Ramapo College of New Jersey || Statements and Policies

Statements and Policies:

COPYRIGHT

All graphics, photographs, and text on the Ramapo College home page and connected pages displaying the Ramapo College logo, unless otherwise stated, are copyrighted by Ramapo College of New Jersey. Redistribution or commercial use is prohibited without express written permission.

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PRIVACY STATEMENT

The Ramapo Web site (http://www.ramapo.edu) uses browser detection to determine the browser type and browser version of visitors to the site. The information that is gathered is used only in its aggregate form to help us improve the performance of our Web site. Remote host names are collected from each visitor to the site and are used only to provide statistical data. Page accesses by each visitor to the site are recorded and preserved in an aggregate form to provide us with information about the usage of the pages in our Web site. Referrer pages to the Ramapo Web site are also recorded, and used to improve overall site navigation.

Electronic messages sent to the identified email Web site contacts will be answered by the recipient or forwarded to another individual at Ramapo to be answered. Email messages and copies of replies may be kept and reviewed to help ensure the relevance of information presented in the Ramapo Web site and the usefulness of the replies.

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DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT (DMCA)

The use of copyrighted material on the Ramapo public Web site must be consistent with the policy described in the preceding paragraphs and consistent with existing federal laws and statutes.

According to the U.S. Copyright Office, "copyright protects original works of authorship that are fixed in a tangible form of expression." Copyrighted works include the following categories:

(1) literary works
(2) musical works, including any accompanying words
(3) pictorial, graphic, and sculptural works
(4) motion pictures and other audio/visual works
(5) sound recordings
(6) architectural works

Pursuant to title 17 United States Code, Section 512 (c)(2), (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) notification of claimed copyright infringement must be reported to the designated agent listed below:

Michael Skafidas
Manager Infrastructure / Unix Administrator
Ramapo College of New Jersey
505 Ramapo Valley Road
Mahwah, NJ 07430
Phone Number: 201-684-6837
Email Address: mskafida@ramapo.edu

The act requires the complaint to include the following:

a physical or electronic signature;
identification of the infringed work;
identification of the infringed material;
contact information for the complaint;
a statement that the complaining party has a good faith belief that the use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner or the law, and;
a statement that the information contained in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the copyright owner.

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RESPONSIBLE USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

Acknowledgement Form

See Also Statement of Confidentiality

Computing resources are provided to support the academic research, instructional and administrative objectives of Ramapo College. These resources are available for the use of college faculty, staff, students, and other authorized users to accomplish tasks consistent with the college's mission. College systems offer powerful tools for communication among members of the Ramapo community and communities outside of the college. When used appropriately, these tools can enhance dialogue and communications. Unlawful or inappropriate use of these tools, however, can infringe on the rights of others, and is unacceptable in an academic institution.

Ramapo College expects all members of its community to use electronic communications in a responsible manner. The college reserves the right to limit access to its networks through college-owned or other computers, and to remove or limit access to material posted on college-owned computers. Recognizing that the college is creating a limited public forum, the college retains the right to limit access, and postings, to college systems.

As a means to foster intellectual pursuits, the college will make every effort to respect the privacy of all users. However, for technical reasons related to system architecture and maintenance needs, privacy cannot be guaranteed at all times and users must take this into account when composing email or surfing the Web. An expectation of privacy is further limited by the needs of the college to comply with State and Federal laws, protect the rights of students, faculty, staff, board members, and invitees, and/or to meet administrative objectives.

Ramapo College faculty and staff are provided with e-mail accounts for the purpose of conducting official college business related to instructional, academic and/or administrative activities to accomplish tasks consistent with the college's mission. Because email is an effective way to disseminate information of importance, relevance and interest, and because it is an important tool to meet the academic and administrative needs of the college community, it shall be the college's policy that electronic mail (email) be an official communication mechanism with faculty, staff, and students and that all faculty, staff, and students are required to maintain a “@ramapo.edu” address. This is the only email address that will be used for official communication with faculty, staff, and students regarding all academic and administrative matters.

Responsible Unit:       Academic Affairs
Date Adopted:             February 14, 2001
Date Revised:            February 16, 2006

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PROCEDURES

I. DEFINITIONS

The following definitions apply to the terms used in this policy.

CCIS: Ramapo College's Center for Computing and Information Systems.

Covered Persons: All current members of the college community including staff, faculty, students, adjunct faculty and college volunteers such as board of trustee members, Ramapo College Foundation Board members, who have access to college systems.

