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Acceptable Use of Telecommunications Resources

Personal Responsibilities

Every student has personal responsibility for reporting any misuse of Vernon College’s telecommunications facilities to the Institutional Support Specialist (940-552-6291 ext. 2242) or to his/her instructor. Misuse includes, but is not limited to, the following:

  1. sharing of passwords any account access information;
  2. invasion of privacy of other users;
  3. unauthorized access to data belonging to other users;
  4. downloading or installing any software (e.g. newer browser versions, instant messengers, games, add-ins) to the hard drive of a Vernon College computer;
  5. changing the home page setup and/or any other settings on a Vernon College computer; and
  6. violating any of the Inappropriate Network Use provisions listed below.

Information Security

As part of our ongoing efforts to bolster security and protect sensitive information, it is crucial and required that all employees and students utilize Microsoft's Authenticator App for Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) when accessing company systems and resources.  MFA adds an additional layer of security beyond passwords, significantly reducing the risk of unauthorized access to our systems and data. By requiring not just a password, but also a second form of verification, such as a one-time code generated by the Authenticator App, we greatly enhance our defense against cyber threats like phishing, brute-force attacks, and account compromise.  Employees and students are expected to utilize their own device for the Authenticator App.

 

Inappropriate Network Use

On Vernon College computers and on personal computers connected to the Internet in the student residence centers, students may not download, upload, save, receive, send or publish web pages, e-mail, messages, social media content or other material related to, containing, or including any of the following:

  1. offensive material of any kind, including pornographic, obscene or other inappropriate material (see Policy on Pornography);
  2. material promoting discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, religion, or disability;
  3. information promoting, encouraging or facilitating illegal activities, including terrorism;
  4. information or messages encouraging the use of illegal substances;
  5. abusive, inflammatory, obscene or otherwise objectionable language;
  6. information or messages threatening or encouraging violent behavior;
  7. copyrighted materials, including but not limited to music, movies and software, subject to the following two exceptions:
    1. the student has paid for the downloaded item, and it is downloaded to a student-owned computer in a student residence center.
    2. the student has been directed to download the item by a Vernon College instructor.

Vernon College’s Internet and e-mail services must not be used for any of the following:

  1. commercial advertising;
  2. publishing material or sending messages for personal financial gain;
  3. unethical or illegal solicitation;
  4. sending a message with someone else’s name on it;
  5. sending a large number of personal messages from computers on campus;
  6. knowingly placing a computer virus, worm or Trojan on the network;
  7. publishing or distributing unlawful information;
  8. sending unsolicited bulk e-mail messages commonly known as spam;
  9. gambling;
  10. peer-to-peer networking, such as BitTorrent (1st violation results in visit with the Vice President of Student Services; second violation results in suspension of Internet access);
  11. forwarding chain letters.

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