Acceptable Use Policy
Responsible Computer Use: All students, faculty, administrators, and staff, as members of the Mount Mary community, have access to many shared computing and networking resources. Mount Mary strives to provide an atmosphere that encourages access and sharing of information on local, national, and international levels. As users in the Mount Mary Community, individuals must bear the responsibility to use these resources in keeping with the professional and ethical standards of conduct that the university promotes. Use of these resources should be considered a privilege and be treated as such.
Intended Use: Computing and networking resources at Mount Mary are provided to support the academic and administrative needs of Mount Mary community members within an intellectual environment where students, staff, administrators, and faculty may freely collaborate, both with colleagues at Mount Mary as well as off-campus.
Because resources are limited, and because of stipulations in license and contractual agreements with software and hardware vendors, users must observe the following conditions:
• priority must always be given to those needing to use shared resources for academic purposes
• use by persons not currently enrolled or employed by Mount Mary is prohibited (excluding prospective students/parents, campus guests, and event attendees)
• for-profit use by any individual is prohibited
Privacy and Security: Every member of the Mount Mary community has the right to privacy of personal information stored or transmitted via computer. The administration of computer systems must strike a balance between the goals of privacy and information sharing. The health and well-being of institutional computing resources are the individual and collective responsibility of all users, who must guard against abuses that could disrupt or threaten intended uses and operations. In general, users should not compromise personal security or others’ privacy by engaging in any of the following:
• intercepting the network communications of other users.
• giving private passwords to individuals either at Mount Mary or off-campus.
• gaining or seeking to gain unauthorized access to files and information resources.
• altering or destroying software or data.
• interfering with the intended use of any resource.
• violating terms of a third-party copyright, patent, license or contract.
• communications that violate Wisconsin, federal, or international laws.
• activities designed to interfere with the ability of other users to make effective use of the network.
• using the network in a harmful or harassing manner.
On-Line Conduct: Users are prohibited from posting on or transmitting through any on-line network any unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, profane, hateful, racially or ethnically demeaning or threatening material of any kind. Users are also prohibited from posting on or transmitting any material, which encourages conduct that would constitute a criminal offense, give rise to civil liability, or otherwise violate any applicable law or University policy. Communication under a false name or designation or a name or designation you are not authorized to use are also prohibited.
Information Technology Services
Intellectual Property Rights: In many cases, software and data that reside on Mount Mary computer systems is owned by an individual, a third party, or the institution, and is protected by copyright law, license, or contract agreements. Users must abide by these agreements. Such agreements may prohibit copying software or data, resale or use of software or data for personal gain, and public disclosure of information without the owner’s authorization.
Remediation: The University reserves the right to restrict and/or interrupt communications through or by use of any of its computers or computer services, which is believed to be harmful to the University or to others.
Mount Mary University community members are expected to cooperate with investigations by resource managers or other University officials. Failure to cooperate with official investigations may be grounds for suspension or loss of access privileges or other action determined by the University. Cases of abuse or violation of University guidelines, policies or procedures will be referred to the appropriate University body for action.
Issues concerning these guidelines or allegations of harassment or other irresponsible use of
Information Technology Resources should be directed to the Dean for Student Affairs, the Director of Human Resources, or the Director of Information Technology.
If you have any questions regarding this policy, please contact the IT Help Desk at 414-930-3048 (x3048 on campus) or mmu-helpdesk@mtmary.edu.