College Systems: Computers, network systems, servers, facsimile machines, telephony, video and other similar devices and systems that are administered by the college and for which the college is responsible.

Director of Administrative and Critical Systems: responsible for administrative computing, the college network, email systems and administrative help desk

Director of Academic Computing and Information Security Officer: Responsible for academic computing, computer labs, telecommunications, Resident Life Network, the TEC Center, academic help desk, the integrity and security of the college technology infrastructure and for confidentiality of electronic communications.

Education Records: Records specifically related to students and maintained by an educational institution or a party acting on its behalf. These records are protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended.

Electronic Communications: The use of college systems in the communicating or posting of information or material by way of electronic mail, bulletin boards, or other such electronic tools.

Network Systems: Includes voice, video and data networks, switches, routers and storage devices.

Systems or Network Personnel: Those tasked by the director of administrative and critical systems and the director of academic computing and information security officer with maintaining college systems.

Unit policy officer: A person with responsibility for issues having broad-based policy implications.

For incidents involving students, the unit policy officer is the vice president for student affairs;
For incidents involving faculty, the unit policy officer is the provost/vice president for academic affairs; and
For incidents involving staff, the unit policy officer is the vice president for administration and finance.

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II. COLLEGE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The college reserves the right to limit access to its networks. The college does not monitor the contents of material transported across its networks nor generally restrict access to the networks, but it retains the right to do so when evidence exists that such materials are in violation of college policies or codes, contractual obligations, state or federal laws.

If systems or network personnel detect evidence, or are informed, of a violation while performing their duties operating or maintaining a system, they should contact the director of administrative and critical systems. To protect the college against seriously damaging consequences, such as impairment of the integrity of computers, networks and data, or legal liabilities, systems or network personnel may take immediate temporary restrictive action pending final adjudication by the college.

The college reserves the right to remove or limit access to material posted on college-owned computers when applicable college policies or codes, contractual obligations, or state or federal laws are violated.

The college does not monitor or generally restrict the content of material residing on college computers, whether or not such computers are attached to campus networks.

Inspection of authored content of electronic files may be done only when the content of such files is likely to be material to the alleged violation as put forth below in VIOLATIONS or on the death, illness, or separation of a covered person. Authorization of such inspection may be made by the president of the college or, as necessary, by a designee chosen by the president. The president will provide a confidential report to the board of trustees on an annual basis of all instances of authored content inspections by year and employment category. All instances of authored content inspections in which the president or a designee inspect authored content pursuant to this paragraph will be disclosed to the board for its review.

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III. USER RESPONSIBILITIES

Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to the work of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgment, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution. Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments. Users are responsible to comply with the following:

Copyright Compliance: Violations of authorial integrity include, but are not limited to, plagiarism, impostorship, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access, and trade secret and copyright violations, all of which may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community. Users of college systems shall not abridge the rights of copyright owners.
For any computer account, users are responsible for the use made of that account. Users should set a password which will protect their account from unauthorized use, and which will not be guessed easily. Do not share your password with others. If users discover that someone has made unauthorized use of their account, they should report the intrusion to the manager of that system or the director of campus information security.

A user who is directed by a CCIS employee to cease engaging in any computing or network related activity must do so. The director of administrative and critical systems and the director of academic computing and information security officer must review any such action in a timely manner, and either restore privileges or send a written statement of charges to the appropriate unit policy officer.

The user shall not use electronic communications to:

harass, threaten, or otherwise cause harm to a specific individual(s), whether by direct or indirect reference, impede, interfere with, impair, or otherwise cause harm to the activities of others;
download or upload to college computers, or transport across college networks, material that is illegal, proprietary, in violation of college contractual agreements, or otherwise is damaging to the institution;
harass or threaten groups of individuals;
Illegally access proprietary data from remote locations.

It shall be the user's responsibility to comply with all the stipulated requirements set forth in the above section. Failure to comply with the provisions for "User Responsibility" may subject the user to specific sanctions as set forth in the "Violations" and "Sanctions" sections below.

Backing up Data: It shall be the user’s responsibility for backing-up their own electronically stored data. While the college has a policy of backing up data on its general access systems at regular intervals as preparation for a catastrophic loss of resources, users should not rely on these actions. A user's decision whether or not the college's back-up is an adequate substitute is the individual's decision but alleviates any responsibility of the college to maintain such back-up.

