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Policies Information Technology

General Network Guidelines

  • The La Sierra University network is intended to assist in the exchange of information for the purpose of academics, education, research, and communication.
  • Computer users are responsible for adequate spyware/virus protection as well as staying current with updates.
  • Unacceptable use includes any action that constitutes malicious or unethical use of the campus network that violates University policy and/or regulations and state and federal laws.
  • Students who misuse social networks (such as facebook.com) by using lewd indecent language, making threatening remarks, demeaning others, or posting picturesof activities that are not in harmony with University policies and values will be subject to discipline.
  • Any user found in violation of La Sierra University Network policies will be subject to revoked network access and stern disciplinary actions.

Computer Use Policy

The computer resources at La Sierra University are for the use of the University students, faculty, staff, and administrators to facilitate the exchange of information consistent with the academic, educational, and research purposes. Specifically, the computer users have access to:
  • Electronic mail communication with people all over the world with La Sierra University Gmail
  • The World Wide Web and the vast information contained therein.
  • Discussion groups on a plethora of topics. 
  • The online resources of the La Sierra University Library, which include dozens of academic online databases and thousands of journals in full-text format.
Every computer user is responsible for being aware of the following guidelines, and is expected to follow these guidelines both in letter and in spirit. It is a general policy that all computers are to be used in a responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner. Failure to adhere to the policy and the guidelines below will result in the revocation of the user’s access privilege.

Specific Acceptable Uses

Acceptable Uses:

  • Communication and exchange necessary to transact or facilitate University business.
  • Announcements of University activities or other important items of information related to academic interests.
  • Communication incidental to otherwise acceptable use, except as stated below

Examples of Unacceptable Uses

  • For-profit activities, except those operated or specifically authorized by La Sierra University. Personal or business advertising of any kind is not permitted.
  • Extensive use for private or personal business.
  • Advertising is forbidden. However, responsible discussion of a product’s relative advantages and disadvantages by users of the product is permitted.
  • Unauthorized access, alteration, destruction, removal and/or disclosure of data, information, equipment, software, or systems.
  • Deliberate over-extension of the resources of a system or interference with the processing of a system.
  • Attempts to access confidential information and/or passwords.
  • Activities which violate copyright law, including but not limited to downloading copyrighted MP3s, videos, movies, and software, etc.
  • Disclosure of confidential passwords and/or access devices or information for accounts, equipment, and telephone voice mail.
  • Issuance of electronic mail that includes commercial advertisements, viruses/trojans, hoaxes, or chain letters.
  • Propagation of hate literature and harassment, including sexual harassment.
  • Theft of resources.
  • Malicious or unethical use, and use that violates University policy and regulations or state or federal laws.
  • Chain mail of any kind.
  • Assigning of addresses not specifically granted by IT
  • The operation of any non-educational server or service offering or transferring data in a public manner onto the Internet. This includes but is not limited to HTTP, FTP, mail/news, programs such as Gnutella or Napster (in server modes), etc.

Email Policy

The Electronic Mail Policy at La Sierra University governs the use of e-mail for correspondence by students, faculty, staff, and other individuals affiliated with the University. Definitions: To clarify terms used, the following definitions are provided:

La Sierra University Gmail: La Sierra University's Google Apps platform hosted by Google.  Has nearly the same rights and privileges as a Personal Google Account.

E-mail account: The location to which correspondence is delivered. It requires a combination of login user name, password, and disk space. A person may have several e-mail accounts on different computers or e-mail servers.

E-mail user name: The name of the account as typed in the User name prompt when logging onto e-mail.

E-mail address: The address to which electronic correspondence is sent after being received by our system. Each e-mail account has its own unique delivery address.

SPAM: An electronic message that meets the following descriptions:

  1. The recipient’s personal identity and context are irrelevant because the message is equally applicable to many other potential recipients;
  2. The recipient has not verifiable granted deliberate, explicit, and still- revocable permission for it to be sent;
  3. The transmission and reception of the message appears to the recipient to give a disproportionate benefit to the sender. (As defined by www.mailabuse.org). 

E-mail abuse: The use of e-mail to hound, harass, or persecute a person or group using methods such as, but not limited to, the following: “mail bombing,” denial of service, forging e-mail messages, and threatening the person or persons receiving the message.

Who is Eligible?

Students admitted at La Sierra University, staff and faculty employed by La Sierra University, and other University sponsored persons are eligible for general IT resources. Certain restricted information technology resources require authorization and specific approval. Depending on the type of resource requested, the user may be required to sign additional usage agreements, attend training, and/or show knowledge of the special resources they are requesting. Any use of these services that is illegal, improper, or in violation of La Sierra University policies may meet with university sanctions (see Penalties for E-mail Account Abuse). These responses can range from warnings to denial of service.

