III. Academic Information

The following academic information supplements the 2007-08 Academic Catalog, available online at http://www.albion.edu/academics/catalogs.asp.

General Guidelines for Academic Integrity and Responsibility

Ideally, the educational process is a joint faculty-student enterprise based on mutual respect and a sense of shared responsibility in which the discovery and dissemination of knowledge proceeds in a manner that is free, fair, and open-minded, and in which relationships are honest and without prejudice. Albion College is dedicated to the preservation of this enterprise, its freedoms and obligations.

The purpose of this chapter is to enumerate the traditional freedoms and duties associated with academic endeavors. The discovery and dissemination of knowledge requires an atmosphere in which the highest standards of integrity, responsibility, and open-mindedness are maintained and in which there is tolerance for reasoned dissent.

Integrity

Excellence in education cannot be achieved in situations which are contaminated by dishonest practices. All members of the academic community are obligated to adhere strictly to the highest standards of integrity in study, research, instruction, and evaluation.

It is presumed that those who instruct and administer will observe and encourage such standards of integrity. Newcomers to the academic community, including administrators, faculty, and students, are presumed to accept the concept of academic integrity and to seek to live by it, but they may need continuing clarification of the concept and guidance in its observance. Those who cannot or will not be honest do not belong within the College.

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Specific Guidelines for Students

Albion College expects its students to take responsibility for their academic endeavors and to accept the consequences. No student should act in a manner that would harm the academic atmosphere of the institution or diminish the experience of any other member of the academic community.

Academic Honesty

Strict standards of academic honesty apply to all academic work at Albion College. Deviations from academic honesty are exemplified by, but not limited to, the actions described below. (Questions regarding academic procedures can be answered by contacting a member of the faculty.)

In the taking of examinations, any attempt to receive assistance from persons, papers, or printed material without the permission of the faculty member constitutes academic dishonesty. This definition applies not only to activities within the examination room, but also to any attempt to obtain beforehand copies of examination questions without the faculty member’s consent, including attempts to obtain them from students taking the examination at an earlier time during the semester. In short, all such unauthorized procedures constitute academic dishonesty. A student who willingly provides assistance not condoned by the College to another student is also in violation, whether or not the student providing the assistance has completed the examination.

In preparing essays, reports, and other out-of-class projects, any use of the words or ideas of someone else as though they were one’s own constitutes plagiarism. This definition applies to the use of both printed and unprinted sources, including the work of other students or faculty. To avoid plagiarism, all borrowed material must be fully documented. Direct quotations, however small, must be placed in quotation marks or indented beyond the regular margins, and their sources must be clearly identified. Ideas or arguments not directly quoted but paraphrased must also be documented; merely altering the wording does not make their substance a student’s own work.

Facts, formulas, and other types of information which are widely known and considered common knowledge in a field do not always require documentation, but a student may not falsely claim the independent derivation or observation of such material, nor borrow without acknowledgment someone else’s special arrangement or use of it. When in doubt as to the criteria for common knowledge, a student should consult a member of the faculty. If acceptable methods of documenting borrowed material of any type are not clear to a student, it is the student’s responsibility to consult beforehand with the faculty member who will receive the finished work.

The use of an identical or nearly identical piece of work to fulfill requirements in more than one course without the knowledge of the faculty members involved constitutes academic dishonesty. If a student wishes to prepare a single piece of work for more than one course, the written permission of both faculty members must be secured beforehand. If a student wishes to submit a revised version of an earlier piece of work, written permission must be secured beforehand and the earlier version must be submitted along with the final version. When in doubt, a student should check with the faculty member.

