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Appendix A - Simpson College Computer Ethics and Policy Statement

Simpson College provides information technology resources to a large number and variety of users – studentsand college employees. As members of the campus community, all users have the responsibility to use those services in an effective, efficient, ethical and legal manner. Ethical and legal standards that apply to information technology resources derive directly from standards of common sense and common decency that apply to the use of any shared resource. The campus computing community depends first upon the spirit of mutual respect and cooperation that has been fostered at Simpson College. While freedom of expression is recognized, users of institutional computer accounts are reminded that certain categories of speech-defamation, obscenity and incitement to lawlessness are not protected by the Constitution. Users are encouraged to respect the privacy of others, and to avoid grossly offensive expressions in matters of ethnicity, race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age or disability, which may create a hostile environment under the College’s unlawful harassment policy (see Section A point 5). Simpson College reserves the right to monitor the use of technology related resources for the purpose of determining compliance with the provision of the computer ethics and policies statement.

A. COMPUTER USER ACCOUNT AND ELECTRONIC MAIL POLICY - No person may use, or attempt to use, any computer account other than his/her own assigned account. The negligence or naiveté of another user in revealing an account name and password does not confer authorization to use the account. 

An account owner may not lend his/her account(s) to another user. 

Each account owner is responsible for all computing activities involving that account, and will be held responsible for any misuse of that account. 

All users accessing inter-campus networks using College owned resources must know and respect the rules and policies of that network. 

Users may not send anonymous mail, mail with altered headers giving erroneous information (e.g., an erroneous “sender” name), or anonymous files from anywhere on campus. 

Users may not use college owned resources to deliberately annoy, or significantly impede, the academic pursuit of others or to unlawfully harass others (see Section A, point 5). For example, the sending of obscene, abusive, or threatening e-mail.

B. SIMPSON COLLEGE MAIL-LIST USE POLICY - Upon getting an e-mail account you will automatically be added to an appropriate moderated e-mail list. Currently, these lists include “students”, “staff-admin” and “faculty”. The purpose for these lists is to disseminate academic and other school-related information to the respective groups. Please do not send the following types of messages, since they are not academic related:

1. Messages sent for the purpose of selling goods. (This excludes sales announcements by administrative/academic departments and college related groups.) 

2. Messages meant to benefit a single individual whether it be a student, or a college employee.

3. Messages which are considered “chain letters”, jokes or other such mail. 

4. Messages containing any content which conflicts with any part of the “SIMPSON COLLEGE COMPUTER ETHICS AND POLICIES STATEMENT” and “COMPUTER USER ACCOUNT AND ELECTRONIC MAIL POLICY.”

Simpson College reserves the right to review e-mail messages for compliance purposes. 

C. COPYRIGHT AND COMPLIANCE POLICY - The unauthorized copying or attempted copying of any proprietary or licensed software provided or installed by Simpson, is theft, and thus unethical. 

Failure to observe software copyrights and/or license agreements may result in disciplinary action by this Institution and/or legal action by the copyright owner. 

All shareware programs must be registered in accordance with their license and use provision. 

Respect for the intellectual work and property of others has traditionally been essential to the mission of colleges and universities. We do not tolerate plagiarism, and we do not condone the unauthorized copying of software, including programs, applications, databases and code.

The faculty of this institution recognizes its obligation to provide continuing guidance as to what constitutes academic honesty, and to promote procedures and circumstances, which will reinforce this principle.

D. WORLD WIDE WEB PUBLISHING POLICY - Simpson College recognizes the value and potential of publishing on the Internet, and so allows and encourages students, staff, and faculty to publish electronic information. 

Content of all electronic pages, including links to other pages, must be consistent with college policies as stated, and with local, state, and federal laws. A page may be considered in violation if it contains links to a page that violates the aforementioned policies. 

Copyright laws apply to electronic publishing as well as to other publishing. Users are expected to abide by these laws. 

No institution-owned information technology resource should be used for commercial purposes, including sales and marketing. 

All personal home pages must contain the disclaimer; “the views and opinions expressed on this page are strictly those of the page author”. 

The College’s information technology resources are finite. Owners of personal home pages that require inordinate amounts of computer resources will be asked to modify their page or move it to an Internet service provider better equipped to distribute those pages.

E. REMOTE ACCESS ACCOUNT POLICY - All full-time and part-time students living off campus have the option of obtaining a Dial-Up account to have access to the Internet and on-campus computing resources available over the Internet. The Information Services Office has the appropriate form to request a Dial-Up Account. Dial-Up accounts are provided for student use only.