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IV. EMAIL AS OFFICIAL COMMUNICATION

Official Communication via Email

Ramapo College faculty and staff are provided with e-mail accounts for the purpose of conducting official college business related to instructional, academic and/or administrative activities to accomplish tasks consistent with the college's mission. Because email is an effective way to disseminate information of importance, relevance and interest, and because it is an important tool to meet the academic and administrative needs of the college community, it shall be college policy that electronic mail (email) be an official communication mechanism with faculty, staff, and students, and that all faculty, staff, and students are required to maintain a “@ramapo.edu” address. This is the only email address that will be used for official communication with faculty, staff, and students regarding all academic and administrative matters.

This policy does not preclude the use of conventional methods of communication.

Procedures

Acquiring an email account
1. Official college email accounts are available to all current faculty, staff, and enrolled students. These accounts must be activated before the college can send correspondence using official email addresses. Students, faculty, and staff may activate their email account at http://guide.ramapo.edu by selecting "New Email Accounts".
2. Official email addresses will be maintained in college information system and will be included in the college’s directory unless otherwise requested by a covered person. Online applications are available.
Redirecting/forwarding of email

If a faculty, staff, or student wishes to have email redirected/forwarded from their official @ramapo.edu address to another email address (e.g., @aol.com, @Yahoo.com, etc.), they may do so at their own risk. The college shall not be responsible for the handling of email by outside vendors. Having email redirected does not absolve a faculty, staff or student from the responsibilities associated with official communication sent to his or her @ramapo.edu account.
Expectations about use of email

Senders of e-mails should identify themselves as representatives of the college by including their title or function at the end of the message. It is inappropriate to include statements or quotations in the body or signature portion of the message that do not directly advance the administrative or academic purpose of the message. Email users should avoid using language that could be offensive to others, or create an atmosphere of discomfort. Content and signature information of electronic messages should be focused on official college business.

Faculty, staff and students are expected to check their email on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current. Certain communications may be time-critical, therefore, it is expected that official correspondence shall be received and read in a timely fashion. Various excuses such as "I didn't check my email", error in forwarding email, or email returned to the college with "Mailbox Full" or "User Unknown" shall not be acceptable for missing official college communications via email.
Email Quota

The college reserves the right to set email quotas for faculty, staff, and students. Email destined for users who are over quota will be queued for seven days and redelivery will be attempted every hour. Quotas can be checked by logging into your personal account manager which is available on the following website: http://guide.ramapo.edu and selecting “Spam Filters.” Student accounts that are over quota and have not been checked for 120 days are subject to deactivation.
Access to Email

Unit heads and supervisors must provide computer access to employees whose positions do not provide them with regular access to a computer, as well as a reasonable amount of time to use the computer provided for the purpose of checking their email for college business.
Confidentiality

Users should exercise extreme caution in using email to communicate confidential or sensitive matters (e.g. individual personnel actions), and should not assume that email is private and confidential. It is especially important that users are careful to send messages only to the intended recipient(s). Particular care should be taken when using the "reply" and “reply all” command during email correspondence. The email administrator is responsible for dealing with email related issues at Ramapo College. Notwithstanding, the provisions set out above under the College’s Rights and Responsibility section, it may occasionally be necessary for the email administrator to read an email header which has failed to reach its destination to determine, if possible, the intended address and redirect the message. These actions taken shall not be deemed a violation of privacy.
Backing Up of Email

Email is backed up in regular intervals by an automated process. The automatic process does not involve human reading of email and is not considered a violation of privacy. There are user responsibilities related to backing up data in the previous section of this policy which should be read and understood.
Academic Use of Email

Faculty will determine how electronic forms of communication (e.g., email, Luminus) will be used in their classes, and will specify their requirements in the course syllabus. This email policy will ensure that all students will be able to comply with email-based course requirements specified by faculty. Faculty can therefore make the assumption that students' official @ramapo.edu accounts are being accessed and faculty can use email for their classes accordingly.
Broadcast Email

The broadcast e-mail system is an important tool for communicating information that a large part of the campus community or a specific targeted group needs to know. The system should only be accessed when a minimum of seventy-five percent of the campus community or a specific targeted group needs to be made aware of the information. First and foremost, the system is crucial for communicating about emergencies. Therefore, it is essential that the system not be overly used whereby members of our campus feel “spammed” and begin to ignore its messages. Announcements are limited to information about emergencies and safety; presidential communications; major campus events* approved by the Cabinet; critical alerts related to human resources, facilities and technology; and key internal processes, procedures and deadlines that affect the majority of the campus or a specific targeted group. Only emergency notifications may be broadcast simultaneously over both the broadcast e-mail and voice mail systems.