Procedures Regarding Academic Dishonesty

A faculty member or academic staff member who suspects a student of academic dishonesty will, in a timely manner, discuss the matter with the student. If the faculty member continues to believe that an infraction has taken place, one of the following will occur:

a. If the faculty member and student agree that a violation has taken place, the faculty member will determine any penalties in the course or academic program, up to and including failure of the course or removal from the academic program. The faculty member will, in a timely manner, confirm the conversation, including a complete description of the violation and the assigned penalty, in a letter to the student and send a copy of the letter and all original evidence to the vice president for student affairs. The vice president and the chair of the Academic Infractions Division of the Judicial Board will meet to determine if the case also should be referred to the Academic Infractions Division of the Judicial Board for review and further action. Second offenses will automatically be referred to the Academic Infractions Division. The Academic Infractions Division may impose additional sanctions as described below.

b. If the faculty member and student do not agree that a violation has taken place, the faculty member will provide the vice president for student affairs with a complete written description of the alleged violation and all original evidence. The vice president will automatically refer the matter to the Academic Infractions Division of the Judicial Board for its consideration. In cases where the student is found responsible for the violation by the Academic Infractions Division, the faculty member may determine any penalties in the course itself, up to and including failure of the course. The faculty member will, in a timely manner, send a letter specifying the course penalty to the student, with a copy of the letter to the vice president for student affairs. The Academic Infractions Division may impose additional sanctions as described below.

A student accused of academic dishonesty may not alter his/her enrollment in the course (e.g., withdraw from the course) until the case is resolved. If the faculty member’s penalty for the incident of academic dishonesty is failure in the course, the student may not alter his/her enrollment in the course.

Sanctions for Academic Dishonesty

In addition to any penalties applied in the course by the faculty member, the record of the violation and all evidence pertaining to it will be filed in the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs. In cases which go before the Academic Infractions Division of the Judicial Board, the vice president (or the vice president’s designee) will make pertinent information pertaining to past offenses available to the division at the time it is considering sanctions in a given case.

In all cases, the Academic Infractions Division of the Judicial Board will have available to it the full range of sanctions as specified in the College’s judicial process, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the College. The Academic Infractions Division also shall determine if a permanent record of the offense will appear on the student’s official academic record maintained by the Registrar’s Office. For a second offense, the normal penalty will be suspension or expulsion from the College, and this may be noted on the student’s official academic record.

Right of Appeal in Academic Dishonesty Cases

Student questions concerning penalties assigned in a course by an instructor as the result of academic dishonesty may be addressed through those procedures normally followed by students questioning their evaluation in a course.

A student also has the right to request review for an appeal of the decision and/or sanction(s) of the Academic Infractions Division of the Judicial Board. The Albion College judicial process provides that an appeal may be granted when the respondent demonstrates grounds sufficient to support a determination that at least one of four bases for appeal exists:

• There were procedural errors that substantially affect the rights of the respondent;

• New evidence has been discovered that could not have been presented at the original hearing and that is of a character directly affecting the decision;

• The decision is incompatible with the evidence;

• The penalty is excessive.

Initial review of the sufficiency of a request for appeal is based on the content of the written request and the record and may include consultations with College staff. Initial review does not include a hearing. In instances involving academic dishonesty regulations, requests for appeal are reviewed by the Faculty Steering Committee. Such a request must be filed in writing with the vice president for student affairs or his/her designee by the date indicated in the written decision of the Academic Infractions Division letter (normally five working days from the date of the letter). The Faculty Steering Committee will deny the request if the request for appeal does not establish the existence of one of the grounds listed above, or will grant the appeal if the existence of one or more of the grounds is sufficiently demonstrated.

If an appeal is granted, the respondent will be afforded an opportunity to present the basis for it in person. An adviser is not permitted on appeal. The appeal body will review the record and consult with people with pertinent information to the extent necessary to decide the appeal. The burden of proof in an appeal shifts to the respondent student or group. An appeal is not a rehearing of the case. The Faculty Steering Committee may, after hearing the appeal, deny any change in the finding or sanction(s), modify the finding and maintain the sanction(s), allow the finding to stand and reduce the sanction(s), modify the finding and reduce the sanction(s), or vacate the finding in whole or in part and refer the case back to the hearing body for further deliberation. The Faculty Steering Committee is the final body of appeal in cases of academic dishonesty.

