01. POLICY STATEMENT

01.01 This policy statement establishes policies and procedures for the appropriate use of information resources. This policy is established to achieve the following:

a. To ensure compliance with applicable statutes, regulations, and mandates
regarding the management of information resources.

b. To establish prudent and acceptable practices regarding the use of
information resources.

c. To educate individuals who may use information resources with respect to
their responsibilities associated with such use.

02. RELATED DOCUMENTS

Information Security Policy

Network Use Policy

03. DEFINITIONS

03.01 Information Resources ‐ All devices capable of receiving, storing, managing, or
transmitting electronic data including mainframes, servers, personal computers,
notebook computers, hand‐held computers, personal digital assistant (PDA),
pagers, smart phones, distributed processing systems, network connected
display devices, network attached and computer controlled medical and
laboratory equipment (i. e. embedded technology), telecommunication
resources, network environments, telephones, fax machines, printers, computer
printouts, storage media, and service bureaus. Additionally, it includes the
systems, procedures, equipment, facilities, software and data that are designed,
built, operated, and maintained to create, collect, record, process, store,
retrieve, display, and transmit information. Information resources include
hardware, software, communication networks and access devices, electronic
storage media, manuals, and other documentation. Also included in this
definition are data files that reside on hardware or media owned or supplied by
LIT, regardless of size, source, or type of storage media, including e‐mail
messages, system logs, web pages and software.

03.02 ID – ID stands for user Identification. This is the name used to identify a person
or other entity when connecting to certain applications and services available on
the Lamar Institute of Technology (LIT) network or systems. IDs have an
associated password that serves to authenticate the identity of the ID owner.

03.03 User – An individual or automated application or process that is authorized access
to an information resource by its owner, in accordance with the owner’s
procedures and rules.

04. GENERAL GUIDELINES AND PRINCIPLES

04.01 LIT provides each of its authorized users with a computer account, known as a
LIT user ID, which facilitates access to the LIT’s information resources. In
accepting a LIT ID or any other access ID, the recipient agrees to abide by
applicable LIT policies and legal statutes, including all federal, state, and local
laws. LIT reserves the right at any time to limit, restrict, or deny access to its
information resources and to take disciplinary or legal action against anyone in
violation of these policies or statutes.

04.02 Applicable LIT policies and procedures include all LIT policies and procedures
that address the usage of LIT information resources. Also applicable are LIT
policies prohibiting harassment, plagiarism, or unethical conduct. Laws that
apply to the use of LIT’s information resources include laws pertaining to theft,
copyright infringement, insertion of viruses into computer systems, and other
computer‐related crimes. This policy applies to all LIT information resources,
whether administered centrally or departmentally; whether on‐campus or offcampus.

04.03 LIT provides information resources for the purpose of accomplishing tasks
related to the LIT’s mission. LIT may restrict the use of or access to LIT
computers, networks, data and software due to specific research, teaching or
other purposes in keeping with LIT’s mission. LIT’s computer information
resources are not a public forum.

04.04 LIT considers e‐mail a significant information resource and an appropriate
mechanism for official LIT communication. LIT provides official e‐mail addresses
and services to its students, faculty, staff, and organizational units for this
purpose and to enhance the efficiency of educational and administrative
processes. In providing these services, LIT anticipates that e‐mail recipients will
access and read institutional communications in a timely fashion. Faculty, staff,
and students may forward e‐mail from their official LIT address to an alternate email
address at their own risk. LIT is not responsible for e‐mail forwarded to any
other addresses.

04.05 Subject to applicable policies and statutes, students who have registered and
paid their fees are allowed to use LIT’s information resources for school‐related
and personal purposes. Personal use must not result in any additional expense to
LIT or violate restrictions detailed in Section 05 of this policy statement. LIT IDs
of graduating students are deactivated two long semesters after graduation.
Continuing students may retain their LIT IDs as long as they remain enrolled for
the current or a future semester.

04.06 Employees of LIT are allowed to use LIT’s information resources in the
performance of their job duties as long as they adhere to all applicable policies
and statutes. Incidental personal use of information resources by an employee is
permitted, subject to review and reasonable restrictions by the employee’s
supervisor. Such personal use must not violate any applicable policies and
statutes, must not interfere with the employee’s job performance, and must not
result in any additional expense to LIT. Employees may obtain an LIT ID upon
verification of employment by the appropriate administrative supervisor. When
an employee terminates employment for any reason other than retirement, LIT
will terminate the employee’s LIT ID immediately, unless an exception is
specifically authorized by the Director of computer Services.