Broadcast E-mail Procedures

Campus unit members wishing to send a broadcast message must submit their request in writing through their supervisor(s) and receive final approval from their divisional vice president (or designee). A re-writable PDF document is available at http://guide.ramapo.edu/mac/policies.html for this purpose. Exceptions to the approval process are in effect during emergencies related to health and safety and/or during off hours and weekends when supervisors and/or division heads may not be available in a timely manner. When making a request, campus units must specify which campus audiences are to receive the announcement. (Note: attachments and italics and underlining are not currently available through this system.)

Three broadcast e-mail audience groupings are available: faculty, employees and students. Campus members are assigned a role as faculty, employee or student according to the Banner database. Individuals may have multiple roles. Below are the populations included in each role:

Faculty: All campus members who teach a course (full-time or part-time faculty, adjuncts, staff who teach). Also included in the faculty role are advisors, staff in the Provost’s Office, deans, and unit secretaries from the schools.

Employee: All campus members who receive a paycheck (full-time or part-time staff and faculty, and Ramapo student employees.) Also included in employees are UMDNJ Ramapo staff, volunteers, dining services managers and campus store managers.

Student: All campus members with active student enrollment status (full-time or part-time students, staff who enroll in courses).

The subject line of official broadcast e-mails should lead with the word “Official” followed by a colon and the specific topic of the announcement (e.g., Official: Opening Convocation). The first line of the text before the body of the message should address to whom the message is being sent (e.g.s, “To: Faculty and Staff” or “To: RCNJ Students”). The message must also contain a contact name, office name and phone number or e-mail address. It is important to know who sent the message and to whom to reply for further information because the default sender for Luminis e-mail is announcements@ramapo.edu, which cannot receive a reply.

Campus division heads have pre-selected and authorized primary and secondary contacts within their division to transmit broadcast e-mail announcements through the Luminis system. When primary contacts are not available, secondary contacts may be contacted. Only the following have permission to directly access the announcement Web site:

√ CHIEF PLANNING OFFICER/ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast official messages from the chief planning officer, as required as an officer of the College, and to broadcast official messages about college closings, internal processes, procedures and policies, human resources, unit and college budgets, and the work of Facilities.
Primary Contacts:                                       Executive Secretarial Assistant

                                                                       Assistant Director of Human Resources

Secondary Contacts:                                 Director of Human Resources

                                                                       Associate Director of Human Resources

√ OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast official messages from the president, as required as the lead officer of the College, including messages from the trustees and all bereavement messages.

Primary Contacts:                                      Executive Assistant to the President

                                                                      Special Assistant to the President

Secondary Contacts:                                Assistant VP for Communications & Public Affairs

                                                                     Assistant VP for Institutional Relations & Special Projects

√ OFFICE OF THE PROVOST:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast official messages from the provost, as required as an officer of the College, including approved messages from faculty and official announcements from CCIS that impact the majority of the campus community.

Primary Contacts:                                       Executive Secretarial Assistant

                                                                       Assistant Director Systems Infrastructure

                                                                       UNIX Systems Manager

                                                                       Telecommunications Manager

Secondary Contacts:                                 Director of Administrative Computing & Critical Systems

                                                                       Director of Academic Computing/Campus Information                                                                                 Security Officer

                                                                       Interim Vice Provost for Academic Budgets, Personnel, and                                                                        Technology/CIO

√ INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast official messages from the vice president for institutional advancement, as required as an officer of the College, including information about major campus events*. In its official “college spokesperson” role, the division’s Office of Marketing and Communications has sole authority to broadcast official messages about campus safety and emergencies. Also serves as secondary authority for messages from the Office of the President.

Primary Contacts:                                      Executive Secretarial Assistant

                                                                      Assistant VP Communications and Public Affairs

Secondary Contacts:                                Assistant VP Institutional Relations and Special Projects

                                                                     Director of Online Communications/Web Administration

*The broadcast e-mail system is not a replacement for event announcements to be submitted for the Weekly Calendar. The majority of campus events will not be broadcast over e-mail. Major campus events include, but are not limited to: Opening Convocation, State of the College Address, Founders’ Day, Holiday Celebration, Diversity Convocation, Remembrance Day, Honors Convocation, Support Staff Breakfast, Commencement, Picnic at the Pavilion, Summer Concerts, letter-writing campaigns, athletic championship events, requests for major nominations, dedications, groundbreakings, topping-off ceremonies, significant college accolades and fund-raising news.