Class Attendance

Regular attendance in all classes is expected. Faculty members have the prerogative to drop from their course any student who is registered for the course and is not present during the first scheduled meeting. To maintain a place in the course, a student may make special arrangements with the faculty member prior to the start of classes. Every absence from class is inevitably a loss — usually one which can never be made up. It is the prerogative of the individual faculty members to include attendance and class participation as criteria for evaluation of the final grade. Except as provided in “class absences” below, the decision to excuse an absence, as well as the decision to allow a student to make up assignments missed, rests solely with the faculty member. Students who are absent from class assume full responsibility for the loss.

Class Conduct

Students have the obligation to conduct themselves in class or in designated study areas in a manner that will not disrupt or infringe upon the rights of the faculty member or fellow students.

Class Absences

A student has the responsibility to inform his/her faculty member, whenever possible in advance, of an absence that is caused by circumstances beyond his/her control. In the event of sudden serious illness or personal emergency, students may contact Student Health Services. Notification of this event to faculty may be made on the student’s behalf with a signed release of information.

Albion College recognizes that participation in extra-classroom activities such as class trips, departmental trips, club field trips, workshops, and intercollegiate athletics can be of benefit to the students and to the institution. However, Albion College also recognizes that classroom work is at the heart of the student’s progress in courses. Therefore, no class trip will be permitted to remove a student from classes for more than two consecutive class days. No intercollegiate athletic trip will be permitted to remove a student from classes for more than one class day, except by permission of the vice president for academic affairs. Saturdays, rather than class days, will be used for College-sponsored, extra-classroom activities whenever possible. Limited College transportation is available, and inquiries should be directed to the Facilities Operations Office and to the Office of Campus Programs and Organizations.

Students should inform their faculty members in advance of an upcoming class absence that is a result of participation in an official College event. Written notification of such absences is required, and must be distributed by the supervising College official. The student thereby merits the opportunity to make up assignments missed.

Appointments

Students are expected to keep all academic and counseling appointments except in cases of illness or other compelling circumstances, in which case they should make reasonable attempts to inform the faculty member or administrative staff involved.

Petitions of Academic Regulations

Students may be granted an exception to certain College regulations, if special circumstances exist. Such regulations include the deadlines for drop/add and course withdrawal, the rescheduling of final examinations, and the extension of incompletes. Should a student believe that extenuating circumstances merit special consideration, the forms to petition are available in the Registrar’s Office and also at the Registrar’s Web site.

Faculty Evaluation

Students have been given an increasing role in faculty and course evaluations, and they are expected to base these evaluations on good-faith objective judgments. Each faculty member at Albion is evaluated by his/her students every third semester. Non-tenured faculty members are requested to conduct a student evaluation each semester. In these evaluations students should not consider such factors as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, and political or cultural affiliation, nor should they consider lifestyle, activities, or behavior outside the classroom that is unrelated to academic matters.

Copyright Policy

In the context of Albion College, there are many circumstances in which such uses of copyrighted material as duplication, distribution of copies, public display or performance, and preparation of derivative works are perfectly appropriate. However, as individual members of the academic community exercise their rights to fair use, they must avoid violating the rights of authors and/or distributors or the privacy rights of other individuals.

Members of the Albion College community are prohibited from using copyrighted works in any way that is not authorized by (a) specific exemptions in the copyright law, (b) fair-use guidelines, including those specifically granted for use in classroom settings, or (c) licenses or written permission from the copyright owner. It is unlawful to copy material for which necessary written permission to copy has not been obtained. Both the individual requesting such services and the individual performing them may be liable for copyright infringement.

Members of the Albion College community who willfully disregard the institution’s copyright policy do so at their own risk and assume all liability, including the possibility of disciplinary actions for copyright infringement. For a full copy of Albion College’s copyright policy and fair-use guidelines, please contact the director of libraries, ext. 0285.

