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Technology Resource Standards

Operational Policy 5.27
Effective Date: March 5, 2021

Operational Policy Statement

Arizona constitutional and statutory mandates require that Yavapai College (YC) resources, including technology, be used only for the public's business, and not for private purposes. Those mandates apply to all YC employees of every kind and volunteers. The aim of those laws and this operational policy is to safeguard the use of resources, including technology resources, acquired and maintained with public funds. Compliance with other laws–both federal and state–also dictates the need for standards for the use of YC technology resources.

This operational policy which establishes the Technology Resource Standards are for the use of YC technology resources. They should be seen as supplementing, and not in lieu of, general College operational policies, applicable law and other more specific operational policies such as Operational Policy 5.29 Electronic Communications.

General Responsibilities

Technology resources (including, but not limited to, desktop and laptop systems, printers, central computing facilities, YC wide area network, campus local-area networks, telephones, facsimile machines, scanners, access to the Internet, electronic mail and similar electronic devices and information) of YC are available to faculty, staff, and students and, in a limited number of cases, YC contractors and the public. Use of these resources is subject to the standards set forth in thisoperational policy (Standards).

All users of YC technology resources are presumed to have read and understood the Technology Resource Standards (Standards). The Standards are published on the YC web site. While the Standards govern use of technology resources for the entire YC district, an individual area or department may establish guidelines for technology resource usage that supplement, but do not replace or waive, these Standards.

Additionally, full-time YC employees are required to complete annual security awareness training and may be required to complete additional job-specific training as documented in the YC "Information Security Data Classification Standard".

Use of Non-YC Technology

Under Arizona's public records law, YC is required to transact business so that its records are accessible and retrievable. The operational policy underlying the law is that work done in the name of the public be transparent. Thus, any member of the public may request public records and, except in a few specific instances, are entitled to get copies of them.

Each individual employee is responsible for ensuring that YC records that he or she creates, receives, or manipulates are retained for the period of time required by and disposed of according to mandates established by Arizona State Library, Archives and Public Records–the state agency tasked with setting standards for record retention. Therefore, an employee's use of non-YC technology resources for communication of any type of YC business is strongly discouraged because those records are less capable of being managed according to YC's process for ensuring retention, retrieval and disclosure set forth in Operational Policy 5.28. Retrieval, Disclosure and Retention of Records. Note that Operational Policy 5.29 – Electronic Communications provides additional context on permissible and impermissible electronic communication, particularly use of non-YC technology to conduct YC business.

Additionally, a YC employee who receives a communication allegedly from another YC employee using a non-YC e-mail address is not required to respond substantively to that e-mail. The employee receiving the e-mail is entitled to verify that the sender is whom he or she says that he or she is. The employee receiving the e-mail may request that the sender provide the information or inquiry set forth in the e-mail via hard-copy form.

Acceptable Use

Use of YC's technology resources, including websites created by YC employees and students, is limited to educational, research, service, operational and management purposes of YC. Likewise, data, voice, images and links to external sites posted on or transmitted via YC's technology resources are limited to the same purposes.

Frequently, access to YC's technology resources can be obtained only through use of a password known exclusively to the YC employees or students. It is those users' responsibility to keep a password confidential. While YC takes reasonable measures to ensure network security, it cannot be held accountable for unauthorized access to its technology resources by other persons, both within and outside the YC community. Moreover, it cannot guarantee employees and students protection against reasonable failures. Finally, under certain limited circumstances defined in Operational Policy 5.28. Retrieval, Disclosure and Retention of Records, certain YC employees are authorized to access information on an YC technology device if necessary.

It is not YC's practice to monitor the content of electronic mail transmissions, files, images, links or other data stored on or transmitted through YC's technology resources. The maintenance, operation and security of YC's technology resources, however, require that authorized personnel have access to those resources and, on occasion, review the content of data and communications stored on or transmitted through those resources.

Any other review may be performed exclusively by persons expressly authorized for such purpose and only for cause. To the extent possible in the electronic environment and in a public setting, a user's privacy will be honored. Nevertheless, that privacy is subject to Arizona's public records laws and other applicable state and federal laws, all of which may supersede a user's interests in maintaining privacy in information contained in YC's technology resources.

The standards for the acceptable use of computer resources require:

• Responsible behavior with respect to the electronic information environment at all times;
• Behavior consistent with the mission of the College and with authorized activities of the College or members of the College community;
• Respect for the principles of open expression;
• Compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, and College operational policies;
• Truthfulness and honesty in personal and computer identification;
• Respect for the rights and property of others, including intellectual property rights;
• Behavior consistent with the privacy and integrity of electronic networks, electronic data and information, and electronic infrastructure and systems; and
• Respect for the value and intended use of human and electronic resources.

