Lab Policies

Ethical use

• All users of computing resources are expected to observe normal standards of ethics and polite conduct, including consideration for others, and appropriate and fair use of computing resources.
• These standards of conduct include the following:
  • Use computer facilities only for educational purposes — not for personal use, commercial or financial gain, or recreation.
  • Do not allow ANYONE else to use your account — even other individuals who have legitimate accounts of their own.
  • Respect others' rights to privacy and intellectual property. Do not read, copy, alter or access data files or software without the owner's consent. This applies to licensed software products as well as users' files.
  • Obey federal and Kansas laws on use of computing facilities and networks.
  • Observe license and copyright restrictions on software and data.
  • Do not develop, copy, or introduce invasive or destructive software [viruses].
  • Do not attempt to interrupt system operations or alter system files.
  • Do not execute programs deliberately designed to degrade system performance or deny other users fair access to resources.
  • Do not harass other users by electronic mail or messages.
  • Use off-campus networks only for education and research.
  • Observe all other guidelines in K-State's policy on ethical computing.

No food in engineering computing labs

• Please do not bring food into our computer labs. Drinks are allowed if in spill-proof containers. This policy is set by the dean of engineering; its purpose is to maintain cleanliness in our labs and prevent accidental damage.

Your account is for your use only.

• Your account is issued to you, in your name, for your use only. You may not share your account with others or permit other people to use it.

Academic users and classwork have priority.

• If you are using our computer labs for general web browsing, reading personal email or other activities not directly related to classwork, please be prepared to yield to others who must use this space and equipment to prepare class assignments. In many cases our computer labs may be the only facility where some class software can be used. Please remember t our computer labs are here principally to support academic classes. During peak usage times, please be considerate of the need for students to complete assignments.

No computer/network games

• We do not allow any computer or internet/network games in our labs other than the standard games (e.g., Solitare, Freecell) distributed as part of the Microsoft Windows operating systems. We are not opposed to games per se but know from past experience that computer games and players can interfere with other users' ability to get academic work done.

No inappropriate sexual images

• Displaying inappropriate sexual images in our computer labs or the Fiedler Learning Commons is not allowed. This conduct is a violation of K-State's sexual harassment policy ("Any behavior which, through inappropriate sexual content ... interferes with an individual's learning environment") and may result in disciplinary action. Please be considerate of the rights and sensitivities of others in our computing facilities.

Do not install software.

• With no exceptions, users are not allowed to install ANY software on our computer systems without permission. We know the world is full of freeware, shareware and software that comes with textbooks. Because we believe in the intellectual property rights of software authors, and want no illegal or unauthorized software on our systems, we prohibit the installation of software by users. We do accept requests to install software for general use or specific class use; please discuss any such request with a system administrator.

No software files except those you create

• Because we know pirated software, bootleg audio files and many other illegal forms of stolen intellectual property are available and internet-accessible, we require users to store only files of their own work product. In particular, we allow users to store only software they have written themselves, and we do not allow freeware or shareware files.

Sanctions

• Sanctions regarding violations of Engineering Computing Services (CECS) policies and procedures
  • All users of computing facilities (college and departmental) in the College of Engineering are subject to specified conditions of the Kansas State University Information Technology (IT) Usage Policy and Sanctions regarding violations. The full range of sanctions include the following:
    • loss of computer or network access privileges without notification,
    • additional disciplinary action (including academic dishonesty reviews),
    • dismissal from the university, and
    • legal action.
  • All violations, including those of first-time offenders, will be referred to department heads who will notify the college dean and the vice provost for academic services and technology. In addition, the academic unit, the college and the university may report violations to appropriate local, state and federal authorities.

Approved by College of Engineering Executive Committee, August 21, 2003