Library Resources

Students have the obligation to use all library materials in an honest and responsible manner that maximizes their availability for others in the class.

Buildings and Services

Students have the obligation to act responsibly in their use of College academic services and facilities.

Use of Information Technology Resources

All students, faculty, and staff may use Albion College’s electronic resources and services in support of the College’s educational, research, and service missions. With this privilege comes the expectation that each user with access to the College’s information technology resources will use them responsibly and will comply with all applicable College policies as well as local, state, and federal laws.

Albion College’s policies for acceptable use of information technology resources and of the residential network (ResNet) appear in Appendixes A and B, respectively, at the end of this chapter of the Student Handbook. In particular, individuals should respect the rights of other users for access to information technology facilities. Further, College information technology facilities may not be used for any commercial purpose nor for the benefit of a non-College-related individual or organization.

Violations of the College’s information technology policies may result in the loss of network privileges and/or referral to the College Judicial Board for disciplinary action or to the appropriate law enforcement authorities. Violations of local, state, or federal laws and regulations may also result in the seizure of computer hardware and software, fines and/or imprisonment.

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Responsibilities of the Faculty

It is understood that Albion College faculty have responsibilities to the students such as those delineated below.

Class Meeting — To meet their classes when scheduled. In cases where a faculty member is unable to meet a class because of illness or absence from campus, he/she is expected to notify the department chair and to indicate what arrangements have been made for the class during his/her absence or to reschedule it.

Appointments — To be available at reasonable times for appointments with students, and to keep such appointments. To post and keep regular office hours.

Preparation — To make appropriate preparation for classes and other meetings.

Evaluation — To grade and return written work in a reasonable amount of time with careful evaluation in order that it will aid students in their academic work.

To base all academic evaluations upon good-faith professional judgment.

Not to consider, in academic evaluation, such factors as race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, and political or cultural affiliation, nor to consider lifestyle, activities or behavior outside the classroom unrelated to academic achievement.

Advising — To regard advising in curriculum and vocation as important functions, and to be informed and technically correct in all relevant information.

Confidentiality — To respect the confidentiality of information contained in College records about each student, and to refrain from releasing such information, except in connection with intra-College business, or with student consent, or as may be allowed and/or required by law. (See Privacy Rights Policy, Chapter V, Appendix A.)

Student Exploitation — Not to exploit the professional relationship with students for private advantage, and to refrain from soliciting the assistance of students for private purposes in a manner which infringes upon such students’ freedom of choice.

Responsibility — To refrain from any activity which involves risk to the health and safety of a student, except with the student’s informed and unpressured consent, and where applicable, in accordance with the College policy relating to the use of human subjects in experimentation.

Respect — To respect the dignity of students individually and collectively in the classroom and other academic contexts.

Course Guidelines — As adopted by the faculty, to provide the following information concerning each course to the members of the class before the end of “drop and add” week during which enrollments may be changed:

• The general objectives of the course and the general plan to be followed.

• A listing of major textbooks, laboratory or studio supplies, and other materials which the students will be required to procure for use in the course.

• The evaluation procedures and standards to be followed, including the items which will be evaluated and, if possible, their relative weight in determining the student’s grade. In addition, advance notice must be made of the permissible materials or references allowed during evaluation. (It is strongly urged that the faculty member put the guidelines for his/her course in writing and distribute a copy to each student.)

• Changes in announced procedures should be made when agreed upon by the faculty member and the students.

• Examinations will not be given without advance notice of at least one week. This statement is not intended to include quizzes, covering a more limited amount of subject matter.