Incidental Computer and Technology Usage

Limited incidental personal use of YC technology resources including through use of personal email systems is permitted, except as described in item 16 under “Prohibited Conduct.” YC employees are responsible for exercising good judgment about personal use in accordance with this operational policy and ethical standards. Personal use refers to activities which only affect the individual and that are not related to an employee's outside business. YC employees are required to conduct themselves in a manner which will not raise concern that they are or might be engaged in acts in violations of the public trust. Refer to the Guidelines for Incidental Computer Usage and Guidelines for Incidental Telephone Usage.

Prohibited Conduct

Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Posting to the network, downloading or transporting any material that would constitute a violation of YC contracts.
2. Unauthorized attempts to monitor another user's password protected data or electronic communication, or delete another user's password protected data, electronic communications or software, without that person's permission.
3. Installing or running on any system a program that is intended to or is likely to result in eventual damage to a file or computer system.
4. Performing acts that would unfairly monopolize technology resources to the exclusion of other users, including (but not limited to) unauthorized installation of server system software.
5. Developing or maintaining an unauthorized website that uses the YC name or branding.
6. Use of technology resources for non-YC commercial purposes, including advertising personal services, whether or not for financial gain.
7. Use of software, graphics, photographs, or any other tangible form of expression that would violate or infringe any copyright or similar legally-recognized protection of intellectual property rights.
8. Activities that would constitute a violation of any YC operational policy.
9. Transmitting, storing, or receiving data, or otherwise using technology resources in a manner that would constitute a violation of state or federal law, or YC operational policy including, but not limited to, obscenity, defamation, threats, harassment, and theft.
10. Attempting to gain unauthorized access to a computing or network resource, or attempting to identify or enumerate devices, ports, software, or hardware installed on computing and network resources for the purposes of identifying potential vulnerabilities.
11. Exploiting any technology resources by attempting to prevent or circumvent access, or using unauthorized data protection schemes.
12. Performing any act that would disrupt normal operations of computers, workstations, terminals, peripherals, networks, or resources (ex. email system, network storage, learning management system).
13. Using technology resources in such a way as to wrongfully hide the identity of the user or pose as another person.
14. Allowing any unauthorized access to YC's technology and non-technology resources.
15. Making personal long distance or other toll calls, except where the charges for the calls are incurred directly by the caller or arrangements are otherwise made at the time of the call to directly bill the caller.
16. Intermittent use of technology resources that interferes with the performance of an employee's main responsibilities.
17. Deleting or altering a technology public record in violation of public records retention requirements, or in anticipation of receiving or after receipt of a public records request, subpoena or a complaint filed as part of an YC grievance, investigation or review, or other lawful request for the record.
18. Deleting or altering a technology record on an YC device in anticipation or after receipt of a public records request, subpoena or a complaint filed as part of an YC grievance, investigation or review, or other lawful request for the records where the record may demonstrate a misuse of technology resources under this regulation.
19. Yavapai College technological equipment and resources must be used in accordance with the Copyright Use operational policy. Use of YC technological equipment and resources to illegally copy, download, access print or store copyrighted material is strictly forbidden. For example, file swapping of copyrighted material such as music or movies is strictly prohibited. Users found to violate this policy will have their accounts terminated and their privileges to use Yavapai College technological equipment and resources revoked. Peer-to-Peer file sharing (P2P) is prohibited on the campus network at Yavapai College (Reference P2P File Sharing Operational Policy).

Disclaimer

All information published online by YC is subject to change without notice. YC is not responsible for errors or damages of any kind resulting from access to its internet resources or use of the information contained therein. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information presented as factual; however errors may exist. Users are directed to countercheck facts when considering their use in other applications. YC is not responsible for the content or functionality of any technology resource not owned by the institution.

The statements, comments, or opinions expressed by users through use of YC's technology resources are those of their respective authors, who are solely responsible for them, and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yavapai College.

Complaints and Violations

Complaints or allegations of a violation of this operational policy will be addressed through YC's normal corrective action operational policy (Operational Policy 2.21) for employees or via the Student Code of Conduct for students.

Upon determination of a violation of these standards, YC may unilaterally delete any offending content and terminate the user's access to YC's technology resources. It is the user's responsibility to demonstrate and/or establish the relevance of content in the event that a content complaint is made official. Users retain the right to appeal actions through YC's grievance procedures.