Technology

C O N T E N T S

• Use of Student-owned Technology
• Laptop Requirement
• University Acceptable Use Policy

Use of Student-owned Technology

Please note that instructors reserve the right to require that students use appropriate technologies within their classes. This may include the requirement that students bring and use their laptops to class, or that specific labs, hardware, or software are used as directed.

All instructors reserve the right to regulate the use of technology in their classrooms. This may include the requirement that students close their laptops or other mobile devices, turn them off, or remove them from tabletops.

Students who do not comply with such faculty requests or requirements will be held accountable as dictated by the course syllabus and in accordance with the University’s Judicial System.

Laptop Requirement

Although there are a number of computer labs on campus, it is required that students have a laptop which they can bring to campus and use to complete coursework. The minimum requirement for all students is a laptop equipped with Microsoft Word, the standard software for drafting papers for Critical Studies courses. Many programs have specific hardware requirements that are found on the university website. The Adobe Creative Cloud array of applications is available free of charge to all students in CAMD, CPA students in MBET and ThD&Tech, and Critical Studies students in Film and Media Studies. Numerous other software applications are available to students who comply with the laptop requirements of their program.

University Acceptable Use Policy

Introduction

This policy governs the management of the University’s computer data networks as well as stand-alone computers that are owned and/or administered by The University of the Arts and managed by the Office of Technology and Information Systems (OTIS). The policy reflects the general principles of the University community and indicates, in general, what privileges and responsibilities are characteristic of the University’s computing environment.

Definitions

• OTIS– Office of Technology and Information Systems
• Network– The complete mechanism by which computers and peripherals are connected.
• Networked computer– A computer system that is connected to any data network maintained by OTIS.
• Shared computing resource– A networked computer and OTIS peripherals that can be used by more than one person.
• Central– Refers to networked computers and peripherals purchased, maintained, and operated by OTIS and made available to all or part of the University community.
• Department– Refers to networked computers and peripherals purchased, maintained, and operated for academic-specific purposes by individual academic departments (or OTIS) and made available to those associated with the program the resources support.
• Individual– Refers to networked computers purchased for use by an individual member of the University community, and which can be made available to other individuals or groups by the owner.
• System administrator– The person having executive authority over one or more networked computers.
• Clients– members and/or guests of the University for whom the services and resources of OTIS are provided.
• Distributed resources– applications and services (enterprise-wide and program specific) that are provided to members and/or guests of the University for academic, communication and social networking purposes.

General Policies

Computer and network use has become an essential part of most University activities. While much computing is now done on individually controlled computers (personal computers, workstations, etc.) most information resources and communications systems reside on shared, central servers, or shared networks. Distributed resources, such as public access workstations provide additional computing tools. OTIS, together with computing resources throughout campus, as well as several academic departments, has the responsibility of providing and maintaining shared computing tools. General policies regarding the resources UArts provides are outlined below:

• Access– The University of the Arts will provide access to appropriate central and campus computing resources, and to networks, for all members of the University community whose studies and work requires it.
• Availability– The University of the Arts will make OTIS central and campus computing resources and networks available to the University community with the fewest interruptions possible.
• Monitoring- OTIS maintains logs of various activities associated with computer usage on campus (i.e. URLs visited, intrusion logs, email logs, etc.).  These logs are only used to manage the network traffic and are not to be used to infringe upon the privacy of network clients.
• Interception- To protect the University community from email viruses and other threats to the network, OTIS may intercept messages that meet specific criteria indicating the presence of a threat, informing the University community as soon as reasonably possible. OTIS will notify any community member when a message to them or from them has been intercepted and not delivered. OTIS will not open any intercepted messages without the permission of the recipient. This activity is done in concert with individual client filtering through personalized Spam rules.
• Archiving– OTIS regularly archives (back-ups) material on enterprise servers. Information is preserved for a finite period and may be used to recover lost or corrupted data. Clients should be aware that these backup tapes contain a record of all files, including email and network logs, on the system at the time of the backup.

Security

The University of the Arts will assist clients of central and campus shared computing resources in protecting information they store on those resources from accidental loss, tampering, unauthorized search, or other access. The system administrator will make appropriate information on the security procedures implemented on all resources available.  Clients should be aware, however, that unauthorized individuals might gain access to electronic communications and files.  Clients who are concerned about maintaining the privacy of their email and files are encouraged to password-protect all documents and data stored on hard drives.

In the event of an inadvertent or non-malicious action resulting in the loss of or damage to that information, or the invasion of the user’s privacy, OTIS will make reasonable efforts to mitigate the loss or damage. The University will provide reasonable security procedures on University-maintained systems. Clients are responsible for properly maintaining the protections under their control specific to files associated with their computer accounts. Clients may request that arrangements be made to protect information stored on such resources. These requests will be honored at the discretion of the manager of the resource.