• In a course having a final examination, all other written work requiring substantial student preparation (including blue books and term papers) must be completed before the last three days of scheduled classes unless the nature of the work clearly requires a later date. In a course in which the regularly scheduled final examination is replaced by a take-home examination, term paper or similar activity, the final project may be due at any time on or before the date of the examination scheduled for the course. A faculty member who thus replaces the final examination with some other activity should make every effort to ensure that the final assignment does not require time beyond what a student taking four units can reasonably be expected to devote to any one-unit course (or 1/2 unit in a 1/2 unit course, etc.). An individual student may take an examination at other than the scheduled time: (1) when the student has three examinations scheduled on the same day, or (2) when a faculty member grants prior approval to taking the examination with a different section of the same course.

• Students having three examinations scheduled on the same day and wishing to change the date of one of the examinations should contact the Office of the Registrar.

• Events requiring student participation may be scheduled on or after the last three days of scheduled classes only with the approval of the Curriculum and Resource Committee. This includes both course-related activities (field trips, etc.) and extracurricular activities (athletic contests, musical or theatrical performances, etc.).

• Students will be given the opportunity to examine all of their tests, papers, and other graded materials, including final examinations, and of discussing their grades with the faculty member or some other authorized member of the department in question. If not returned to the students, these materials should be retained by the faculty member at least until the fourth week of the following semester.

Redress for Students — Students who wish to report a violation of the above teaching guidelines should first consult the professor of the course in question, then the department chair and finally the vice president for academic affairs. It is also felt that some students may be placed in an awkward or prejudicial position if forced to seek redress for grievances of faculty violations of these guidelines by themselves. If a student doubts the wisdom or propriety of personally following the above traditional avenue for redress, then the student is urged to discuss the matter with his faculty adviser or the vice president for student affairs. As a result of these discussions, an intermediary — who may be the student’s faculty adviser or another faculty member picked by the student — should evaluate the complaint before acting anonymously for the student in pursuing redress for legitimate grievances. In any case, the intermediary will follow the current order of approach to dealing with the violations of teaching guidelines:

• First, consult the professor of the course in question.

• Second, consult the department chair.

• Third, consult the vice president for academic affairs.

• A final appeal can be made to the Faculty Steering Committee, which will review the steps taken and recommend a solution to the problem.

In matters of dispute among a department, a student and the vice president for academic affairs concerning the fulfillment of academic requirements, the Faculty Steering Committee serves as the body of final appeal. If the College is not in session, the chair of the Faculty Steering Committee will convene a representative group of faculty to arbitrate the issue.

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Academic Status

The academic record of each student is reviewed at the close of the fall and spring semesters by the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions. Specific attention is given to the student’s progress both in completing units of credit and in maintaining the minimum 2.0 cumulative grade point average that are required for graduation from the College.

A student is placed on academic probation whenever his/her cumulative grade point average falls below the 2.0 level. Some students, because of their extremely low grade point averages, are classified as on terminal academic probation and given a specific grade point average to obtain for their work during the following semester. The probationary status is removed whenever the cumulative grade point average is raised to the 2.0 level or higher.

Students are classified as on semester probation whenever they acquire a semester grade report that significantly reduces their cumulative average to a level where another disappointing semester record will jeopardize their continued enrollment. Students classified on semester probation are also encouraged to obtain a semester grade point average of better than 2.0 during their subsequent enrollment.

Students who fail to demonstrate satisfactory progress toward graduation are requested to withdraw from the College. The Committee on Academic Status and Petitions will have final judgment in such matters and will be guided in its decisions by the following minimal standards. A student is subject to academic withdrawal at any of the following times if his/her academic progress does not meet either of the following minimums:

• 1.00 with a minimum of 3 units completed at the end of the first semester of attendance;

• 1.62 with a minimum of 6 units completed at the end of the second semester of attendance;

• 1.75 with a minimum of 9 units completed at the end of the third semester of attendance;

• 1.81 with a minimum of 13 units completed at the end of the fourth semester of attendance;

• 1.90 with a minimum of 17 units completed at the end of the fifth semester of attendance;

• 2.00 with a minimum of 21 units completed at the end of the sixth semester of attendance;

• 2.00 with a minimum of 25 units completed at the end of the seventh semester of attendance.

