Computing and Electric Communication

Introduction

Duke cherishes freedom of expression, the diversity of values and perspectives inherent in an academic institution, the right to acknowledgment, and the value of privacy for all members of the Duke community. At the same time, Duke may be required by law to access and disclose information from computer and network users’ accounts or may find it necessary do so in order to protect Duke’s legal interests, uphold contractual obligations, or comply with other applicable Duke policies. Duke may also be required to access information to diagnose and correct technical problems.

Acceptable Use

In making acceptable use of computing and electronic resources you must:

Protect your user id and system from unauthorized use. You are responsible for all activities on your user id or that originate from your system.
Access only information that is your own, that is publicly available, or to which you have been given authorized access.
Refrain from monopolizing systems, overloading networks with excessive data, degrading services, or wasting computer time, connection time, disk space, printer paper, manuals, or other resources.
Seek pre-approval from OIT before deploying/using code that potentially impacts server resources or automates processes (e.g., in registering for classes).

In making acceptable use of computing and electronic resources you must not:

Use another person’s system, files, or data without permission (note that permission from an individual user may not be sufficient—some systems may require additional authority)
Give your password to another person (including to your parents). Contact the OIT Service Desk if you need assistance with giving other people authority to access your files or e-mail.
Attempt to circumvent or subvert security measures.
Engage in any activity that might be purposefully harmful to systems or to any information stored thereon.
Make unauthorized modifications to university data.
Make or use illegal copies of copyrighted software or other copyrighted works, store such copies on university systems, or transmit them over university networks.
Use the university ’s systems or networks for commercial purposes; for example, by selling access to your user id or by performing work for profit with university resources in a manner not authorized by the university.

The above list only addresses some of the most common issues that arise with regard to computing. All prohibitions found in applicable law and other university policies also apply to the computer systems. All students are expected to adhere to the guidelines associated with their issued physical and/or mobile Duke Card. Visit the Duke Card website for full information and current policies.

Group E-mail

Duke University has established a group e-mail policy that outlines appropriate uses for group e-mail. This e-mail policy applies to all group e-mails sent through Duke’s e-mail systems.

Large-scale e-mail communications, including surveys, announcements, etc., require the
implicit or explicit prior approval of that group or unit. Visit the OIT website for full information and current policies. Note that the above computing policies are subject to change.