Acceptable Use Policy

POLICY #: CR 26-6

DATE OF BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVAL: 9/28/2026

RESOLUTION #: 26-6

POLICY STATEMENT:

The purpose of this policy is to establish requirements for the acceptable use of information technology (IT) resources at Herkimer County Community College (HCCC). The policy applies to all HCCC technology resources, including equipment, accessories, software, networks, information systems, storage media, and electronic data owned, leased, administered, managed, maintained, or otherwise provided by the College.

HCCC provides technology resources to support its educational mission, administrative operations, and the personal and professional development of members of the College community. All users are expected to use these resources responsibly, securely, and in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, College policies, and contractual obligations.

Definitions:

Credential: An object that authoritatively binds an identity to a token, such as a password, possessed and controlled by a person or entity.
Information Security: The concepts, techniques, and measures used to protect information from accidental or intentional unauthorized access, modification, destruction, disclosure, or temporary or permanent loss.
IT Resources: Includes computing, networking, communications, application, and telecommunications systems and infrastructure; hardware and software; data and databases; personnel; procedures; physical facilities; cloud-based and Software as a Service (SaaS) vendors; and other related materials, services, and resources.
Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Authentication that uses two or more of the following factors:
- Something you know, such as a password or PIN.
- Something you have, such as a smart card or one-time password authentication.
- Something you are, such as a fingerprint or retina scan.

General Information:

Technology resources are provided to members of the HCCC community for use in their prescribed duties and educational activities, as well as for appropriate personal and professional development. Access to technology resources is a privilege, not a right, and is subject to the restrictions and responsibilities established by this policy and other applicable College policies. The IT Department provides user accounts and access to technology resources as appropriate. Users must maintain the security of their accounts and use College resources in a manner that respects the rights of others and the integrity of College information systems and physical resources.

Technology misuse or abuse can disrupt educational and administrative operations, result in financial or reputational harm, compromise information security, and expose individuals or the College to civil or criminal liability. Violations may result in restriction or revocation of technology privileges and may also result in disciplinary action or referral to law enforcement, as appropriate.

HCCC values diversity of viewpoints and respects freedom of expression. The College may restrict access to or use of technology resources when reasonably necessary to address violations of College policies, applicable laws, regulations, or contractual obligations, or to protect the security, integrity, and functionality of College resources.

Rights and Responsibilities:

Users of HCCC technology resources must:

Maintain the security and confidentiality of their accounts and credentials.
Respect the privacy and rights of other users.
Protect the integrity and security of information resources and physical resources.
Comply with all applicable federal, state, and local laws; College policies and procedures; and contractual obligations.
Use technology resources only for authorized purposes and in accordance with this policy.

Students and employees may have rights of access to information about themselves stored in College information resources, as provided by applicable federal and state laws. Files and communications may be subject to lawful search, including pursuant to a court order. To protect the integrity, security, and functionality of College information resources, authorized system administrators may access user files, email, accounts, or other information when reasonably necessary, including when there is a suspected security incident, unauthorized use or misuse, system damage, or other threat to College resources.

Existing Legal Context:

All applicable federal and state laws, local requirements, College regulations and policies, and collective bargaining agreements apply to the use of HCCC technology resources. This includes laws and regulations specifically addressing computers and networks as well as those governing personal conduct.

Misuse of technology resources may result in restriction or revocation of computing privileges and may be subject to disciplinary action or prosecution under applicable law. Complaints alleging misuse will be referred to the appropriate College official or office for review and action consistent with applicable due process requirements.

Users are responsible for complying with applicable copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret, and other intellectual property laws. Reproduction or distribution of copyrighted works, including images, text, software, and other materials, without authorization may constitute infringement and may result in civil or criminal penalties. Certain educational uses may qualify as fair use. Questions regarding fair use should be directed to the Director of Library Services.

User Obligation:

By accessing or using HCCC IT Resources, each user acknowledges responsibility for reviewing and complying with this policy and any subsequent revisions. Users are responsible for their activity conducted through their accounts and for protecting their credentials from unauthorized use. Failure to comply with this policy may result in restriction or revocation of access to IT Resources and other applicable consequences.

General Access and Use of Computer Labs:

Academic computing labs are available for coursework and other legitimate, non-commercial educational purposes to:

Currently enrolled HCCC students.
Current HCCC employees.

Employees and other professional employees of school districts and public agencies that have been granted guest accounts may use academic computing labs on a space-available basis upon presentation of appropriate identification.

Use of computer lab equipment is subject to the directions of the person in charge of the lab, including employees, student workers, and Campus Safety personnel.