A student is also subject to academic withdrawal if he/she fails to obtain a minimum semester grade point average of 2.0 for his/her work in three consecutive semesters.

Normally, students complete degree requirements within eight semesters. If students have not completed graduation requirements within eight graded semesters, they must petition the Committee on Academic Status and Petitions for permission to continue enrollment for each additional semester needed to complete requirements.

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Chapter III, Appendix A

Albion College Acceptable Use Policy for Use of Information Technology Resources

Purpose

Albion College grants permission to all students, faculty, and staff for the academic and non-commercial use of Albion College electronic resources and services in support of the educational, research and service missions of the College.

Implied Consent

Each user with access to the College’s computing resources is personally responsible to use these services appropriately and by their use agrees to comply with all applicable Albion College policies, including, as applicable, the Merit Acceptable Use Policy (available at http://www.merit.edu/policies/), the Albion College Acceptable Use Policy for Use of the Residential Network, the Albion College online Academic Catalog, the Albion College Employee Services Manual including Policies and Procedures, the Albion College Faculty Handbook, and the Albion College Student Handbook. Users are responsible for informing themselves of changes in those policies as they occur.

Each user with access to Albion College’s computing resources is also personally responsible to use the services only lawfully, and by their use agrees to comply with all local, state, federal, and applicable international laws. Albion College does not undertake to provide comprehensive legal guidance to its users. However, these federal and state statutes are of particular importance to information network users:

• Federal Copyright Law—prohibits the unauthorized copying of copyrighted materials, including, but not limited to electronic text, graphic files, commercial software, and audio and video files.

• Federal Wire Fraud Law—prohibits the use of interstate communications systems for illegal or fraudulent purposes.

• Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Law—prohibits the unauthorized access to, or modification of, information contained in national defense, banking, or financial computers.

• Federal Child Pornography Law—prohibits the creation, possession, or distribution of graphic or computer graphic depictions of minors engaged in sexual activity.

• Michigan Computer Crime Law—prohibits inappropriate access to computers and use of computers to commit crimes.

Open Expression

Albion College recognizes an individual’s rights to freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression specifically as they extend to the electronic information environment. Albion College does not monitor, review, or endorse the creation of personal World Wide Web pages and is not responsible for their contents; the views and opinions expressed in such pages or in electronic mail are strictly those of the authors. The College cannot ensure the total privacy or security of electronic documents, including but not limited to that information transmitted by electronic mail. Accidental access or access to electronic documents by hackers must always be considered as a possible risk. Albion College will take reasonable precautions to protect the privacy of electronic documents and will not endeavor to access user documents or messages except when necessary to:

• Comply with College policies.

• Comply with local, Michigan, or federal laws.

• Protect the integrity of the College’s information technology resources and/or the rights and property of the College.

• Allow the Division of Information Technology to perform system administration activities.

Waiver

When the restrictions of this policy interfere with the educational, research, or service missions of the College, members of the College community may request a written waiver. Requests for waivers should be directed to the vice president for information technology (e-mail at infotech@albion.edu).

General Standards for Acceptable Use of Computer Resources

Electronic resources and services are provided to users in support of the educational, research, and service missions of the College. Uses that threaten or interfere with the mission of the College, the integrity of the network, the privacy or safety of others, or that are illegal, are prohibited.

The following activities and behaviors are prohibited:

User Identification
• Misrepresentation (including forgery) of the identity of the sender or source of an electronic communication.

• Searching for information about another user against his/her wishes.

• Acquiring or attempting to acquire computer accounts or e-mail accounts assigned to others.

• Lending of passwords, computer accounts, or e-mail accounts to others.

• Alteration of the content of a message originating from another person or computer with the intent to deceive.

• Unauthorized use of, modification of, or deletion of another person’s computer files, e-mail, or newsgroup posting.

Access to Computer Resources
• Unauthorized use or attempted use of restricted-access computer resources, privileges, or accounts.

