Student Life

ACADEMIC COMPUTING GUIDELINES

General

Bethel College has built an investment in computing resources and has encouraged the College community to use these resources creatively in their work and studies. Access to the Internet, powerful central computers and an ever-increasing number of personal computers are assets in which we may take pride. Their value is increased the more we take advantage of them. Therefore, the members of the College community are encouraged to use these resources. Using these resources in a responsible manner will protect this investment.

Bethel College encourages and supports freedom of expression and an open environment for the pursuit of scholarly inquiry. The contents of all electronic pages published using Bethel College information systems must, however, comply with Bethel College policies, rules, and regulations, as well as local, state and federal laws. Responsible use of college computers and the Internet is more than adhering to a set of dos and don'ts. When using Bethel College computer resources, everyone is held to the ethical standards established by principles commonly accepted as a guide to behavior in a community of scholars. The following serve only as examples of how those standards apply to specific areas of computer and network usage. They are not meant to be a comprehensive list of what may or may not be done. This policy statement does not alter any existing College policy or procedure.

Copyright

Today, relatively inexpensive devices when used in conjunction with the World Wide Web permit the copying and publishing of enormous quantities of material. These materials could include original work, public domain materials, royalty-free-license-free materials, or copyrighted materials. All electronic publications of Bethel College must follow established standards regarding the reproduction of copyrighted materials.

The recommendation is always to secure appropriate permission when including copyrighted or trademark material such as text, photographic images, video, or graphic illustrations, in any electronic publication.

These policies apply to all users of the College computers and network facilities, including but not limited to, Bethel College students, faculty, staff, administrators and guest users.

College Computers

Usage of Bethel College computers, campus network and Internet, must conform to the Lifestyle Covenant Agreement and other standards of Bethel College. Computer usage is a privilege that may be revoked at any time for inappropriate conduct.

Network and E-Mail accounts will only be given to current Bethel College students, Faculty, Staff and Alumni.

Inappropriate use of the Internet anywhere on campus will result in disciplinary action.

Responsible use of the college computer and network resources requires that you:

Student Labs

The Bethel College student computer labs are equipped with computers primarily for the academic work of our students.

Several labs are located in the lower level of the Academic Building and their use is defined below:

Lab Hours and Rules

College Network Resources and the Internet

Since most of the Lab systems are connected to the Internet, it is essential for each user to recognize his/her responsibility in using these services and systems.

Free access to the network is a privilege that may be revoked at any time for abusive conduct.

Such conduct includes, but is not limited to:

Disciplinary Action

Violators of College policies are subject to the normal disciplinary procedures of the College. Violations of College policies with respect to computing and network usage may result in the loss of computer and network access. Illegal actions are subject to prosecution by local, state or federal authorities.

Using Software

If you have questions not answered by this guide about the proper use and distribution of a software product, please seek help from Bethel College Help Desk, at 807.7777, or from the software developer or publisher.

Bethel Department of Information Technology will not provide equipment or software support for any computer on which unauthorized software is known to exist. In addition, where there are clear violations, Information Technology will report violations to the appropriate department heads or Senior Officers.

Virus Information

Get the latest computer virus information, including hoaxes.

Student Account Expiration

General Computer and E-mail accounts for students will expire four months after graduation or departure from Bethel College. Your student web account will still be accessible.