network services may be used for incidental personal purposes provided that, in addition to all other conditions and restraints stated in this policy, such use does not directly or indirectly interfere with the District operation of its computing network and services, burden the District with noticeable incremental cost, or interfere with the user's employment or other obligations to the District.

2. AUTHORIZED USE

Authorized use of District-owned or operated computing and network resources is use consistent with this policy. An Authorized User is any person who has been granted authority by the District to access its computing and network systems and whose usage complies with this policy. Authority to use a particular District computing or network resource should come from the campus unit responsible for operating the resource. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited. The terms "Authorized User" and "user" are hereinafter used interchangeably.

3. PRIVACY

Users must recognize that there is no guarantee of privacy associated with their use of District network and computer systems. The District may find it necessary to view electronic data in order to properly administer the system or in order to investigate a complaint. The District may also be required by law to allow third parties to view files, data and messages (e.g. electronically stored data may become evidence in legal proceedings, or subject to Public Records Act disclosure requirements.) It is also possible that messages or data may inadvertently be viewed by others.

4. INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITIES

4.1. Common Courtesy and Respect for Rights of Others

All users are responsible to respect and value the privacy of others, to behave ethically, and to comply with all legal restrictions regarding the use of electronic data. All users are also responsible to recognize and honor the intellectual property rights of others.

Communications on District computers or networks should be businesslike, courteous and civil. Such systems must not be used for the expression of animus or bias against individuals or groups, offensive material such as obscenity, vulgarity or profanity, inappropriate jokes or other non-businesslike material. Users who engage in such activity will be subject to disciplinary action.

No user may, under any circumstances, use District computers or networks to libel, slander, or harass any other person. The following are examples of Computer Harassment: (1) intentionally using the computer to annoy, harass, terrify, intimidate, threaten, offend or bother another person by conveying obscene language, pictures, or other materials or threats of bodily harm to the recipient or the recipient's immediate family; (2) intentionally using the computer to contact another person repeatedly with the intent to annoy, harass, or bother, whether or not any actual message is communicated, and/or where no purpose of legitimate communication exists, and where the recipient has expressed a desire for the communication to cease; (3) intentionally using the computer to contact another person repeatedly regarding a matter for which one does not have a legal right to communicate, once the recipient has provided reasonable notice that he or she desires such communication to cease (such as debt collection); (4) intentionally using the computer to disrupt or damage the academic, research, administrative, or related pursuits of another; or (5) intentionally using the computer to invade the privacy, academic or otherwise, of another or the threatened invasion of the privacy of another.

No user shall use the system to send excessive amounts of emailer generate excessive amounts of traffic on another system, and shall not: (1) forge email or USENET posting header information, (2) send large numbers of unsolicited mail messages, (3) add addresses to any mailing list without explicit positive consent of the addressee, (4) forwarding or posting of chain letters, (5) or engage in harassment, whether through language, frequency, or size of messages.

4.2. Responsible Use

All users are responsible for refraining from all acts that waste District computer or network resources or prevent others from using them. Each user is responsible for the security and integrity of information stored on his/her personal desktop system. Computer accounts, passwords, and other types of authorization are assigned to individual users and must not be shared with or used by others. All users must maintain confidentiality of student information in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and the California Education Code as interpreted in the Yuba College Student Records Policy.

In addition, all users are responsible to exercise judgment in the use of the access the District network provides to external networks (the Internet). Users are advised that on the Internet they may encounter material which may be considered offensive or objectionable in nature or content. Users are further advised that the District does not assume responsibility for the content on any outside network.

4.2.1. Permitting unauthorized access

All users are prohibited from running or otherwise configuring software or hardware to intentionally allow access by unauthorized users.

4.2.2. Use of privileged access

Special access to information or other special computing privileges are to be used in the performance of official duties only. Information that is obtained through special privilege is to be treated as private.

4.2.3. Termination of access

Whenever a user ceases being a member of the District community or if such user is assigned a new position and/or responsibilities within the District, such user shall not use facilities, accounts, access codes, privileges, or information for which he/she is not authorized in his/her new position or circumstances.