• Intentional compromising of the privacy or security of electronic information including unauthorized access, possession, or distribution, by any means, of information deemed confidential under the College’s policies regarding individual privacy or confidentiality.

• Interception of or attempted interception of communications by parties not intended to receive them.

• Making available any materials of which the possession or distribution is illegal.

• Unauthorized duplicating or use of copyrighted computer software and materials including infringement of the intellectual property rights of others.

• Commercial, non-academic use of the College’s electronic resources.

• Unlawful communications including threats of violence, obscenity, child pornography, or harassment (as defined by the Albion College Academic Catalog, the Albion College Employee Services Manual including Policies and Procedures, the Albion College Faculty Handbook, the Albion College Student Handbook, and/or the law).

Operational Integrity
• Deliberate attempts at compromising the integrity and functioning of network accounts, services, or equipment, including but not limited to the propagation of viruses; repeated sending of unwanted e-mails; sending of spam e-mails, junk mail, or electronic chain letters; or other activities that interfere with the work of others.

• Any transmission of e-mail to the general student population without approval from the Office of Campus Programs and Organizations.

• Any transmission of e-mail from students to the general faculty or staff populations without approval from the Office of Campus Programs and Organizations.

• Any transmission of e-mail from staff to the general faculty or staff populations without approval from the sender’s vice president. This does not apply to staff using the campus Electronic Bulletin Board system.

• Extension or re-transmission of network services or wiring including providing Internet access or accounts to anyone outside the College community.

• Hosting of external domains (those domains outside of Albion.edu) on the Albion College network unless written permission has been obtained from the user’s vice president and the associate vice president for communications; domain forwarding, also called URL redirection, or redirecting Web requests for a domain name to content hosted on Albion College servers.

• Attempts to alter or damage in any way College computing or networking equipment, including but not limited to public laboratory computer hardware, ResNet ports, and network wiring, bridges, routers, or hubs.

• Damage to the integrity of electronic information, or computer hardware or software.

• Attempts to disrupt, slow down, or interfere with the function of the electronic network, information systems, or the legitimate work of another user including attempts to circumvent network or system security.

• Intentional wasting of human or electronic resources.

• Negligence leading to damage of College electronic information, equipment, and/or resources.

• File sharing of copyrighted information. Students found participating in copyright infringement activities (e.g., file sharing of copyrighted material via peer-to-peer applications such as Kazaa, Grokster, Imesh, WinMX, LimeWire, Bearshare, Aimster, Morpheus, and Gnutella) may be charged a minimum $200.00 fee for the first violation and may be subject to judicial action. Subsequent violations may result in a minimum $500.00 fee and judicial action.

Other
• Running programs that overutilize network bandwidth during high network use hours, especially during workday hours (Monday through Friday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.).

• Eating, drinking, or smoking in any College computer laboratories, including those in campus residences.

Any misuse of the Albion College network or violation of this policy may result in penalties for infractions up to and including the loss of network privileges, employment termination, referral to the Albion College Judicial Board, expulsion, and/or legal action. Violation of city, state or federal laws and regulations may also result in seizure of computer hardware and software, fines, and/or imprisonment.

This policy is subject to updates. Please view the most current version of this policy at http://www.albion.edu/it/policies.asp.

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Chapter III, Appendix B

Albion College Acceptable Use Policy for Use of the Residential Network (ResNet)

Purpose

Albion College grants permission to residential students for the academic and non-commercial use of the Albion College Residential Network Service (ResNet) in support of the educational mission of the College.

Implied Consent

This policy governs the relationship of Albion College and its ResNet users. ResNet use is also governed by the Merit Acceptable Use Policy (available at http://www.merit.edu/policies/), Albion College Acceptable Use Policy for Use of Information Technology Resources, and the Albion College Student Handbook. Use of ResNet constitutes acknowledgment of the effect of those policies as well as this ResNet Acceptable Use Policy. ResNet users are responsible for informing themselves of changes in these policies as they occur.