Individual Email Accounts

  • It is the user’s responsibility to ensure that the proper precautions are taken in order to prevent the unauthorized use or dissemination of his/her e-mail password. Users should under no circumstances share their password with ANYONE.
  • The individual for whom the account was created is responsible for using the account in compliance with the La Sierra University e-mail policy. Any suspected unauthorized use should be reported immediately to the Director of Information Technology or e-mailed to abuse@lasierra.edu.

Group and Department Email addresses

  • The purpose of group and department e-mail accounts is to allow communication from a person to a specific group or department. It is the responsibility of the group or department to manage this account in a prompt and appropriate manner.
  • Group e-mail accounts can be created at groups.google.com/a/lasierra.edu
  • Department Accounts can be request by the department head by contacting IT
  • Groups and Department accounts may be deleted at IT's discretion
  • Account user names will reflect the La Sierra University organizational unit or function of the e-mail account. The system administrator will assign the initial password of the account.

Email User Name

  •  E-mail addresses are generated using the user’s full legal name. For students, the username is the first letter of their first name, the first three (3) letters of their last name, and the last three (3) digits of their La Sierra University  ID number. Faculty and staff user names is their first name initial followed by their first seven (7) letters of their last name. For example, if John Doe was an eligible student on our campus and his ID number was 123456; his user name would be jdoe456.
  • E-mail user names may only change when a user has completed the process to legally change his/her name due to marriage, divorce, or personal preference.
  • In the event of potential user name duplication, the system administrator will make assignment of the user name on an individual basis.

La Sierra University will take commercially reasonable steps to prevent e-mail abuse and SPAM whenever practicable.  Using Google Spam protection, please mark the message as SPAM  

La Sierra University policy prohibits the theft or other abuse of computer resources. These prohibitions apply to e-mail services as well and include but are not limited to:

  • Unauthorized entry, use, transfer, and tampering with the accounts and files of others, and interference with the work of others and with other computing facilities or services.
  • Making available any content which is unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, wrongful, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, sexually explicit, pornographic, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable.
  • Manipulating headers to disguise the origin, original author, or to falsify any content transmitted to or through La Sierra University computer systems.
  • Providing or setting up personal outgoing SMTP servers other than the La Sierra University-provided mail servers.
  • Disruption or interference with other users’ ability to receive e-mail including: the sending or forwarding of “chain letters”; “SPAM,” that is, to exploit mail servers or similar broadcast systems for purposes beyond their intended scope, or to amplify the widespread distribution of unsolicited e-mail; and “letter bombs,” that is, to re-send the same e-mail repeatedly to one or more recipients to interfere with the recipient’s use of e-mail.
  • Using your La Sierra University e-mail for commercial activities or personal gain.
  • Using your e-mail to conduct activities that violate local, state, federal, or international laws.
  • All e-mail abuse must be reported to the Director of Information Technology or abuse@lasierra.edu. Offending messages should be saved for evidence of abuse. All reports of abuse will be investigated and dealt with appropriately.

Business Email Policy

  1. Assignment of e-mail accounts: Assignment of e-mail accounts is the responsibility of the system administrator and is governed by the “La Sierra University E-mail Policy.” 
  2. Redirecting of e-mail: The University provides the option to redirect e-mail to another e-mail account. It is only responsible for re-transmitting the message to the e-mail account specified. It is not responsible for the validity or the receiving e-mail server’s ability to accept the e-mail.
  3. Expectations about the use of e-mail: Users are expected to check their e-mail on a frequent and consistent basis in order to stay current with University-related communications. It is the responsibility of the users to recognize that certain communications may be time- sensitive. Errors in forwarding mail, returned mail due to “mailbox full” messages or “user unknown” messages, or the failure to check an e-mail account are not acceptable excuses for missing official University communications. All users are expected to abide by the “La Sierra University E-mail Policy.”
  4. Security, Privacy, and Confidentiality: The University does not guarantee the security, privacy, and confidentiality of e-mail. Therefore, users should exercise extreme caution in using e-mail to communicate confidential or sensitive matters. It is extremely important that users are careful to send messages to intended recipient(s) only and careful when using the “reply” command. The student e-mail address is considered directory information and La Sierra University may, without consent of the student, release to persons outside the University information designated as directory information. This is in compliance with the Federal Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

Sanctions

Penalties assessed for the violation of any of the above policies may take the form of any of the following and may occur at any time:
  • 1st offense: Temporary suspension of user’s account.
  • 2nd offense: User’s account will again be suspended, and the Dean of Students will be informed. The account will not be reactivated until the user has met with the network administrator and the Dean of Students.
  • 3rd offense: The user’s account will be immediately suspended and will undergo disciplinary review by the University.
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