The Hastings College mission statement espouses the commitment to provide an environment which challenges students to “develop intellectual, critical, creative, and communicative skills that provide the basis for learning, personal growth, and expression.” For us to successfully provide this environment it is incumbent upon all users of Hastings College’s computing resources to use those resources appropriately and responsibly, i.e., to use computing and networking in a way that does not infringe on any other individual’s academic freedom, that does not impede any other individual’s intellectual inquiry, and that does not interfere with any other individual’s use of these resources.

Download information about the lawful use of copyrighted materials

• Attempting to gain access to personal information, computer accounts, or computing resources for which you are not authorized;
• Allowing others to use one’s account to access campus computer resources;
• Not logging off from public terminals, thereby providing others access to computing resources for which they may not be authorized;
• Damaging, altering, or tampering with others’ data contained appropriately within or transported by Hastings College computing facilities;
• Violating the confidentiality of information associated with an individual or their research, or information associated with the college;
• Any form of electronic eavesdropping, e.g., examining the contents of data packets transmitted on the campus network;
• Any form of harassing or threatening activity;
• Violating copyright protection and authorizations, license agreements, and contracts;
• Any commercial use, or use for profit;
• Transfer and/or unauthorized use of College computer names and addresses;
• Activity on any non-campus network, such as Internet, that violates their usage guidelines (see usage guidelines from these various networks).
• Violating copyright laws and their fair use provisions through inappropriate reproduction and/or distribution of music (including MP3 files), movies, computer software, copyrighted text, images, etc.

Many of these examples involve violations of law. For example, unauthorized access into someone’s information stored on a computer system is a violation of that person’s right to privacy and is a crime.

The Hastings College Office of Information Technology reserves the right to assist in determining inappropriate use. This may include, but is not limited to, examining the contents of data files, reports, and system activity logs. More importantly users should realize that when computer use involves sending data across the campus network, or Internet, anyone with the proper equipment can intercept and read these messages.