Informational Technology Services (ITS) Policies

Informational Technology Services (ITS) Policies 

The Information Technology Service (ITS) policies help ensure that all technology use fully respects applicable laws, the rights of Pomona College and its community members.  

Computing and Network Resources Policy 

Computing and network resources are available to all Pomona College students, faculty, and staff. These services are provided for educational purposes and to carry out the legitimate business of the College. Members of the college community are expected to observe Federal, State, and local laws that govern computer and telecommunications use and the College’s regulations and policies. 

The framework of responsible, considerate, and ethical behavior expected by the College extends to cover the use of computing facilities, network resources, and networks throughout the world to which the College has provided electronic access. 

Privacy Policy 

The College’s computer and network resources are the College’s property, and students should not have any expectation of privacy when utilizing these resources. Files and computer usage may be monitored in the ordinary course of business or to determine compliance with the College’s policies.  

In addition, when there is reason to suspect inappropriate use of campus computing and networking resources, authorized College personnel will take appropriate steps to investigate. This may include monitoring traffic on the network on any system which is connected to the network.  

Responsible Use Policy 

The following list does not cover every situation which pertains to proper or improper use of ITS resources. It does, however, contain some of the responsibilities you accept if you choose to use the College’s computing resources or the network access which the College provides. 

1. You must not intentionally seek information about, browse, copy, or modify nonpublic files belonging to other people, whether at Pomona College or elsewhere. 

2. You are authorized to use only computer resources and information to which you have legitimately been granted access. If you encounter or observe a gap in the system or network security, you should immediately report the gap to the manager of that system. 

3. If it is unclear whether you have permission to copy, compile or manipulate software or data, assume that you may not. 

4. The College’s policies on harassment apply equally to electronic displays and communications as they do to more traditional means of display and communication. You must not display or transmit abusive images, sounds, or messages to an identifiable individual or group of individuals. 

5. Messages, sentiments, and declarations sent as electronic mail or postings must meet the same standards for distribution or display as tangible documents. 

6. You must not degrade computing or network performance in any way that will prevent others from meeting their educational or College business goals. 

7. The unauthorized duplication or distribution of copyrighted materials is prohibited. This includes but is not limited to software, printed or recorded music, movies, and works of art. 

8. You must not create or willfully disseminate computer viruses, worms, trojans, or any malware. You should be sensitive to the ease of spreading viruses and should take steps to ensure your files are virus-free. 

Inappropriate Use Policy 

The Information Technology Service (ITS) Office may temporarily suspend service to an individual or computer that is found to be significantly degrading the usability of the network or other computer systems or found to be posing a vulnerability threat to the campus network. Inappropriate use will be referred to the appropriate College authority, where further action may be taken. 

Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) Policy/Procedures 

The Chief Information Officer of ITS serves as Pomona College’s designated contact for all DMCA-related issues. Upon receipt of a notification from a bona fide copyright holder, or agent for the copyright holder, alleging that a user connected to Pomona’s network is in violation of the provisions of the DMCA, public access to the material will be disabled according to the following procedures. The individual’s network privileges will only be restored after the infringing materials are removed from the site, and the person agrees to abide by the College’s Appropriate Use of Campus Computing and Network Resources policy. 

Below are the specific procedures to be followed by the ITS staff person responsible for “unplugging” the alleged offending user: 

1. Upon notification of the alleged offense and identification of the IP address in question, a report is created using the Footprints ticketing system. 

2. After establishing the port ID for the IP address Network Services sends the alleged offending individual the standard “takedown” message and a copy of the notice from the copyright holder. This message asks that the alleged offending material be removed within 24 hours of the date/time of the message being sent. “Takedown” messages will not be sent out on Friday, Saturday or Sunday. The Dean of Students is included on the Footprints ticket when this action is taken. 

3. Under the conditions noted above, the student has one (1) business day/24 hours to comply with the notice and confirm back to ITS that the appropriate steps have been taken to remove the alleged offending material from their computer. 

4. If the student does not comply, ITS will block network access from the offending computer, and the Dean of Students will be notified of the matter. 

5. Network access for the offending computer will not be turned back on until ITS receives a request to do so from the Dean’s office. 

6. Notice of subsequent infractions will trigger an automatic takedown by ITS and a referral of the matter to the Dean of Students Office. 

7. A student’s network access block will only be removed by notification from the Dean of Students Office that the infraction has been addressed. 

Policy on Voice or Audio Recordings of Classroom Discussions and Lectures 

In order to guarantee the academic values and the integrity of the learning experience at Pomona College and foster a learning environment of respect, cooperation and freedom, students may not make audio or video recordings of classroom discussions, lectures or seminars without the express authorization of the instructor. This policy adheres to the long-standing tradition that faculty own the copyright from their scholarly, pedagogical and creative activities (see the Copyright and the Claremont Colleges Policy adopted in 2007 in the Faculty handbook). An exception to this policy is when a student has a reasonable need for accommodation due to a disability. 

Students with disabilities, who need to make audio or video recordings of a course, should make their request to the Associate Dean of Students/Disability Coordinator in the Dean of Students’ office. The Disability Coordinator will review the request, and if approved, notify the faculty member that the student is authorized to make audio or video recordings of the class. For more information, see the College’s Disability Accommodations Policy. 

Otherwise, students who are enrolled in a course and who wish to record audio or video of that course should obtain express authorization from the instructor. Authorization can be granted either orally or in writing and should be asked before any recording takes place. To protect student privacy, faculty or staff who wish to record a Pomona College course should obtain consent from the students involved in class and the faculty in charge of the course. 

If a student is granted approval to record a lecture or a discussion, then the following guidelines apply: 

• The recording is for the student’s personal use and must be deleted once the course is finished. 

• The student may share the recording with other students for non-commercial purposes arising from participation in the course. 

• A designated note-taker or agent of a student may make the recording for the authorized student. 

Any recording or distribution of course material not outlined above requires written consent by the instructor. Any violation of this policy will be considered a violation of Pomona College’s Student Code.