In addition, all users of information networks generally are subject to an array of laws and regulations—local, state, federal, and even international—which are rapidly developing as technology evolves. Each student is solely responsible for his/her lawful use of ResNet and for staying abreast of changes in laws applicable to information network users. Albion College does not undertake to provide comprehensive legal guidance to its users. However, these federal and state statutes are of particular importance to information network users:

• Federal Copyright Law—prohibits the unauthorized copying of copyrighted materials, including, but not limited to electronic text, graphic files, commercial software, and audio and video files.

• Federal Wire Fraud Law—prohibits the use of interstate communications systems for illegal or fraudulent purposes.

• Federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Law—prohibits the unauthorized access to, or modification of, information contained in national defense, banking, or financial computers.

• Federal Child Pornography Law—prohibits the creation, possession, or distribution of graphic or computer graphic depictions of minors engaged in sexual activity.

• Michigan Computer Crime Law—prohibits inappropriate access to computers and use of computers to commit crimes.

Open Expression

Albion College recognizes an individual’s rights to freedom of thought, inquiry, and expression specifically as they extend to the electronic information environment. Albion College respects the privacy of its students and considers personal information to be confidential. Furthermore, the privacy of student records is protected by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The College cannot ensure the total privacy or security of electronic documents, including but not limited to that information transmitted by electronic mail. Accidental access or access to electronic documents by hackers must always be considered as a possible risk. Albion College will take reasonable precautions to protect the privacy of electronic documents and will not endeavor to access student documents or messages except when necessary to:

• Comply with College policies.

• Comply with local, Michigan, or federal laws.

• Protect the integrity of the College’s information technology resources and/or the rights and property of the College.

• Allow the Division of Information Technology to perform system administration activities.

Waiver

When the restrictions of this policy interfere with the educational, research, or service missions of the College, students may request a written waiver. Requests for waivers should be directed to the vice president for information technology (e-mail at infotech@albion.edu).

General Standards

Students are responsible for any use of their ResNet connections and may not extend or re-transmit ResNet services or wiring. Moreover, students may not use ResNet to provide Internet access or accounts to anyone outside the College community.

Students should further understand the following:

• Students are expected to use the College network in a manner that is safe, legal, and does not interfere with the operation of the network (see Albion College Acceptable Use Policy for Use of Information Technology Resources for details).

• Albion College provides ResNet as a service to its students, but does not undertake to provide continuous or uninterrupted network service. Interruptions may occur in connection with maintenance or network infrastructure problems. Albion College, at its discretion, may discontinue the service or any feature of it, limit its availability, or reconfigure the network.

• Albion College does not represent that the network will support all hardware and software configurations.

• ResNet users connect to the network at their sole risk. Albion College will not be responsible for damage to or loss of hardware, software, or data stored in computers located on College property or connected to the network. Users are advised to insure against loss or damage resulting from connection to ResNet and use of network resources, as well as from breaches of computer security, fluctuations in electric power supply, fire, theft, and other causes.

• Students should take appropriate measures in configuring and using their own computers to ensure security and backup of important data.

• ResNet users are restricted from all activities and behaviors prohibited by the Albion College Acceptable Use Policy for Use of Information Technology Resources.

• Due to the ability to broadcast bogus IP addresses and the insecure nature of wireless routers (including Mac AirPorts and AirPort Express), they will not be permitted on campus. This decision was made after consulting with ACTAG (Albion College Technology Advisory Group), a representative group of faculty, staff, and students. Many, but not all, routers have a port identified as WAN. If your device has a WAN port, it is not permitted. Please see http://www.albion.edu/resnet/routers.asp for a list of approved devices.

Any misuse of the Albion College network or violation of ResNet policy may result in the loss of network privileges and referral to the Albion College Judicial Board for disciplinary action and/or to authorities for legal action. Violation of city, state, or federal laws and regulations may also result in seizure of computer hardware and software, fines, and/or imprisonment.

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