The user is responsible for correct and sufficient use of the tools each computer system provides for maintaining the security and confidentiality of information stored on it. For instance:

• Computer accounts, passwords, and other types of authorization are assigned to individuals and should not be shared with others.
• Individuals should select and obscure the account password and change it frequently.
• Individuals should understand the level of protection each computer system automatically applies to files and supplement it, if necessary, for sensitive information.
• All individuals should be aware of computer viruses and other destructive computer programs, and take steps to avoid being a victim or unwitting conduit for attacks.

Passwords are an important part of computer security.Hackers know this and spend a lot of their time trying to guess passwords. Many security experts believe that maintaining strong passwords and changing passwords on a regular basis can help protect personal and institutional IT systems and information. It is known that academic systems are among the most vulnerable due to their open and unrestricted nature.

Password Rules

The following should be considered in creating network passwords:

• Be between 8 and 14 characters (inclusive) for UArts Access
• Password should be changed every 180 days (6 months)
• New passwords must include at least two newcharacters
• Passwords cannot contain your username forward or backward
• Passwords must contain only these characters:

Lowercase:

Uppercase:

Numeric:

Special:

• Passwords must have at least: 1 Uppercase, 1 Lowercase,1 Numeric, and 1 Special Character

Elements of a Strong Password

• Mix it Up:Include upper and lowercase letters, punctuation, and numbers. Select a letter to capitalize at random; try to avoid the first letter.
• Avoid Dictionary Words or Proper Names:If you are going to spell-out a word or phrase, remove letters, replace them with numbers, or deliberately misspell the word or phrase. For example, “I Hate Peas” can become “eyeH8pEEz”.
• Avoid Personal Information:This includes birthdates, names of family members or pets, and address information.

Maintenance of Resources

OTIS routinely updates and manages resources through centrally managed tools that periodically push updates and patches to applications it maintains. Users of university owned resources are reminded to leave computers on overnight at least three times a week so upgrades and patches can be remotely installed on their systems. Clients will be asked to login after such pushes the morning following such upgrades.

Residential Networks

Residence Hall users and guests are bound by the following rules and regulations in order to maintain the integrity and accessibility of computing resources in those buildings and on campus.

• No router, hub, or other connection-sharing device or software is permitted on any UArts network connection.
• Only UArts installed Wireless Access Points and wireless services are permitted.  Non-UArts Wireless Access Points and/or connecting to non-UArts wireless services is strictly prohibited. Users found in violation of this policy may be disconnected without notice.
• All devices attached to the UArts wireless network must be registered.  When a device is first attached to the network, a prompt to the registration process will display.
• Computers attached to the UArts residence hall networks may not be used to serve or publish content intended for external use such as bulletin boards, chat rooms or gaming servers.
• Use of the residence hall networks for commercial purposes, either for profit, or not for profit, is prohibited.
• UArts automatically assigns network addresses for all devices.  Individuals may only use the addresses assigned by the network.  Fixed or static addresses are not provided or permitted.
• Distributing anonymous email or bulk unsolicited email is prohibited.
• UArts network users may not harass, abuse, or threaten other users on campus or on the Internet.  Violators may be subject to disciplinary action and or criminal penalties.
• The residence hall networks may not be used for any activities that disrupt network operations or impact any other systems on campus or off campus.  Any activity that disrupts academic, administrative, or any other function on campus is prohibited.
• All activities performed on the UArts network must be in compliance with this Acceptable Use Policy along with all local, state and federal laws.

Other Resources

System administrators of departmental and individual computing resources are responsible for the security of information stored on those resources, for making appropriate information on security procedures available to clients of those systems, and for keeping those systems free from unauthorized access. These administrators are required to work with OTIS in the sharing of procedures so both OTIS and the department are aware of processes in place. Departmental or program network attached servers must first be approved by OTIS (Vice President for Technology and Information Services) before being allowed to connect and utilize network resources.

Confidentiality

The University of the Arts intends that all files and email are private and confidential unless the owner intentionally makes this information available to other groups or individuals.  Interception of network transmission is strictly forbidden. In general, information stored on computers is considered confidential, whether protected by the computer operating system or not, unless the owner intentionally makes this information available to other groups or individuals. The University of the Arts will assume that clients wish information they store on central and shared computing resources to remain confidential. OTIS will maintain confidentiality of all information stored on university computing resources. Similarly, privileged information on account usage (in other words, that available only to clients with system privileges) will also be treated with confidentiality. Privileged information available to system administrators will be held in confidence.

The administrator of the computer system involved will review requests for disclosure of confidential information. Such requests will be honored only when approved by University officials authorized by appropriate policy or procedures, or when required by local, state, or federal law.

