Week 3: Blogging about Acceptable Use Policies

The acceptable use policy for my school is located in a variety of areas as opposed to an official, central location. The policies I found, for the most part, entail a blanket statement that covers the acceptable use of all technology. The policy does not follow the traditional format of an effective AUP but it does contain some of the elements of an AUP. Due to the lack of a cohesive format and the variation in where the information is located may indicate the policy is not enforced regularly but it still serves the purpose of establishing some clear guidelines in areas relating to technology. Here are my findings:

Preamble: I was able to locate somewhat of a preamble statement in the guidelines for proper use of email. They school indicates the policy is needed due to the growing use of electronic communication. There are no clear goals stated in this section and there is no insight into the process of developing the policy. A preamble is not an integrated piece to the Responsible Use of University Technology Resources.

Definition Section: From all of the different pieces I gathered I was not able to find a section the addressed definitions or meanings stated in the variety of policies I reviewed.

Policy Statement: The acceptable use policy that pertains to email services include communication relating to financial aid, academic information, and events. The acceptable use policy that covers all technology is limited to “primary activities” which includes activities related only to university activities. Anything beyond those activities are considered secondary and not covered under the policy.

Acceptable Uses: The acceptable use portion of the policy is related to the policy statement in which acceptable uses of university technology only include primary activities related to the university. This includes things such as research and university related activities. The acceptable use of email is to stay current with university communication. There is not much more than some of these basic guidelines listed anywhere on the university resources and appears that the use of student email is not a required component of classroom specific courses.

Unacceptable Uses: When it comes to email the main focus is preserving student privacy. Sharing confidential information through email is not acceptable. Unacceptable use of technology as whole include anything that would be considered a copyright violation, anything that can be viewed as harassment, spamming, anything that would violate academic integrity and anything that is in violation of the law.

Violations/Sanctions: Email violations are not expressed in the student portion of the policy. Violations of the policy for employees, however, include disciplinary action or possible dismissal. The overall technology policy states that violation policy will result in the loss of privileges and reprimand. Depending on the severity of the offense it may be referred to law enforcement.