Mesa State College

Mesa State College Dorm Network User Rules (rev. 3-14-05)

In order to register your computer on Mesa State’s network you must agree to be a good citizen and abide by rules which are in designed to protect the network’s security, lawfulness, and reliability.

Violations of these rules will be reported to the appropriate campus office or judicial body and may result in immediate disconnection from the campus network. Penalties can include disconnection from the campus network, expulsion from college owned housing, or suspension from the college. Computing Services also reserves the right to disconnect, without warning, any computer which poses a security or performance risk to the campus network. The connection may be later restored once the risk is eliminated.
Technical Assistance is available from your resident dorm technician. Use the signup sheet at front desk of your dorm to have a technician meet with you if you need help getting your network connection to work.

Network Guidelines

The purpose of Mesa State College's data communications network is for the use of Mesa State College students, faculty, and staff, and is to be used for the academic, educational, and research purposes of the College.
All traffic on the network must adhere to these guidelines:
Be consistent with the network purpose
2. Don't interfere with the work of other users of the network
3. Avoid wasting campus resources
4. Comply with state and federal laws
College-owned computers and network use are guided by the same principles as other campus activities. They are subject to the same disciplinary measures. Here are some examples of activities that would violate one or more of the four guidelines. They are meant to be illustrative, not exhaustive.

1) Be consistent with the network's purpose
No Money-Making Activities: You cannot sell access to Mesa State College's network. Nor can you use the network to advertise a commercial business, or to support a personal business interest
Personal Responsibility: You are responsible for activities originating from your network connection. Do not permit visitors or friends to engage in mischief from your connection.
Hardware Tampering: Please do not tamper with any network cabling or routing devices beyond the wall plate in your room. Any problems with these devices or cabling should be reported to Computing Services. Likewise, do not extend the network from your wall plate to another room or building.
Wireless Networks Prohibited: Do not setup or install any type of wireless network node.
2) Don't interfere with the work of other users of the network
P2P Networks: Peer to peer networks are forbidden. Peer to peer networks are used primarily for the illegal distribution of software, music, or movies. The possibly legal ones are still bandwidth hogs and are not allowed due to the technical and legal risks they pose.
Viruses and worms: All computers on the college network must be free of viruses and worms and have up-to-date anti-virus software and security patches installed.
Hacking: It is not acceptable to attempt to discover or obtain user accounts and passwords on any system. You may not possess or use any software or hardware designed to disrupt the security of the campus network and any devices attached to the network. Likewise, you may not engage in any activities designed to spy on the network traffic of other users.
Personal Accounts/IP Numbers: Personal accounts and IP numbers are issued to individuals according to need by the Computing Center. These accounts and associated passwords are for use by that individual only. Account names and IP numbers should not be shared, as any violation of policies will be traced by account name or IP number. If an individual suspects her password has been compromised, it is that student's responsibility to report it to the Computing Center as soon as it is discovered.
Disruption and interference: Tampering with network electronics, interfering with a logged-on user, or attempting to alter network servers may affect other users or interfere with their productivity, so these activities are forbidden. Any use which is likely to result in the loss or disruption of another person's work is prohibited.
3) Avoid wasting campus resources
Network Congestion: Some activities are prohibited because they have the potential of interfering with the response time of other users. For example, "chain letters", mass mailings, or the repeated transfer of large files which cause congestion of the network are unacceptable uses of your account. This type of mail includes any message which is sent repeatedly or to large numbers of people solely for purposes of reproducing the message.
Excessive Printing: You cannot use the College's printing facilities for output not related to the College's mission. For example, it is not acceptable to print fliers for outside agencies, a home business, or commercial word processing on the College's printers.
Altering Shared Computers: It is not acceptable to alter, disable or remove any software or data which resides on a machine in the public computing areas or is accessible via Mesa State's network resources.
4) Comply with state and federal laws
Software Piracy: You may not use the networks to engage in software piracy or copyright infringements. Users of the Mesa State College network may not "share" software over the network for which they do not have the license to "share". A single-copy software license is not a license to "share" software.
Racial and Sexual Harassment: Mesa State College has explicit policies against harassment. All incidents will be dealt with according to established procedures. Messages which harass an individual or group are strictly prohibited.