2024-2025 Student Handbook

COMPUTER USE POLICY

General Policy

In support of the University’s mission of teaching, research and service, Suffolk provides access to computing and information resources within institutional priorities and financial capabilities. The University encourages faculty, employees, and students to make full use of these resources. Use of the computing and information resources is a privilege extended in good faith to faculty and employees and carries with it the responsibility to abide by certain policies and guidelines to ensure that all users enjoy the benefits of these resources.

Guidelines for Use

I. The computer facilities and information resources are for the use of authorized persons only. Faculty, employees, and students are responsible for maintaining password security and the security of the computer system they use. Faculty and employees must not allow anyone to use their passwords to gain access to the computer facilities, including e-mail. II. Computer and information resources are meant solely for legitimate purposes relating to education, coursework, teaching, research and administration of the University. Among the uses that are inappropriate are:

A. Causing intentional damage to any component of the computing and information resource facilities.

B. Unauthorized access, alteration, copying or deletion of system accounts, passwords, directories, files or programs belonging to any other user.

C. Unauthorized dissemination of confidential records obtained through computer and information resources.

D. Sending foul, inappropriate or threatening messages such as those including offensive racial or sexual content.

E. Using the facilities to harass or intimidate individuals or interfere with their normal use of the system.

F. Playing practical jokes, sending chain letters or “fake” e - mail, “spamming” (sending hundreds of copies of the same message), introducing computer viruses or otherwise deliberately breaching system security.

G. Soliciting for unauthorized outside business ventures or political or religious causes.

H. Creating personal copies of licensed, proprietary software or running illegally copied software. (See University Policy on Copyright)

III. Any faculty member, employee, or student worker who has access to confidential information must access only the information that they have a legitimate administrative or academic need to use, modify or otherwise view. The confidentiality of all such information must be maintained. IV. The University ITS Department has more specific guidelines for use of specialized resources provided by the University. Faculty, employees, and students must familiarize themselves with those guidelines and abide by them. In addition, both the Sawyer and Moakley Libraries have specialized resources as does University Media Services (UMS). Again, users must abide by any specialized guidelines issued by those departments.

Faculty and Employee Consent to Abide by the Computing Policy

Copies of the University policy will be placed in faculty and employee handbooks and will be distributed to employees at the new employee orientation.

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