ICT Facilities

These Regulations are intended to ensure the proper use of all College computer systems and network facilities, and the effective protection of individual users and the College. The Regulations apply in supplement to existing College regulations, and all relevant legislation.

 

Access to ICT facilities, (including e-mail and Internet access) is provided free of charge for all staff and students. The primary focus of providing access to these facilities is to support and enhance the educational and work activities of the College, and the following regulations are designed to ensure that these facilities are used in an appropriate and professional manner whilst undertaking tasks on behalf of the College.

 

Students and staff may use the facilities available to them for their own personal use in their own time without additional charge by the College, providing that such use does not in any way interfere with use for College activities.  In using facilities in this way, users should note that they are agreeing to be bound by the following regulations to the same extent as they would be when undertaking College required activities. Where facilities are used for personal activities users should note that they are liable for any additional consumable costs which may be incurred.

 

Access to the College's computer systems and network facilities requires users to accept certain responsibilities and obligations. In particular users must accept their responsibility to use the facilities only for appropriate authorised purposes.

 

Use of the computer systems and networks should always be legal, ethical, reflect the standards of the College community, and accept the need to be restrained in the use of the available resources. Use should demonstrate respect for security mechanisms, and for each individual's rights to freedom from harassment, intimidation and annoyance.

 

Users must also observe the regulations of other networks, such as the JANET network, to which the College network may be connected.

 

Users should also be aware that the College reserves the right to intercept and examine all network communications where this is necessary to ensure the effective running of systems, and to ensure compliance with these regulations, subject to the provisions of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000, and other relevant statutory requirements as may apply within the specific circumstances.  Such interception will be authorised on each occasion by the Information Systems Manager, or such other person to which he has delegated this authority.  Staff users should be aware that the College reserves the right to access their College e-mail account in situations where a member of staff is absent from work for a prolonged period of time, or has left College employment. Where such action is taken, access will be subject to agreement by the member of staff's Team Leader and will be limited to access for work purposes only.

Regulations

 

These regulations are for the benefit of students and staff and all other authorised users, and are designed to ensure the smooth running of College computer systems and network facilities, and to maintain the safety and security of all users. 

 

(a) Usernames and passwords are provided for the personal use of the individual user.

They are not to be made available to anyone else, either inside or outside the College, and their security must be maintained at all times.  Users should not leave computers  logged  in and unattended, and must always log out at the end of a session.  Users may  be held responsible for actions undertaken using their username.

 

(b) Users of College computer facilities are prohibited from :

 

• attempting to gain unauthorised access to computer held information

• attempting to decode passwords or bypass other security measures

• degrading system performance by deliberately consuming excessive computer or network resources

• deliberately storing, creating or propagating viruses, worms or other malicious software

• using another user's password for any purpose

• monitoring network communications

• reading any other user’s email without their permission

 

(c) The College's computer systems are specifically not to be used for what is reasonably 

Judged to be:

 

• any illegal purpose

• private commercial purposes

• to send or store offensive or obscene material

• to annoy, harass, intimidate, threaten, or offend others

• to disrupt or damage the work of others

• to invade the privacy of others

• to send material which a recipient reasonably deems to be offensive, obscene or defamatory.

• to bring the College into disrepute

 

In some circumstances, automated systems (such as web content filtering) may be used to limit access to, or dissemination of, undesirable material. Users are specifically reminded that where this is the case, the primary responsibility still remains with them to ensure that they do not store or disseminate such material.

 

(d) All use of computer systems must comply with:

 

• all Copyright laws

• Obscene Publications Act 1959

• Protection of Children Act 1988

• Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994

• Computer Misuse Act 1990

• Human Rights Act 1998

• Data Protection Act 1998

• Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

 

• The Telecommunications (Lawful Business Practice) (Interception of Communications) Regulations 2000 (Statutory Instrument)

 

• the terms of any licence agreements

 

• apparently free software must not be downloaded from the internet, and/or installed on College computers without ensuring that this is genuinely free of charge and appropriate for downloading. Students must seek approval from their tutor prior to downloading or installing any software from the internet. Free software will still normally be subject to licence conditions, which must be complied with.

 

(e) Users of internet services must conform to the  JANET network acceptable use regulations which can be found at :

 

http://www.ja.net/documents/publications/policy/aup.pdf

 

A breach of any of these regulations will be considered to be a breach of College regulations, and will be dealt with under the appropriate disciplinary code in force at the time.

 

 

 

 

If you access an internet site which, in your opinion, either offensive or obscene, please make a note of the address and report it to an appropriate member of staff. Access may then be prevented.  Conversely if you find access to a site is restricted and you require access for a legitimate purpose, please report the address to an appropriate member of staff.

 

It is recommended good practice that a disclaimer clause is used for any communication sent outwith the College network.  Suggested wording for a disclaimer statement is detailed below.

 

This message is confidential to the intended recipient, please check to ensure that it is addressed to you, if not, please advise me of this immediately.

 

All reasonable steps have been taken to ensure that the contents of this message are accurate and no responsibility is taken for any errors or omissions.