Ethical Guidelines
for Computer Users
(Reprinted from IPFW Faculty Senate Document SD91-5, as amended 12/10/2001)
The IPFW Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct (hereafter, the Code) sets forth general policies and procedures governing the use of university facilities by students. The purpose of these guidelines is to interpret these policies and procedures specifically for students using the university's computing facilities.
University computer resources are designed to be used in connection with legitimate, university-related purposes. The use of university computing resources to disseminate obscene, pornographic, or libelous materials, to threaten or harass others, or otherwise to engage in activities forbidden by the Code is subject to disciplinary action as specified in the Code.
Intellectual Property Rights and Responsibilities
Central to an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of student computer users is the notion of intellectual property. In brief, this concept holds that materials stored in electronic form are the property of one or more rightful owners. Like any other property, electronically stored information, whether data or programs, can be stolen, altered or destroyed, misappropriated, or plagiarized. Such inappropriate activities violate the Code and are subject to disciplinary action as set forth in the Code.
Access Rights and Responsibilities
The use of lab, e-mail, web and other computing resources should be focused on facilitating individual or small-group interaction; other uses -- for example, using computer resources to conduct a commercial enterprise or private business -- constitute theft from the university subject to disciplinary action as specified in the Code. Similarly, the introduction of information which interferes with the access or information of others -- for example, the introduction of programs of a type commonly called "viruses" or of nonacademic, network-game simulations -- is subject to disciplinary action. E-mail should not be used for junk mailings.
Junk-mail, including chain mail, wastes system resources and the time of those who receive it. Neither should e-mail be used to forge a message so as to have it appear to come from another user. All such inappropriate use of e-mail is subject to disciplinary action, including -- but not limited to -- loss of e-mail account.
Certain university-controlled computing resources are openly available to all students on a first-come, first-served basis; access to other resources is limited -- often only by means of posted notices -- to students in certain disciplines or specified courses; access to still other resources is carefully controlled by such means as user IDs and passwords. Students are responsible for adhering to the spirit and the letter of these access controls. Violations of access rights can be interpreted under the Code as theft of university services whether or not those services have been separately billed.
Students are also responsible for ensuring the confidentiality of access rights under their control. For example, release of a password, whether intentional or inadvertent, invites misuse by others and may be subject to disciplinary action.
General Rights and Responsibilities
Despite access controls imposed, system failures may occasionally make it possible for students inappropriately to read, use, copy, alter, or delete information stored electronically on a university computer system. Students are responsible for not exploiting such system failures and for reporting them to proper university personnel so that corrective steps can be taken.
The University strives to maintain a quiet, library-like environment in its computer labs in order that lab users can use their time productively and with minimal distractions. Proper use of computer resources follows the same standards of common sense and courtesy that govern the use of other public facilities. Improper use violates those standards by infringing upon others' ability to fulfill their responsibilities.
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