04.07 Censorship is not compatible with the goals of LIT. LIT will not limit access to any
information due to its content, as long as it meets the standard of legality. LIT
will place reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on expressive
activities that use information resources.

04.08 LIT’s information resources are subject to review and disclosure in accordance
with:

a. the Texas Public Information Act and other laws;

b. other policies or legal requirements, such as subpoenas and court orders;

c. efforts to protect and sustain their operational integrity;

d. security reviews or audits; and

e. such other purposes required to protect LIT’s interests and those of other
users. Users should not expect privacy from disclosure in any messages or
other use of LIT information resources.
Anyone using LIT’s information resources expressly consents to monitoring by LIT
for these purposes and is advised that if such monitoring reveals possible
evidence of criminal activity, LIT administration may provide that evidence to law
enforcement officials. Further, all users should understand that while LIT takes
reasonable precautions, it is unable to guarantee the protection of electronic
files, data, or e‐mails from unauthorized or inappropriate access.

04.09 Intellectual property laws extend to the electronic environment. Users should
assume that works communicated through LIT computer networks are subject to
copyright laws, unless specifically stated otherwise.

04.10 Information resources are considered valuable assets of LIT. Further, computer
software purchased or licensed by LIT is the property of LIT or the company from
whom it is licensed. Any unauthorized access, use, alteration, duplication,
destruction, or disclosure of any of these assets may constitute a computerrelated
crime, punishable under Texas and federal statutes.

05. INAPPROPRIATE USES OF INFORMATION RESOURCES

05.01 The following activities exemplify inappropriate use of the LIT’s information
resources. These and similar activities are strictly prohibited for all users.

a. Use of LIT information resources for illegal activities or purposes. LIT may
deal with such use appropriately, and may report such use to law
enforcement authorities. Illegal activities or purposes include unauthorized
access, intentional corruption or misuse of information resources, theft,
obscenity, and child pornography.

b. Failure to comply with laws, policies, procedures, license agreements, and
contracts that pertain to and limit the use of the LIT’s information resources.

c. The abuse of information resources includes any willful act that: endangers
or damages any specific computer software, hardware, program, network,
data or the system as a whole, whether located on campus or elsewhere on
the global Internet; creates or allows a computer malfunction or interruption
of operation; injects a computer virus or worm into the computer system;
sends a message with the intent to disrupt LIT operations or the operations
of outside entities; produces output that occupies or monopolizes
information resources for an unreasonable time period to the detriment of
other authorized users; consumes an unreasonable amount of
communications bandwidth, either on or off campus, to the detriment of
other authorized users; or fails to adhere to time limitations that apply at
particular computer facilities on campus.

d. Use of LIT information resources for personal financial gain or commercial
purpose.

e. Failure to protect a password or LIT ID from unauthorized use.

f. Falsely representing one’s identity through the use of another individual’s LIT
ID or permitting the use of an ID and password by someone other than their
owner.

g. Unauthorized use of or access to any electronic file.

h. Unauthorized use, access, duplication, disclosure, alteration, damage, or
destruction of data contained on any electronic file, program, network, web
page, or LIT hardware or software.

i. Unauthorized duplication, use or distribution of software and other
copyrighted digital materials (including copyrighted music, graphics, etc.) is a
violation of this policy. All software and many other digital materials are
covered by some form of copyright, trademark, license or agreement with
potential civil and criminal liability penalties. The copyright or trademark
holder or the fair use provisions of the copyright law must specifically
authorize exceptions.

j. Participating or assisting in the deliberate circumvention of any security
measure or administrative access control that pertains to LIT information
resources.

k. Using LIT information resources in a manner that violates other LIT policies,
such as racial, ethnic, religious, sexual or other forms of harassment.

l. Using LIT information resources for the transmission of spam mail, chain
letters, malicious software (e.g., viruses, worms, or spyware), or personal
advertisements, solicitations or promotions.

m. Modifying any wiring or attempting to extend the network beyond the port
(i. e., adding hubs, switches or similar devices) in violation of the LIT Network
Use Policy.

n. Using LIT’s information resources to affect the result of a local, state, or
national election or to achieve any other political purpose.

o. Using LIT’s information resources to state, represent, infer, or imply an
official LIT position without appropriate authorization.

