Office of the CIO

IT POLICIES:

Acceptable Use Policy

Each member of the NKU community - Faculty, Staff, Students and Guests are have an obligation to exercise safe, responsible, ethical behavior when using the University's computers, information, networks or resources, and must abide by University policies, local, state, and federal laws.  For specifics about NKU's policy see NKU's Acceptable Use Policy.

Antivirus Policy

All computers which connect to the NKU network are required to have up-to-date Antivirus software, along with regularly timed scans.  This includes not only NKU-managed computers, but also personal computers owned by students, faculty or staff which are in use on NKU networks.  For specific policy information see the NKU Antivirus Policy. 

Security Policy

Each member of the NKU campus community is responsible for the security and protection of electronic information resources over which he or she has access and control.  Sensitive data may only be accessed via secured methods, and should never be stored on laptops, mobile or personal devices without appropriate security measures. NKU prohibits inappropriate use of student, faculty and staff information.  For more specific policy information see the NKU Security Policy.

LISTSERV and Mass Email Policy

Faculty and Staff are required to follow proper policy and procedures when sending campus-wide communications such as the use of NKUALL or NKUSTUDENTSALL LISTSERV.  In most cases, approval will be required from the area Vice President prior to release of any such communication.  For more specific policy information see the NKU Listserv Policy. 

Email Termination Policy

In order to protect the campus computing infrastructure, network and data, NKU has defined and Email and Network Account Termination Policy for all Faculty, Staff, and Retiree accounts.  This policy defines the appropriate account termination and account access in the event of a termination, assignment cessation, retirement, or resignation.  For specific policy information see the NKU Email and Account Termination Policy.  

IT GUIDELINES:

Privacy

In addition to the Security Policy, NKU adheres to the federal guidelines concerning student privacy.  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords students certain rights to privacy with respect to educational records.  NKU adheres to this guideline and prohibits inappropriate use of student information.  For more information about NKU's guideline, click here or see the official government site for information regarding FERPA .

Copyright, Plagiarism, and use of Peer-to-Peer 

All copyrighted information, such as text, recordings, and images, retrieved from electronic resources or stored, transmitted or maintained with electronic resources, must be used in conformance with applicable copyright and other laws. Copied material, used legally, must be properly attributed in conformance with applicable legal and professional standards. 

While peer-to-peer usage can provide a beneficial file sharing service, it also provides an opportunity for abuse, infringements and virus transmission, as there is no filtering of this sort of data transmission. NKU strictly prohibits any form of copyright infringements, including illegal media downloads,  plagiarism, bootlegging, or any other illegal use of materials.  

Illegal downloads are often detected and reported by the movie and recording industries, and the Dean of Students and Legal Affairs are notified so these incidents can be managed appropriately, including disciplinary and/or legal actions. 

NKU is required by Federal Law to respond to notifications of copyright violations on its networks.  Offenses such as illegal use of peer-to-peer will result in consultations with university officials, and may result in disciplinary actions, up to and including suspension or termination of network privileges, expulsion, or dismissal.  In addition, the names of the violators will be referred to the appropriate authorities for criminal or civil prosecution.

 Per the NKU Acceptable Use Policy and Federal Laws regarding copyright infringements, all copyrighted information retrieved via electronic sources within NKU networks must be used in conformance with applicable copyright protection laws. See U.S. Copyright laws.  See the NKU Compliance site regarding copyright infringements.

For legal alternatives for downloading media, see http://www.educause.edu/Resources/Browse/Legal%20Downloading/33381

Passwords 

Individuals are required to change network passwords at least every 90-days. the use of "Strong" passwords is encouraged, and sharing passwords is not permitted, and can be grounds for disciplinary actions.  For specific information regarding password requirements see NKU's Password site.

Web Accessibility

In an effort to make the University's Web site and pages more accessible to not only those with disabilities but any person who visits or interacts with our web site, NKU has established a web accessibility goal along with standards and guidelines.  The standards and the guidelines are to serve as a framework to help the individuals who are responsible for publishing any content on the university web site be in compliance with the 1998 Section 508 amendments to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Remember...

Be sure to adhere to NKU policies at all times, and use our guidelines for best practices, tips, and security awareness issues.  Always be safe when using your computer at work, home, or anywhere!