Acceptable Uses of the Internet at Francis Marion University

Preamble

As members of the Francis Marion University community, we are dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge, and we share a passion for ideas of all kinds. As a community dedicated to scholarship, it is reasonable to expect a level of civility and behavior that exceeds merely obeying the law. It is in this context that the acceptable uses of the Internet and acceptable behavior on the Internet should be understood.

Introduction

The Internet is rapidly growing network of networks that connect millions of computers and users throughout the world. As a network of networks, there is no centralized authority--no one is "in charge" of the Internet. Because of its size, and because of the lack of central authority, the volume of information exchanged on the Internet, the speed of exchange, and the freedom of exchange is genuinely unprecedented. These properties make the Internet an exciting tool for a community that thirsts for ideas, like Francis Marion University. These same properties also present some dangers for misuse and abuse. This "Acceptable Use Policy" is an attempt to broadly outline what kind of behavior that we as a community of scholars expect. As the Internet and Francis Marion University change, we anticipate that what is acceptable use will also change. Thus an "Acceptable Use Policy" is necessarily a dynamic document that will be subject to periodic review, discussion, and revision.

Access to the Internet

All registered students, faculty, administration, and staff may have accounts to access the Internet. Student accounts will be maintained during the summers between academic years for active students. Users are not permitted to share their accounts, and they will be held responsible for all activity on their account.

Responsible Uses of Information

Users at Francis Marion University will have access to computers and information throughout the world. That information will come in many forms, including text, graphic images, video, and audio. Some users may find some of this information profoundly disturbing. Francis Marion University does not endorse any of the information that users may find on the Internet, nor is it responsible for it. We expect that individual users will show good judgment in obtaining , storing, displaying, and using information that some consider offensive. To begin, we expect that users will obey local laws regarding the possession and use of pornography and obscenity. It is the user's responsibility to be aware of the local standard and abide by it. We expect that a user will protect sensitive information so that a casual user will not "stumble" upon it, and we expect that sensitive information will be stored on university computers only until a user can move it to his or her private computer. We expect that a user will not display sensitive information in a public manner that is offensive or disturbing. Displaying information in a crowded computer lab is different that displaying it in a private place. As a University community, we expect that Internet users will use information obtained on the Internet in a scholarly and responsible manner. Internet users will represent the University to the world Internet community simply by virtue of their electronic mail address. In keeping with our high expectations for behavior, we expect that Francis Marion users will represent the University well and do nothing to bring dishonor to the University. Users will not engage in any behavior that is libelous or malicious. They will not use the Internet to harass others. They will respect the electronic property of others. Users will not steal software. Internet users will not attempt to log in to computers that they do not have permission to use, nor will they copy electronic property without permission.

Using the Internet for personal purposes

Since part of university experience is personal and social contact, as well as professional and scholarly contact, reasonable and responsible personal use of the Internet through the university is acceptable. However, the extensive commercial/business use of the University's resources is not acceptable. We expect that users who are interested in commercial/business use of the Internet will secure their own personal connection via an Internet Provider.

Interpretation of Acceptable Use, and Protection of Users

Unfortunately, even in the best of societies, inappropriate behavior does occur. The system administrator will interpret this acceptable use policy, and he or she will attempt to contact users (via electronic mail or in writing) that are behaving inappropriately to discuss and correct their behavior. If a user continues to behave inappropriately, the system administrator may restrict, suspend, or revoke a user's Internet access without further warning or discussion. A user may appeal the system administrator's decision to the University Provost, whose decisions are final. Users who have difficulties with others on the Internet (whether they are on campus or off campus) should report those problems to the system manager.

Conclusion