General Computer Policy

Lamar computing facilities include any computer, computer-based network, computer peripheral, operating system, software or any combination thereof, owned by Lamar University or under the custody or control of Lamar University.

The following principles apply to all Lamar University staff, students, faculty and other users of the Lamar computer facilities. Users shall:

1. Be accountable for using these facilities in an effective, ethical and lawful manner.
2. Use only those facilities for which they have authorization, whether these facilities are at Lamar or at any other location accessible through a network.
3. Take all reasonable steps to protect the integrity and privacy of the Lamar computing facilities including software and data. In particular, users shall not share with others the access codes, account numbers, passwords, or other authorization which has been assigned to them.
4. Adhere to the copyright laws regarding software, data, and authored files.
5. Adhere to the policies established by the administrators of external networks such as THENET and NSFNET when using such networks. Users should also adhere to the policies established by the administrators of local computing facilities at Lamar.
6. Respect the privacy of others. This includes, but is not limited to, abstaining from the unauthorized access to E-mail, files, data, and transmissions.
7. Not use the Lamar computing facilities for unauthorized commercial activities.
8. Not use the Lamar computing facilities for any illegal purposes. Such acts include accessing, destruction of or alternation of data owned by others, interference with access to computing facilities or harassment of users of such facilities at Lamar computing facilities or harassment of users of such facilities at Lamar or elsewhere, unauthorized disruption of Lamar computing facilities, attempts to discover or alter passwords or to subvert security systems in any computing or network facility.
9. Properly identify themselves in any electronic correspondence and provide valid, traceable identification if required by applications or servers within the Lamar computing facilities or in establishing connections from the Lamar computing facilities.
10. Have respect for intellectual labor and creativity. This applies to work of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgement, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution. Violation of authorial integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access, and trade secret and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against computing facilities users.
11. Have access to the widest of viewpoints, free from institutional orthodoxy and internal or external coercion. Acquisition and access to information in any form should be subject only to financial limits and other standard criteria of collection such as the useful life of the materials, storage capacity, etc.
12. Expect network and system administrators to treat the contents of electronic files as private and confidential. Users should further recognize that, as specified in the relevant administrative policies at Lamar, authorized Lamar personnel have the obligation to take reasonable and appropriate steps to ensure the integrity of Lamar computing facilities and to ensure that these Policies are observed. Any intrusion into personal files must be in compliance with University policies and laws governing such acts.

Any violation of this Policy may result in disciplinary action in accordance with University policies, or prosecution in accordance with State and Federal laws.

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