√ STUDENT AFFAIRS:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast official messages from the vice president for student affairs, as required as an officer of the College, and to broadcast announcements that are related to, or impact, students (such as student events, policy changes, residence life updates).

Primary Contacts:                                      Executive Secretarial Assistant

                                                                      Acting Associate Dean of Students

Secondary Contacts:                                Director of Student Activities

                                                                      Dean of Students

√ FACULTY RESOURCE CENTER:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast unofficial messages to the faculty that are related to the mission of the Faculty Resource Center. [Note: the subject line will not read “Official”]

Primary Contact:                                       Director, Faculty Resource Center

Secondary Contact:                                  President, Faculty Assembly

√ FACULTY ASSEMBLY:
Has sole authority to access the announcement Web site to broadcast unofficial messages to the faculty that are related to the mission of the Faculty Assembly.

[Note: the subject line will not read “Official”]

Primary Contact:                                        President, Faculty Assembly

Secondary Contact:                                  Member, Faculty Advisory Council

Broadcast Voice Mail (All-Call)

The broadcast voice mail system is an important tool for communicating information that a large part of the campus community needs to know. The system should only be accessed when a minimum of seventy-five percent of the campus community or a specific targeted group needs to be made aware of the information. First and foremost, the system is crucial for communicating about emergencies. Therefore, it is essential that the system not be overly used whereby members of our campus feel “phone spammed” and begin to ignore its messages. Announcements will be limited to information about emergencies and safety; presidential communications; major campus events* approved by the Cabinet; critical alerts related to human resources, facilities and technology; and key internal processes, procedures and deadlines that affect the majority of the campus or a specific targeted group. Only emergency notifications may be broadcast simultaneously over both the broadcast e-mail and voice mail systems.

In addition, students living in campus residential facilities may also receive targeted broadcast voice mail messages on any topic approved for distribution by the Vice President of Student Affairs or designee and the Office of Student Activities (this may include announcements of events and availability of tickets).

Broadcast Voice Mail (All-Call) Procedures

As with broadcast e-mail, campus unit members wishing to send a broadcast voice mail message must submit their request in writing through their supervisor(s) and receive final approval from their divisional vice president (or designee). A re-writable PDF document is available at http://guide.ramapo.edu/mac/policies.html for this purpose. Exceptions to the approval process are in effect during emergencies related to health and safety and/or during off hours and weekends when supervisors and/or division heads may not be available in a timely manner. When making a request, campus units must specify which campus audiences are to receive the message/announcement.

Broadcast voice mail audience groupings available include: faculty/staff and residential students; residential students may also be further targeted by individual residence hall groupings.

The greeting in all campus-wide broadcast voice mails should state “This is an Official Campus Broadcast Voice Mail About _____(fill in topic)_______.” If the announcement targets a limited number of audience groupings, this should be stated (e.g., “This is an Official Broadcast Voice Mail for Faculty/Staff…” or “This is an Official Broadcast Voice Mail for Students…” or “This is an Official Broadcast Voice Mail for Students in Maple Hall…”).

Campus division heads select and authorize primary and secondary contacts within their division to make broadcast voice mail announcements through the All-Call system. When primary contacts are not available, secondary contacts may be contacted. Only the following have permission to directly access the announcement voice mail system (All-Call):

SAME OFFICES AS FOR BROADCAST E-MAIL (with same primary/secondary contacts)

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V. REPORTING VIOLATIONS

If you believe that a violation of this policy has occurred, contact the appropriate unit policy officer who will report the incident to the appropriate director or CCIS. There may be situations when the following additional offices should be contacted: Security, if an individual's health or safety appears to be in jeopardy; Human Resources, if violations occur in the course of employment.

VI. VIOLATIONS

It shall be a violation to intentionally seek information about, browse, copy, or modify files or passwords belonging to other people, whether at Ramapo or elsewhere. Explicitly and intentionally established public servers, or clearly designated files for shared public use may be assumed authorized for use. However, if it is unclear whether some files are intended to be available for public use, it shall be a violation to assume that they are intended for public access and it shall be assumed that they are private.

It shall be a violation to attempt to or to decrypt or translate encrypted material, with the intention of obtaining system privileges to which you are not entitled. It shall be a violation to take any action which interferes with the supervisory or accounting functions of college systems or that is likely to have such effects.