06. RESPONSIBILITIES OF USERS

06.01 Each user shall utilize LIT information resources responsibly and respect the
needs of other users.

06.02 Each person is responsible for any usage of his or her LIT ID. Users must maintain
the confidentiality of their passwords.

06.03 A user must report any abuse or misuse of information resources or violations of
this policy to their department supervisor or to the Director of Computer
Services.

06.04 When communicating with others via LIT information resources (e. g., e‐mail), a
user's communications should reflect high ethical standards, mutual respect and
civility.

06.05 Users are responsible for obtaining and adhering to relevant, acceptable network
use policies.

06.06 Administrative supervisors must report ongoing or serious problems regarding
the use of LIT information resources to the Director of Computer Services.

06.07 Any supervisor can gain access to any subordinate’s computer, files, folders, or
email provided that there is appropriate justification and approval from the IRM
and/or executive management. The requesting supervisor must have the next
level of supervision approval. In cases where immediate access is needed,
subsequent approval by the Technology Services Help Desk is required.

07. ACCESS TO LIT INFORMATION RESOURCES BY AUDITORS

07.01 Auditors may require access to LIT information resources, which is permitted in
accordance with these guidelines.

07.02 LIT grants Texas State’s internal auditors, in the performance of their duties,
access to all LIT activities, records, property, and employees.

07.03 The Director of Internal Audit and Compliance shall notify the Director of
Computer Services, Office of the Vice President of Finance and Operations, or
Office of the President prior to accessing individual data files.

07.04 LIT grants state and federal auditors access to LIT information resources and data
files, as needed, and approved by the office of the Director of Computer
Services.

08. LIABILITY FOR FAILURE TO ADHERE TO THIS POLICY

08.01 Failure to adhere to this policy may lead to the revocation of a user’s LIT ID,
suspension, dismissal, or other disciplinary action by LIT, as well as referral to
legal and law enforcement agencies.

08.02 Statutes pertaining to the use of LIT information resources include the following:

a. Texas Administrative Code, Title 1, Part 10, Chapter 202 ‐ Regulations from
the Department of Information Resources establishing requirements for
State agencies regarding computer security.

b. Texas Penal Code, Chapter 33: Computer Crimes ‐ Texas law pertaining to
computer crimes. This statute specifically prohibits unauthorized use of LIT
computers, unauthorized access to stored data, or dissemination of
passwords or other confidential information to facilitate unauthorized access
to the LIT’s computer system or data.

c. Texas Penal Code, § 37.10: Tampering with Governmental Record ‐ Prohibits
any alteration, destruction, or false entry of data that impairs the validity,
legibility or availability of any record maintained by LIT.

d. United States Code, Title 18, Chapter 47, § 1030: Fraud and Related Activity
in Connection with Computers ‐ Federal law specifically pertaining to
computer crimes. Among other stipulations, prohibits unauthorized and
fraudulent access to information resources.

e. Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (Part of Title 18, Chapter 47, U.S.C. § 1030) ‐
Makes it a crime to access a computer to obtain restricted information
without authorization; to alter, damage, or destroy information on a
government computer; and to traffic in passwords or similar information
used to gain unauthorized access to a government computer.

f. The Computer Abuse Amendments Act of 1994 (Part of Title 18, Chapter 47,
U.S.C. § 1030) ‐ Expands the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 to
address the transmission of viruses and other harmful code.

g. Federal Copyright Law ‐ Recognizes that all intellectual works are
automatically covered by copyright. The owner of a copyright holds the
exclusive right to reproduce and distribute the work.

h. Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) ‐ Signed into law on October 20,
1998, as Public Law 105‐304. Created to address the digitally networked
environment, the DMCA implements the World Intellectual Property
Organization (WIPO) Internet Treaties; establishes safe harbors for online
service providers; permits temporary copies of programs during the
performance of computer maintenance; and makes miscellaneous
amendments to the Copyright Act, including amendments that facilitate
Internet broadcasting.

i. Electronic Communications Privacy Act (U.S.C., Title 18) ‐ Prohibits the
interception or disclosure of electronic communication and defines those
situations in which disclosure is legal.

j. Computer Software Rental Amendments Act of 1990 ‐ Deals with the
unauthorized rental, lease, or lending of copyrighted software.

k. Texas Government Code § 556.004 ‐ Prohibits using state resources or
programs to influence elections or to achieve any other political purpose.