X-15.13 - Policy on Acceptable Use

I.  POLICY AND PURPOSE

Bowie State University (“BSU”) provides and maintains computing and telecommunications technologies (“BSU Campus Wide Area Network”) to support the work of its staff and the education and research of its faculty and students. Access to local, national, and international resources encourages an atmosphere of educational excellence through the sharing of information, instructional innovation, and open communication.

Thus, this policy is designed to ensure the responsible and ethical behavior of BSU users in order to preserve the health, availability, and integrity of BSU Campus Wide Area Network resources. This policy also supports investigations of complaints under other policies such as the BSU honor code or state and federal laws on privacy and computer abuse.

II. APPLICABILITY

  1. Scope: This policy covers access to BSU Campus Wide Area Network
  2. Eligibility: This policy applies to all faculty, staff, and students of BSU that have been granted access to BSU Campus Wide Area Network resources via University-owned computers (“PCs”)
  3. Responsibility: The Department Chairs, School Deans, Division Heads, Vice Presidents, and the Provost, with guidance from the Director of the Office of Information Technology and legal advice from the Office of EEO Programs/Legal Counsel, will ensure compliance with this policy.

III. GUIDELINES AND STANDARDS

  1. Faculty, staff, and students of BSU shall:
    1. Use BSU Campus Wide Area Network resources only for authorized purposes that support and advance the objectives of BSU;
    2. Only access their individual files, publicly available files, or those files they have been authorized to obtain;
    3. Operate only legal versions of copyrighted software in compliance with BSU site license or vendor license requirements; and
    4. Be considerate of their use of shared resources and refrain from monopolizing online time or printer paper
  2. Faculty, staff, and students of BSU shall not:
    1. Use another person’s user id, password, files, or data;
    2. Attempt to de-code passwords or access control information;
    3. Attempt to circumvent BSU Campus Wide Area Network security measures;
    4. Engage in any activity that might be harmful to BSU computer systems or networks, such as creating or spreading viruses intentionally;
    5. Use BUS computer systems for commercial purposes; such as using e-mail to circulate advertising for products;
    6. Make, operate, save, or transmit illegal copyrighted software via BSU computer systems; and/or
    7. Engage in any activity that does not support or advance the purpose of BSU.

IV. RESULTS

Acceptable use of computing and telecommunications technologies always is ethical, reflects academic honesty, and shows restraint in the use of shared resources. It demonstrates respect for intellectual property, ownership of data, system security, and individual rights to privacy, freedom from intimidation, harassment, and unwarranted annoyance.

V. EXCEPTIONS AND DEVIATIONS

This policy focuses on major principles of acceptable use and non-acceptable use since it is impossible to anticipate every way in which individuals can harm or misuse BSU facilities. An action is not necessarily acceptable simply because it may not be explicitly restricted here.

VI. DEFINITIONS

None.

Revision Date: 01/03/2023