It shall be a violation to display on screens, in public or shared facilities, images, sounds, or messages that could reasonably be expected to create an atmosphere of discomfort or harassment for others. Restrictions on time, place, and manner for such access may be determined by the college. It shall be a violation to transmit to others in any location inappropriate images, sounds or messages which might reasonably be considered harassing. The college's policies on harassment apply equally to electronic displays and communications as they do to more traditional means of display and communication.

It shall be a violation for any user of official @ramapo.edu email addresses to forge an electronic mail signature or to make it appear as though email originated from a different person, impersonate a college office, faculty/staff member, or student, to illegally access proprietary information, and/or attempt to gain access to another person's mail files.

It shall be a violation to waste computing resources. Examples of violating the responsible use policy are:

excessive game playing or other trivial applications;
sending chain letters, spam, or other frivolous or excessive messages locally or over an attached network;
printing excessive copies of documents, files, images, or data;
using unwarranted or excessive amounts of storage;
printing documents of files numerous times because you have not checked thoroughly for all errors and corrections;
running grossly inefficient programs when efficient ones are available;
failing to be sensitive to the specialized nature of software, hardware, and services available in a limited number of locations;
failing to allow access to those people whose work requires these specialized facilities;
using college systems or informational resources for commercial purposes or to promote one’s personal interest or secure financial gain for oneself or others with whom one is associated, if the activity is not reasonably related to the discharge of the user’s duties or role at the college;
preventing others from using shared resources by running unattended processes or placing signs on devices to "reserve" them without authorization from the appropriate system manager. Absence from a public computer or workstation should be no longer than reasonable. A device unattended for an unreasonable amount of time may be assumed to be available for use, and any process running on that device terminated;
accessing or copy programs and data which have been obtained under contracts or licenses, cross-assemble, or reverse-compile programs. It shall be a violation to access or copy, cross-assemble, or reverse-compile programs available from other institutions and individuals on attached networks. Users are responsible for determining that programs or data are not restricted in this manner before copying them in any form, or before reverse-assembling or reverse-compiling them in whole or in any part. If it is unclear whether users have permission to copy such software or not, users shall assume that one may not do so;
sending messages, sentiments, and declarations as electronic mail or as electronic postings that do not meet the same standards for distribution or display as tangible documents or instruments. Users are free and encouraged to publish their opinions. Users shall clearly and accurately identify opinions as coming from the user; or if the user is acting as the authorized agent of a group, such shall be identified as coming from that group. It shall be a violation of the policy to falsely attribute (i.e. forge) the origin of electronic mail, messages, or postings. It shall be a violation to alter or delete any electronic information contained in, or posted to any campus computer resource or to any computer resource on an attached network, it will be considered forgery if it would be considered so on a tangible document or instrument;
creating and/or willfully disseminate computer viruses. Users shall be responsible for learning about and be cognizant of the ease of spreading viruses. Users shall be responsible for taking steps to insure user files are virus free.

The above are only examples and not an exhaustive list.

Compliance with Federal and State Law: Users shall be responsible for being aware that there are federal, state and sometimes local laws that govern certain aspects of computer and telecommunications access and use. Members of the college community are expected to abide by these laws, as well as, to observe and respect college rules and regulations.

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Actions to be Taken by Systems and Network Personnel when Violations are Reported

Refer to Specific Violations and Action to take below to determine what type of violation may apply:

violations targeted at a specific individual(s);
violations causing harm to the activities of others;
violations involving illegal, proprietary or damaging material;
violations targeted at groups of individuals.

If you are unable to match your incident with a description in Specific Violations and Action to take below, or if multiple descriptions seem to apply, contact the appropriate unit policy officer for guidance.
Follow the guidelines in Action to take in Specific Violations below. In addition to the type of violation, the guidelines are framed by other factors, specifically:
- who reported the violation;
- whether you administer the college system involved or some other affected system;
- how participants or affected parties are affiliated with Ramapo.
In all cases, these guidelines tell you:
- which college authority should receive a formal complaint;
- the party or parties who normally file such a complaint;
- what actions, if any, you should or may take.
Report the violation in accordance with these guidelines and those established by the appropriate unit.
Document the incident and any actions you take. Protect this information as you would any confidential material: update and retain it as appropriate. This information may be subject to review by appropriate college authorities, so it is important that the information be current, complete and correct, maintained in an electronic database, and easily retrievable.