Censorship

Free expression of ideas is central to the academic process. Therefore, UArts computer system administrators will not evaluate any information from individual accounts unless it is determined that:

• The presence of the information involves an illegality (e.g., copyrighted material, software used in violation of a license agreement).
• The information in some manner endangers computing resources or the information of other clients (e.g., a computer worm, virus, or other destructive program).
• A University judicial or grievance process finds cause for content to be removed in accordance with standing policies and procedures.

OTIS computer systems administrators and department computer systems administrators may remove from central or department computers information as defined above. Clients whose information is removed will be notified of the removal as soon as is feasible. Clients wishing to appeal such removal of information may do so in accordance with the appropriate appeals process relative to their status within the University.

Responsibilities of the User

Access to computing resources and networks is a privilege to which all University faculty, staff and students are entitled. Access may also be granted to individuals outside the University for purposes consistent with the mission of the University. Certain responsibilities accompany that privilege; understanding them is important for all computer clients.  Refer to the section ‘Sanctions’ regarding the policy of The University of the Arts in handling infractions of these responsibilities. These responsibilities are listed below:

Institutional Purposes

Use of UArts computing resources and networks is for purposes related to the University’s mission of creativity and artistic expression; academic teaching, learning and research; and community engagement. The use of computing resources and networks are for purposes related to an individual’s studies, instruction, or the discharge of duties as employees, their official business with the University, or their other University-sanctioned activities. The use of UArts computing resources, networks, or bandwidth for commercial purposes is not permitted except by special arrangement with appropriate computing systems administrators and other appropriate University officials. Installation of private servers, routers and hubs, not approved by OTIS, are prohibited.

Legal Usage

Computer resources and network access and bandwidth may not be used for illegal purposes. Examples of illegal activities include, but are not limited to:

• Intentional harassment of others
• Intentional destruction of or damage to equipment, software, or data belonging to The University of the Arts or other clients
• Intentional disruption or unauthorized monitoring of electronic communications
• Unauthorized acquisition of and/or distribution of copyrighted and/or licensed material

Ethical Usage

Computing resources and network access should be used in accordance with the standards of the University community as described in such documents as the Student Handbook and Faculty Handbook. Examples of unethical use follow; some of them may also be illegal:

• Violations of computer system security.
• Harassment of other members of the university community
• Unauthorized use of computer accounts, access codes, or network identification numbers assigned to others.
• Intentional use of computer communications facilities and resources in ways that unnecessarily impede the computing services available to others (randomly initiating interactive electronic communications or email exchanges, overuse or interactive network utilities, etc.).
• Use of computing facilities for private business purposes unrelated to the mission of the University or campus life.
• Academic dishonesty (plagiarism, cheating).
• Violation of software license agreements.
• Violation of network usage policies and regulations.
• Violation of others’ right to privacy.

Collegial Usage


Individuals using The University of the Arts computing resources can facilitate computing in the University environment in many ways. Respecting the diversity of the user community demands the practice of responsible computing. This should include:

• Regular deletion of unneeded files from one’s accounts on shared servers.
• Refraining from overuse of connection time on public access machines, information storage space, printing facilities, or processing capacity.
• Refraining from overuse of interactive network utilities.
• Refraining from overuse of network-shared bandwidth.

Equipment Ownership

All personal computers, tablets, printers, desk phones and cell phones which are distributed to faculty and staff are the property of The University of the Arts.  Anyone in possession of university owned equipment asset(s) is required to return the equipment to their department head upon employment termination, leave, transfer or retirement so that the assets can be reassigned as needed.  It is the individual’s responsibility to remove any personal data from their device.

In cases where university owned equipment is scheduled for hardware upgrade, the new equipment will not be distributed to the recipient until the old system is delivered to OTIS Support Services.  It is the responsibility of the equipment user to backup their data prior to returning the equipment to OTIS and taking possession of their new system.  

OTIS maintains computers and digital equipment for loan to students, faculty and staff. This equipment is the property of the university. Individuals borrowing university-owned equipment are responsible for its proper handling and return at the conclusion of use. Failure to return equipment or damage to that equipment will require the borrower to make restitution for replacement or repair.

Sanctions

The University of the Arts treats the abuse of computing facilities, equipment, software, data, networks, or privileges seriously. Unauthorized access to electronic communications and files is strictly forbidden. Use of computing resources is to be conducted in keeping with the guidelines established in the following official publications of the University: Academic Catalog, the Faculty and Student Handbooks, the Employee Handbook, and the Academic Integrity Policy. Sanctions adjudicated by The University of the Arts will be resolved in the manner stated in the appropriate handbooks and policies applicable to the status of the individual user. Illegal acts involving The University of the Arts computing resources may also be subject to prosecution under local, state, and federal laws.