Cookeville: LRC Computer Policies

The institution employs various measures to protect the security of its computing resources.  Users should be aware, however, that the institutions cannot guarantee such security. Users should engage in safe computing practices by establishing appropriate access restrictions for their accounts, guarding their passwords, and changing them regularly.  Security of data and privacy or transmitted data cannot be guaranteed on any publicly accessible computer.

 Printing is free for all students. Students must comply with copyright law when printing.

See page on Copyright Issues

•  Prohibited Use
  •  The computers are intended for academic and instructional use only.  Commercial and/or business use of the LRC is prohibited at all times.  Academic use takes precedence over any other use, including, but not limited to, recreational use.  Any individual using the LRC for recreational purposes will be asked to relinquish their computer if students are waiting to use LRC equipment for academic use.
  • Users are prohibited from viewing, receiving, creating, or transmitting pornographic, violent, obscene, defamatory or discriminatory material.  Users may not transmit graphics, or dating services solicitations using the internet access provided by the institutions and the Learning Resource Center.
  • Users may not install or modify software applications on the Learning Resource Center computers, or make modifications to any operating system, network configuration or setup, display of icons, or programs that reside on any network or individual computer.  This includes adding icons to or removing icons from the desktop.
  • Software shall not be installed, uploaded or otherwise run on any LRC computer or computer network without the approval of the LRC Manager.  All software installed on Learning Resource Center computers must be licensed for institutional use, or permission for institutional use must be granted in writing by the publisher of the software, and must comply with United States copyright laws.
  • No one may destroy, alter, dismantle, distort or disfigure any computer equipment or information technology, property or facility.
  • Users may not disconnect, move, or otherwise alter hardware attached to LRC computers.  Excluding USB flash drives, users may not connect external hardware to LRC computers.
  •  No LRC user shall intentionally develop or utilize programs that harass other users, breach the security of any computer or computing system, whether on campus or elsewhere, nor damage or alter the software components of a computer or a network, or impact on the normal operations of a computer or network.
  • Users may not save work to the hard drive.  USB flash drives are to be used, or where available designated network space accessible from the students user account.
  • Students who wish to save their work for later use are responsible for supplying their own storage device in the form of a floppy disk or USB flash drive.
  • Users are prohibited from sending chain letters or sending unsolicited mass email messages (i.e. spamming) using LRC computer equipment.
  • Instant message programs, excluding academic use of the LRC website based “Ask a Librarian” service, is prohibited.
  • Use of LRC computers for gaming is prohibited.
  • Use of speakers connected to LRC computers is prohibited.  Headphones are available for any student that wishes to use the audible components of instructional resources.
  • Individuals accessing LRC computers must use the designated lrcstudent username.  This log in is for exclusive use in the Learning Resource Center, and provides a specific set of key group policies controlled by the software of the education server.  All LRCs share the same group policies for this account.  No special, temporary, or other log-ins should be used in the LRC, as this may compromise the security of the LRC computers, potentially allow installation of non-authorized software, or compromise the ability of student users to access services.

• Compliance with Federal, State and Local Laws
  • Users of LRC computer facilities are expected to comply with all federal, state, and other applicable law; all generally applicable institutions rules and policies; and all applicable contracts and licenses.  This includes, but is not limited to, the provisions of the United States copyright laws as they apply to computer software and its documents.  All users are prohibited from generating, or using, illegal copies of software on the Learning Resource Center equipment.  Users are responsible for ascertaining, understanding, and complying with the laws, rules, policies, contracts, and licenses applicable to their particular uses.

• Terms of Use
  •  Use of Learning Resource Center computer resources must comply with the Computer Use and Internet Access Policy.  Use of these resources may be revoked for violation of the terms of the LRC Computer Use and Internet Access Policy.

The Learning Resource Center provides a wireless network to support the institution’s instructional and research needs.  Use of the wireless frequency spectrum is a finite resource, and users must exercise discretion when making demands upon the capability and bandwidth of the wireless network.  Frequencies used in the 802.11b wireless band are in use by other devices, thus interference in these frequency bands must be anticipated.  This interference may include a disruption of available wireless internet service. 

All use of wireless access points and devices must comply with applicable laws, regulations, and institution’s policies, including but not limited to the LRC Computer Use and Internet Access Policy.

Users of the LRC wireless network must take appropriate cautions to protect and safeguard their data.  The institutions and Learning Resource Center are not liable for the security of data transmitted over the wireless network.