A Guide to Responsible Use of Electronic Communication at BCCC

Access to Bucks County Community College’s (BCCC) electronic information and communication sources is a privilege granted to students, faculty, and staff members of the College.BCCC aims to provide the best possible information services with the fewest restrictions to members of the College community.Electronic means of information access and exchange, such as voice mail and e-mail accounts, the information stored in local and remote databases, or personal computers, telephones, and fax machines, are to be used only for the purposes for which they are assigned.Appropriate uses fall within the College priorities of instruction, research, and other related educational and institutional communications.

BCCC along with many other institutions of higher education, supports the following statement from the 1989 brochure, “Using Software,” distributed by EDUCOM:

Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to works of all authors and publishers in all media.It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgment, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution.

Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments.Violations of a writer’s integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access, and trade secret and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community.

User Responsibilities

BCCC is very concerned that respectful care be used with the privileges of access to electronic information and communication.All users benefit from the proper care of the work environment, consisting of equipment, software, and data.Every user (student, staff, or faculty member) is obligated to treat the work environment appropriately, and to return all documentation to its rightful location.To ensure that there are no misunderstandings, the following description of the policies regarding computer and software use is provided.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism and other forms of academic cheating are unacceptable and are considered as major infractions of the Student Code of Conduct and College Policy.The College Policy Regarding Cheating and Plagiarism applies to electronic forms of information and communication as well as to more traditional formats. Penalties for Cheating and Plagiarism, along with the College Policy, are published in the College Catalog.

Software

Every user is expected to be diligent in preventing software piracy.Quality software is valuable, and violating a program’s license agreement is illegal.No one other than authorized personnel is allowed to install software on College equipment. Users are responsible for taking precautions, such as scanning discs for viruses, to protect College equipment and networks.

Equipment

Equipment used in electronic communication is expensive, and money available for its replacement is limited. All users of such equipment are expected to take excellent care of it.Any malfunction must be reported immediately and a notice of malfunction placed on the appropriate equipment.No one other than authorized personnel is allowed to repair or modify the equipment, and theft or vandalism of equipment, software, or documentation will be subject to disciplinary action.

Password Security

Password security is every user’s responsibility.Users may not give their password to any other individual or allow it to become known and are encouraged to change passwords frequently.Incorporating symbols and numbers (e.g.,*)9/@) along with letters minimizes opportunities for misuse of a password. Before leaving a workstation, users must log off to prevent unauthorized access to files.

Privacy

Every user’s right of access to public sources of information carries with it the right to privacy of personal files.Every user is responsible for honoring the privacy of other users. Using accounts or files for which a user is not authorized is considered a breach of privacy and is unacceptable.

Consequences of Failure to Comply with Guidelines for Responsible Use

Abuse of privileges of access to electronic information and communication is subject to disciplinary action as specified in the Student Code of Conduct, published in the College Catalog, and according to College Policy.Unauthorized use may be traced electronically. In severe cases, disciplinary action may lead to prosecution under the laws and statutes of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania or under Federal statutes and regulations.

The aim of this policy is to respect the rights and needs of all authorized users of electronic information and communication sources at BCCC.Both providers and users of electronic means of communication at BCCC share responsibility for valuing and protecting the privilege of access to these resources.