Discussion of Rice's Appropriate Use of Computer Resources Policy

June 2, 1999

Rice's computing and network resources are shared among the Rice community (including students, faculty, staff, alumni, and retirees) for academic, research, and business needs. The potential negative impact of improper or illegal use of these resources ranges from disrupting the entire university's computing functions to tainting the university's reputation as perceived by those affected by these actions outside the university. A university policy ( Policy No. 832-99: Appropriate Use of Computer Resources ) establishes guidelines of proper behavior and specifies some prohibited actions that may also violate many city, state, and federal laws.

For the most part abiding by the policy simply involves responsible and courteous behavior. Don't take any action that would disrupt the work of others or access resources that you are unauthorized to use. If you are unsure about an action, ask first. If you don't know how to use a resource, learn first. Misuse of resources includes working irresponsibly as well as actions that are intentional, reckless, or negligent.

Highlights of the policy are discussed below to help explain specific points. Be sure to read the entire policy so you are familiar with all of its rules and regulations. Be aware that many campus computing resources and activities have additional regulatory policies specific to that system. For instance, Owlnet has its own policy published in the Owlnet User's Guide, so be sure to check with the administrators of resources you use for possible additional guidelines.

Violations of the computing policy will generally be handled by the resource administrators initially and then referred to the Honor Council, University Court, and other Rice judicial systems as appropriate. Punishment might include suspension of user privileges (permanently or temporarily), deletion of files, disconnection from the Rice network, or other measures as decided by the proper student or employee disciplinary processes. Illegal activities will be reported to proper local, state, or federal authorities.

Violations of University Policy

Sharing your accounts or network resources

You should never share your userid and password with anyone, including your spouse, family members, roommates, or friends. Everyone who should have access to computing systems at Rice has an opportunity to get his or her own account. By sharing your password, you are giving others unauthorized access to your personal files, e-mail, etc., and also to other computer resources. Change your password regularly, particularly if you think it has been compromised. Also, do not provide access to Rice network resources to unauthorized persons.

Increasing Network Load

Do not unduly increase the network load for non-university related activities, including:

  • Spamming or mail bombing (see below)
  • Chain e-mail (see below)
  • Network games

Chain E-mail - Chain e-mail of all types, including virus hoaxes, good luck/bad luck messages, and fake fundraisers, unduly strain the computing system and its resources. Don't propagate these. You may want to ask the sender not to send you further chain letters or simply delete and ignore them.

Harassment - Do not use electronic communication to distribute threatening, obscene or discriminatory messages. Repeated and unwanted electronic communication can be considered harassment.

Forgery - Posing as another person or altering your communications to hide your identity is forgery. All electronic communication, including e-mail and newsgroup postings, should have your name and userid. Even those sent as pranks or jokes are considered forgery.

Spamming - Sending unwanted e-mail messages to a large quantity of recipients slows the network and is not permitted.

Mail Bombing - Flooding a person's mailbox with numerous or large messages with an intent to disrupt his/her normal work is "mail bombing." Not only does this affect the person who is being bombed, but everyone on the network because all activity will be hindered and slowed by the massive amounts of information that needs to be processed.

Commercial Use - University resources are intended to enhance the educational experience. Selling items online, advertising, or using e-mail as solicitation is an improper use of computing resources. Even if you are using your personal computer but are using the network connection in your college room or office, your dialup account, or other university network resources, the usage is prohibited.

Unauthorized Access - Do not gain unauthorized access to the resources of other institutions, organizations, or individuals or use false or misleading information to gain access to unauthorized resources. Don't alter, copy, move, delete software, information, or files (including software, libraries, data, e-mail, etc.) on a network server or the files of other users without permission. Don't use network sniffers.

Communicating or Using Personal Information - Do not communicate or use any personal or financial information without permission of its owner including passwords, personal identification numbers, and credit card numbers.

Being Irresponsible - Take reasonable precautions to prevent unauthorized persons from accessing your account or Rice network resources. Do not use a resource in a manner that will adversely affect the work of others either intentionally, recklessly, or negligently.

Violations of City, State, and Federal laws

Violating any laws or participating in the commission or furtherance of any crime or other unlawful or improper purpose violates the Rice computing policy. Illegal activities will be reported to the proper authorities.

Below are highlights of some city, state, and federal laws. For more information, check out some of our linked sources or ask the proper authorities.

Piracy - Duplicating and distributing copies of software that is not proscribed in the license is illegal. Distributing copies of sound recordings (e.g. MP3s) or images, which are copyrighted, is also illegal.

Copyright Infringement - An original form of expression in a tangible medium is protected by copyright even if there is no copyright notice attached. Reproducing, displaying or distributing such material can infringe on such rights. However, in some cases, one can use such material with "fair use." If a small portion of the material is used in a non-commercial situation, and if the owner is not affected financially, then it may be considered "fair use."

Unauthorized Fund Transfer - Effecting or receiving unauthorized electronic transfer of funds is illegal.

Obscene Materials - Disseminating child pornography or other obscene materials is illegal.

Pyramid Schemes - Watch out for money-making schemes on the Internet. You may get an E-mail message instructing you to send money to a number of people and then add your name to the list, hoping that others will send you money. This is a pyramid scheme and is illegal.

Federal Violation - Violations of federal statutes on computer fraud include:

  • theft of information from computers belonging to financial institutions or federal agencies, or computers used in interstate commerce
  • unauthorized access to government computers
  • damage to systems or data (intentionally or recklessly)
  • trafficking in stolen passwords
  • extortion or threats to damage computers

Disciplinary Actions

Violations of the computing policy will generally be handled by the resource administrators initially and then referred to the Honor Council, University Court and other Rice judicial systems as appropriate. Punishment might include suspension of user privileges (permanently or temporarily), deletion of files, disconnection from the Rice network, or other measures as decided by the proper student or employee disciplinary processes. Illegal activities will be reported to proper local, state or federal authorities.

Questions and Reporting a Violation

If you have a question regarding the computing policy, resolve the matter before you take action. Use the online form at http://helpdesk.rice.edu. To report a violation of policy, send e-mail to violation@rice.edu.

University Policy and Governing Bodies

These organizations and policies govern the use of computing systems at Rice.

The Honor Council is the student judicial branch that governs academic work and integrity. E-mail: honor-council@owlnet.rice.edu

The University Court has the responsibility of administering the Rice University Code of Student Conduct. E-mail: ucourt@rice.edu

The Owlnet User's Guide gives an overview of the Owlnet network including hardware, software, policies, and purpose for users of Owlnet. Contact the Help Desk with questions. Web: http://helpdesk.rice.edu

The University Computing Policy outlines the proper use of computing resources.

The Rice Police Department should be contacted in serious or threatening situations or those involving criminal misconduct. Non Emergency: E-mail: rupd@rice.edu or via the I Witness Form.