In exceptional cases, the priorities of protecting the college against seriously damaging consequences and/or safeguarding the integrity of computers, networks, and data either at the college or elsewhere, may make it imperative that you take temporary restrictive action on an immediate basis. In such instances, you may take temporary restrictive action, preferably with the prior approval of the appropriate unit policy officer and/or the appropriate director of CCIS, pending final adjudication by the college. All restrictive actions taken must be documented and justified in accordance with this policy.

In some instances, documentation prescribed above will constitute education records (see the "Definitions" Section of this document) and therefore will be protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 as amended.

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Actions to be taken by the Unit Policy Officer

Unit policy officers are authorized to apply this policy and other existing college policies when a general violation or other violation is identified. When a specific violation is identified, as listed below, unit policy officers should follow the “action to take” in the Specific Violations section below.

Specific Violations

1. Violations Targeted At Specific Individual(s)

Sending repeated and unwanted (harassing) communication by any of the following modes of communication: network systems, college systems, or electronic communication;
Sending repeated and unwanted (harassing) communication by electronic mail or other electronic communications that is sexual in nature;
Sending repeated and unwanted (harassing) communication by electronic mail or other electronic communications that is targeted at someone because of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, nationality, or age;
Posting or otherwise disseminating personal or sensitive information about an individual(s). (Examples include postings of an individual's academic records; medical information; social security number; or similar information of a personal or confidential nature that, if disseminated, could have legal or otherwise damaging implications either for the targeted person or the institution. Personal expression by an individual about another, even if posted in a public manner, is not subject to limitation or restriction under this policy, although a targeted person may have recourse under other campus policies or codes, or state or federal laws regarding harassment or libel.)

Action to take:

Provide the targeted individual (victim) with the following information:

"Harassment is a violation of Ramapo's policies and codes, and in some cases, state or federal laws. Write the sender directly and state that you find the continued correspondence to be harassing and formally ask the sender to cease all communications with you. Save a copy of this message and any other correspondence for evidence."
"If you continue to receive correspondence after formally requesting that the correspondence stop, notify the (appropriate unit policy officer)."
"If you are concerned about your personal safety, contact Ramapo Public Safety or your local law enforcement agency."

Appropriate Action if Violation is Reported by Another Individual:

Thank the party for forwarding the information and add the following:

"Harassment is a violation of Ramapo's policies and codes, and in some cases state or federal laws. Complaints must be filed by the targeted person. If appropriate, please encourage the targeted person to contact the (appropriate unit policy officer)."

Note: Ramapo can act upon a complaint only if the sender of the material is a member of the Ramapo community. If the sender is not a member of the Ramapo community, the appropriate unit policy officer will assist the targeted individual by referring him/her to appropriate sources of help outside the college.

2. Violations Causing Harm To The Activities Of Others

Propagating electronic chain mail

Action to take:

Provide the reporting party with the following information and take steps outlined below:

"Although we understand that some of these letters can be offensive or unwanted, Ramapo College cannot prevent their circulation. Forwarding chain mail using college resources violates Ramapo's codes and policies, and in some cases may be illegal. I will be working with campus authorities regarding this incident."
1. Post a notice to your system alerting users to the incident and instructing them not to propagate further.
2. Report the Ramapo propagators; if the propagator(s) is not a member of the Ramapo community, contact the administrator of the originating system, if possible, as a matter of courtesy or follow-up when warranted.
3. Contact the appropriate unit policy officer if you believe the content of the material to be illegal, damaging, or otherwise to have external consequences for the institution.
Interfering with freedom of expression of others by "jamming" or "bombing" electronic mailboxes.

Action to take:

Provide the party with the following information and take steps outlined below:

"Attempting to interfere with the freedom of expression of others violates Ramapo's Code of Professional Responsibility Board of Trustees Policy # 458" for faculty and staff violators and the Campus Code of Conduct" for student violators. I will be working with campus authorities regarding this incident."

If the violator is a member of the Ramapo community, instruct him/her to cease the activity, referring to campus policy, and contact the appropriate unit policy officer for further guidance. If the violation is reported to the unit policy officer, he/she should contact the appropriate systems personnel. If the violation is reported to systems personnel, they should contact the appropriate unit policy officer. Systems personnel and unit policy officers should work together to resolve the violation. The appropriate unit policy officer should keep a record of all such violations. If the violator is not a member of the Ramapo community, contact the administrator of the originating system, if possible, as a matter of courtesy or follow-up.
Forging, fraudulently altering, or willfully falsifying electronic mail headers, electronic directory information, or other electronic information generated as, maintained as, or otherwise identified as college records in support of electronic communications

Action to take:

Provide the party with the following information and take steps outlined below:

"Forging, fraudulently altering or willfully falsifying college records violates Ramapo's Code of Professional Responsibility for faculty and staff violators and the Student Code of Conduct for student violators. I will be working with campus authorities regarding this incident."