4.3. Attempts to circumvent security

Users are prohibited from attempting to circumvent or subvert any security measures implemented for the District computing and network systems. The use of any computer program or device to intercept or decode passwords or similar access control information is prohibited. This section does not prohibit use of security tools by Information Resources System Administration personnel.

4.3.1. Denial of service

Deliberate attempts to degrade the performance of a computer system or network or to deprive authorized users of access to or use of such resources are prohibited.

4.3.2 Harmful activities

The following harmful activities are prohibited: creating or propagating viruses; disrupting services; damaging files; intentional destruction of or damage to equipment, software or data belonging to the District and the like.

4.3.3 Unauthorized access

All users are also strictly prohibited from: (1) damaging computer systems; (2) obtaining extra resources without authority; (3) depriving another user of authorized resources; (4) sending frivolous or excessive messages (e.g. chain letters); (5) gaining unauthorized access to District computing and networking systems; (6) using a password without authority; (7) using loopholes in the District computer security systems without authority; (8) using another user's password; and (9) accessing abilities used during a previous position at the District.

4.4. Use of licensed software

No software may be installed, copied, or used on District resources except as permitted by the owner of the software and by law. Software subject to licensing must be properly licensed and all license provisions (installation, use, copying, number of simultaneous users, term of license, etc.) must be strictly adhered to.

4.5. Personal business, political campaigning, and commercial advertising

The District's computing and network systems are a District-owned resource and business tool to be used only by authorized persons for District business and academic purposes. Except as may be authorized by the District, users should not use the District's computing facilities, services, and networks for (1) compensated outside work; (2) the benefit of organizations not related to the District, except in connection with scholarly pursuits (such as faculty publishing activities); (3) political campaigning; (4) commercial or personal advertising; (5) the personal gain or benefit of the user.

5. SECURITY

5.1. System administration access

Certain system administrators of the District's systems will be granted authority to access files for the maintenance of the systems, and storage or backup of information.

5.2. District Access

The District may access usage data, such as network session connection times and endpoints, CPU and disk utilization, security audit trails, network loading, etc. Such activity may be performed within the reasonable discretion of the Information Resources Division management, subject to District approval.

5.3. Departmental responsibilities

Each District department has the responsibility of: (1) enforcing this policy; (2) providing for security in such department area; (3) providing authorized users within the department with resources for regular disk backups (software, hardware, media, and training); and (4) providing for virus protection.

5.4. Public information services

Departments and individuals may, with the permission of the Director of Information Systems and Technology of the District, configure computing systems to provide information retrieval services to the public at large under the auspices of the District. (Current examples include "anonymous ftp," "gopher," and "World Wide Web.") However, in so doing, particular attention must be paid to issues addressed earlier in this policy, such as authorized use, responsible use of resources and individual and departmental responsibilities. In addition, copyrighted information and materials and licensed software must be used in an appropriate and lawful manner.

6. PROCEDURES AND SANCTIONS

6.1. Responding to security and abuse incidents

All users and departmental units have the responsibility to report any discovered unauthorized access attempts or other improper usage of District computers, networks, or other information processing equipment. If a security or abuse problem with any District computer or network facility is observed by or reported to a user, such user shall immediately report the same to such user's department head and/or the Director of Information Systems and Technology.

6.2. Range of disciplinary sanctions

Minor infractions of this policy, when accidental, such as consuming excessive resources or overloading computer systems, are generally resolved informally by the unit administering the accounts or network. This may be done through electronic mail or in-person discussion and education.

Repeated minor infractions or misconduct that is more serious may result in the temporary or permanent loss of computer access privileges or the modification of those privileges. More serious violations include, but are not limited to unauthorized use of computer resources, attempts to steal passwords or data, unauthorized use or copying of licensed software, repeated harassment, or threatening behavior. Offenders may be referred to their supervisor, sponsoring advisor, department, employer, or other appropriate District office for further action. If the offending individual is a student, the matter may be referred to the Vice President of Student Services for disciplinary action.

Any offense that violates local, state, or federal laws may result in the immediate loss of all District computing privileges and will be referred to appropriate District offices and/or law enforcement authorities.