Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College
Area Network and Internet Access:
Internet Acceptable Use Policy for Users

I. STATEMENT. The MGCCC Network and Internet access will provide users, faculty, staff, and administrators a wide variety of communication and information resources.

Users (employees and users) will abide by policies and procedures, which require users to be identified and to follow a set of practical guidelines. These policies and procedures authorize the use of web pages for college employees, define appropriate use of e-mail and other network software, and specify disciplinary action to include dismissal for violators.

II. PROCEDURES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Since use of the Internet is provided as another educational resource, user participation is a privilege, not a right. Users are expected to comply with college rules and regulations as published in the MGCCC User Handbook.
2. The user is solely responsible for all actions taken while using that user-id. Therefore, the user should change his/her password if he/she believes his/her password is no longer secure.
3. The user will not apply for a user-id under false pretenses.
4. The user will not share his/her user-id and password with anyone else including his/her family and/or friends. No one but the user is given access to the MGCCC network. If the user gives this information to another person, the user is solely responsible for the actions of the other person.
5. The user cannot delete, examine, copy, or modify files and/or data belonging to other students or faculty/staff/administration without prior consent. Unauthorized copying of copyrighted software through the MGCCC network is prohibited.
6. The user must immediately cease any network activity because of negative impact on the network or other users when requested by network administrative personnel or college lab personnel or faculty. Failure to comply will result in loss of network privileges.
7. Certain materials available on the Internet are inherently inappropriate for user use. Examples include material that is of a sexually explicit nature or that advocates violence or discrimination; humor of an offensive or sexually explicit nature; and pirated commercial software. Instructors, library personnel, and lab personnel have the right to monitor user activity on the Internet and deny access to these materials or invoke sanctions as appropriate.
8. Since most of the Internet access for users will be in the computer labs, classrooms, and libraries, each location may have guidelines that prioritize computer needs. In all cases, student class needs shall take priority over surfing the Internet.
9. Commercial use of these computer facilities and/or services provided by MGCCC is prohibited.
10. Unauthorized home pages and ftp sites are prohibited. Users may not create personal home pages for access/storage on the MGCCC Internet server.
11. Users should not expect confidentiality on the Internet System. Administrators have the legal right to read files and E-mail. Whenever electronic mail is sent, your name and user-id are included with the message. The user is responsible for all electronic mail originating from his/her user-id.
12. The user will not attempt to access data being transferred through the network or files on any computer connected to the network without the owner's permission.
13. The user will not attempt to violate any connected computer system's security.
14. The user will not attempt to spread computer viruses, Trojan horses, worms, or any program designed to violate security, interfere with the proper operation of any computer system or destroy another person's data.
15. The user will not install any unauthorized software on any college-owned computer.
16. The user will not use the network in any manner that violates any federal, state, or local law or institutional policies or procedures.
17. Since the Internet links MGCCC to many other networks worldwide, users must observe the acceptable use policies of any remote network accessed through the MGCCC Internet connection.

III. Violation of network policies and procedures may result in loss of network and/or Internet access, dismissal or other sanctions. Due process and student grievance procedures are outlined in the MGCCC Student Handbook.