SH.04 - Computer Services

SH.04.A – Acceptable Use Statements and Standards

Access to computing resources is a privilege granted to all TCC faculty, staff, and students. Use of TCC computing resources is limited to purposes related to the College’s mission of education, research, and community service.

Certain responsibilities accompany that privilege and understanding them is important for all computer users. Since the use of TCC computing resources are in the public domain, all users are subject to having their activities on this system monitored and recorded by college personnel. Any data created or accessed through College resources is the property of TCC and may be used in disciplinary or College proceedings.

All users of TCC’s computing resources (i.e., hardware, software, network, and information systems) will comply with the following legal and ethical, security and confidentiality, reasonable usage, and sanction standards.

College computing resources may not be used to violate or be in violation of any municipal, state, or federal law or executive order; or to interfere with or disrupt the orderly educational process of Tulsa Community College; or to exhibit conduct or activity generally considered to be grossly offensive or totally unacceptable to society at the time and place and manner of the commission of the activity. Computing resources shall be used in accordance with the high ethical standards of the College community. Examples of unethical use, which also may involve illegality, include but are not limited to:

  • Violation of computer system security
  • Destruction of or damage to hardware, software, or data belonging to TCC or other users
  • Harassment of other users
  • Unauthorized use of computer accounts, files, and data which do not belong to the user
  • Unauthorized use of access codes assigned to others
  • Intentional use of computer telecommunication facilities in ways that impede the computing activities of others
  • Violation of another user’s privacy
  • Disruption, alterations, or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications
  • Academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating)
  • Violation of software license agreements and other copyrights
  • Unauthorized copying or use of copyrighted material
  • Violations of network usage. Tulsa Community College accesses the Internet through OneNet; therefore, the OneNet Acceptable Use Policy applies to all internet usage.

Security and Confidentiality

Users are responsible for the use of their individual accounts and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their accounts. Under no conditions should a user make visible, available, or provide his/her password, account, or I.D. to another person.

Reasonable Usage

TCC endeavors to maximize the available computing resources within financial and physical constraints. Everyone is expected to make reasonable use of limited resources. Unreasonable usage can include the unnecessary storage of disk files, careless execution of intensive programs, and the generation of excessive printer output or electronic mail. As a courtesy to other people using the networks, students should not transfer large amounts of data between computing systems. Computing resources are for instructional and research use, not for personal, recreational, or commercial use. Use of connect time, information storage space, printing, or processing capacity should be confined to a reasonable length of time. Students should refrain from overuse of interactive network utilities (such as those on Internet) and from reconfiguring the computer settings.

Sanctions

If a user is found to have violated these statements, the College is authorized to take action consistent with its existing policies and procedures including, but not limited to, suspension and/or revocation of access to computing resources as well as enforcing any policies and procedures stated in the TCC Student Code of Conduct and the Employee Handbook.

SH.04.B – Copyright Infringement and Peer-to-Peer Statements

Tulsa Community College expects that all students and employees adhere to the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. §§ 101-1332 (2012) and the related acts and the TCC Copyright Policy. For information regarding faculty intellectual property policy, see the Faculty Handbook by requesting a electronic copy from the Library. Unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials (such as sharing copyrighted music and other materials illegally with others) is not allowed and may subject the infringer to civil and criminal penalties. Please refer to Federal Laws from www.copyright.gov for copyright infringement, remedies, and penalties. Also refer to Oklahoma Laws that apply to the use of computing and networking.

  • All students, faculty, and staff should familiarize themselves with the copyright laws and their fair use provisions, and review the TCC Copyright Policy.
  • Faculty, staff, and students who face litigation over copyright infringement should not assume that the College would defend them nor be responsible for judgments.
  • TCC suggests that both students and employees use legal methods to gain access to copyrighted materials.
  • TCC restricts access to peer-to-peer Web sites from the TCC network. TCC allows access to sites that offer legal alternatives for downloading music, movies, and other copyrighted materials.

HEOA Policy and Annual Disclosure Statement

In compliance with state and federal copyright laws and the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) (Public Law 110-315), Tulsa Community College adheres to a Copyright Infringement and Peer-to-Peer policy listed below.

  1. TCC informs students, faculty, and staff about copyright laws and TCC’s policies related to violating copyright laws and peer-to-peer file sharing through an Annual Disclosure sent via email to every enrolled student as well as every employee from Student Student Success and Equity at least once per academic year.
    1. What are copyright infringement and peer-to-peer file sharing?
      • Copyright infringement is the act of exercising, without permission or legal authority, one or more of the exclusive rights granted to the copyright owner under the Copyright Act of 1976, 17 U.S.C. § 106 (2012). These rights include the right to reproduce or distribute a copyrighted work. In the file sharing context, downloading or uploading substantial parts of a copyrighted work without authority constitutes an infringement. Penalties for copyright infringement include civil and criminal penalties. For more information, please see www.copyright.gov.
      • Peer-to-Peer is a network where computers communicate directly with each other, rather than through a central server. Often referred to simply as peer-to-peer, or abbreviated P2P, it is a type of network in which each workstation has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities in contrast to client/server architectures, in which some computers are dedicated to serving other computers. A "network" is a group of two or more computer systems linked together by various methods.
    2. Below is a summary of TCC’s policies on copyright and peer-to-peer file sharing including disciplinary actions for violators:
      • Employees of TCC will be informed of the violation and asked to correct the copyright or peer-to-peer violation. If future violations are found, they will be referred to their appropriate supervisory chain to include notification to their respective cabinet member.
      • Potential Student Disciplinary Actions
        1. First violation: Students will be warned and asked to correct the copyright or peer-to-peer violation as soon as possible.
        2. Second violation: Immediate suspension of privileges to the College’s Telecommunication Systems.
        3. Third violation: Students will be referred to the Office of Conduct and Community Standards for further disciplinary action which may include suspension from the College.
  2. TCC uses the following technology-based deterrents to help combat copyright infringements and peer-to-peer (P2P) access on the TCC network.
    1. Bandwidth monitoring through the College’s network and firewall technology which alarms network staff of suspicious behavior consistent with P2P file sharing.
    2. Use of a firewall to block known ports used by some peer-to-peer software.
  3. TCC offers legal alternatives to illegal downloading, such as library materials and services.
    • The TCC Library also offers education and information on copyright compliance.
  4. Other Online Resources dealing with Copyright and Peer-to-Peer information:
  5. This policy will be reviewed annually under the supervision of the Chief Copyright Officer, the Dean of Libraries and Knowledge Management, in conjunction with Student Success and Equity and IT, to assess its effectiveness and review student compliance. All third-tier student violations are recorded and reported to the Vice President of Student Success and Equity or their designee for this assessment.

SH.04.C – Student Email

Students are provided a College email account while they are enrolled at TCC. This is one of the official means through which College information is shared. Students should check their College email accounts on a regular basis, and failure to do so could result in missed communication.