If the violator is a member of the Ramapo community, instruct him/her to cease the activity, referring to campus policy. If the violator is not a member of the Ramapo community, contact the administrator of the originating system, if possible, as a matter of courtesy or follow-up.
Using electronic communications to forge an academic document.

Action to take:

Provide the party with the following information:

"This incident may violate campus policies or codes. I will be working with college authorities to review what actions may be appropriate."

Contact the appropriate unit policy officer for further guidance. If the violation is reported to the unit policy officer, he/she should contact the appropriate systems personnel. If the violation is reported to systems personnel, they should contact the appropriate unit policy officer. Systems personnel and unit policy officers should work together to resolve the violation. The appropriate unit policy officer should keep a record of all such violations.
Using electronic communications to hoard, damage, or otherwise interfere with academic resources accessible electronically

Action to take: same as 2d
Using electronic communications to steal another individual's works, or otherwise misrepresent one's own work

Action to take: same as 2d
Using electronic communications to collude on examinations, papers or any other academic work

Action to take: same as 2d
Using electronic communications to fabricate research data.

Action to take: same as 2d

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3. Violations Involving Illegal, Proprietary, or Damaging Material

Electronically accessing, distributing or posting copyrighted material in violation of license restrictions or other contractual agreements.

Responsible Use policy and procedures govern incidents involving the illegal distribution of copyrighted material - as transported through Ramapo's networks or posted to Ramapo's computers - by electronic means. The possession of misappropriated copyrighted material by a student violates the Campus Code of Conduct. The possession of misappropriated copyrighted material by faculty or staff violates the Code of Professional Responsibility.
Launching a computer worm, computer virus or other rogue program
Downloading or posting illegal, proprietary or material that may damage the college's computer system.
Transporting illegal, proprietary or damaging material across Ramapo's networks

Action to take:

Commensurate with the degree of urgency and potential damage to the institution, take pre-emptive steps - preferably with the approval of the appropriate unit policy officer - including ensuring the preservation of evidence.
accessing and/or downloading pornography and possibly child pornography

Action to take:

When the unit policy officer, or other college administrator, has knowledge that a covered person is using a college computer to access and/or download pornography, and possibly child pornography, the college will investigate and take prompt action to stop the unauthorized activity. If the violation is reported to the unit policy officer or systems personnel, he/she should contact the director of human resources who will conduct an investigation. The director of human resources and the unit policy officer(s) will work together to resolve the violation. The appropriate unit policy officer should keep a record of all such violations.

4. Violations Targeted at Groups of Individuals

Posting threatening and/or harassing language that would constitute a group's rights by any of the following modes of communication: network systems, college systems, or electronic communications.

Action to take:

Provide the party with the following information:

"Although this posting/communication may be offensive to members of the community, the college is respectful of expression in its own right. However, this posting/communication may constitute harassment, which is a violation of Ramapo's policies and codes, and in some cases, state or federal laws. I will consult with campus authorities regarding this incident."

Contact the appropriate unit policy officer for further guidance. If the violation is reported to the unit policy officer, he/she should contact the appropriate systems personnel. If the violation is reported to systems personnel, they should contact the appropriate unit policy officer. Systems personnel and unit policy officers should work together to resolve the violation. The appropriate unit policy officer should keep a record of all such violations.

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VII. SANCTIONS FOR POLICY VIOLATIONS

Violations of appropriate use may result in one or more of the following actions:

A written warning to the offender.
A restriction of system access for a specified term.
A revocation of all system privileges for a specified term.
A statement of charges to the appropriate disciplinary body of the college, which could lead to other penalties up to and including probation or suspension for students and disciplinary action for faculty or staff.
Alleged criminal actions and/or activity may be referred by the college to law enforcement officials for investigation or action.

VIII. POLICY REVIEW

Any member of the Ramapo College community may petition the Board of Trustees to review this policy, pursuant to Board of Trustees Article 5 By Laws #6(e).

Responsible Unit:                Academic Affairs/CCIS
Date Adopted:                     February 14, 2001
Date Revised:                       February 16, 2006, June 5, 2007

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