The following rules apply to students using computer labs:

No food or beverages are permitted in computer labs.
Mobile devices may be used for MFA, educational, or email purposes.
Users should refrain from playing music or videos or taking phone calls or voice chats on mobile devices while in the lab.
Users should maintain a reasonable noise level and be respectful of others.
Children are not permitted in computer labs unless participating in a formal College activity designed for children.
Labs are not available for general use during an instructional class.
Employees on duty may request a valid HCCC ID at any time.
Students are expected to treat College personnel and other users with courtesy and respect.
Students should save their work to their network account, such as the My Documents folder in OneDrive, rather than the local C:\ drive. Users should save work frequently.
Users should not leave a computer unattended while logged into their account. Before leaving, users should save their work, close applications, and log off.
Students experiencing computer or printer problems should ask the person on duty for assistance or contact the Help Desk at 8555. Students should not attempt to repair or modify equipment.
Students needing assistance with class assignments should contact their instructor or the Academic Success Center (ASC). Employees and student workers are not responsible for providing assistance with course assignments.
Users should review the Academic Integrity section of the Student Handbook regarding the use of AI and Generative AI. The Student Handbook is available at: https://www.herkimer.edu/campus-life/services-and-support/resources-and-policies/student-handbook/

Unacceptable and Unauthorized Use:

Unacceptable or unauthorized use may result in restriction or revocation of computing privileges, disciplinary action, and/or civil or criminal proceedings. HCCC will cooperate with law enforcement authorities in investigations involving illegal activities conducted using College technology resources.

Technology resources may not be used:

To access an account, system, network, data, or other resource without authorization.
For any purpose that violates College policies, applicable law, or contractual obligations.
To deliberately waste or abuse IT resources, including computing resources, printing resources, or network bandwidth.
To infringe or otherwise violate the intellectual property rights of another person or entity, including through the installation, copying, distribution, or use of software that is not appropriately licensed for HCCC.
To conduct projects or activities for personal financial gain that are unrelated to the user's College duties, unless expressly authorized.
To probe, scan, monitor, test, or attempt to defeat computer or network security features without express authorization from the Director of IT or designee.
To introduce malicious software or code into College systems or networks, including viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, spoofing, email spamming, or unauthorized cryptocurrency mining.
To conduct or facilitate security breaches or disruptions of network communications, including unauthorized data access, network sniffing, packet spoofing, denial-of-service activity, social engineering, password cracking, or forged routing information.
To conduct security scanning or network monitoring that intercepts data not intended for the user's host unless expressly authorized or required as part of the user's assigned duties.
To circumvent user authentication, access controls, or other security measures protecting a host, network, account, or system.
To alter College network or system configuration files without authorization.
To copy, alter, remove, or otherwise access College-owned software or files without authorization.
To copy, alter, remove, or otherwise access files owned by another user without authorization.
To interfere with the privacy or security of others.
To transmit or post unlawful, threatening, abusive, harassing, libelous, obscene, or pornographic material.
To obscure or falsify the identity or location of a remote connection for purposes of evading security or accountability.
To physically damage, abuse, or misuse College computing equipment.
To engage in any activity prohibited by federal, state, or local law.

Email Unacceptable Usage Policy:

Examples of unacceptable use of the HCCC email system include, but are not limited to:

Sending unsolicited advertising or promotional material, including spam.
Harassing another person through email, whether through the content, frequency, or volume of messages.
Sending mass email messages unrelated to College business or student organization activities, including solicitations for donations, volunteers, or other non-work-related purposes, without appropriate authorization. Approved campus organizations include FSA, the College Foundation, and FSA-budgeted student organizations.
Forging or otherwise manipulating email header information.
Soliciting or collecting another person's email address for the purpose of harassment or unsolicited communication.
Creating or forwarding chain letters, Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, or similar solicitations.
Sending promotional material for a non-College-related enterprise without permission of the College President.

User Account Creation Procedure:

Student accounts are created when a student is registered for a credit-bearing course. Student accounts expire after a full calendar year without registration. Student files remain available while the account is active. Students are responsible for backing up or archiving their data before account deactivation.

Faculty and staff accounts are created when a supervisor or their designee submits an IT request form to the IT Department. Banner access must be authorized by the appropriate module leader. The IT request form is available through MyHerkimer.

User Responsibilities:

Users are responsible for the proper acquisition, security, and use of technology resources assigned to them. Each user is responsible for ensuring that:

Personal computers or other computing resources assigned to the user or the user's office are physically secured against unauthorized access, damage, or loss.
Rules governing local networks, wide area networks, the Internet, and Internet service providers accessed through College resources are followed.
Computer equipment is turned daily where possible.
Computers are locked whenever they are unattended.
Computers and other technology resources are not left unattended or unsecured while logged in.
Passwords and other credentials are kept confidential and are not disclosed to others or used to permit unauthorized access to the user's account.
Passwords are changed as required by College security standards.
Individual accounts are enrolled in and secured by MFA.
Important files are saved to an approved network location, such as an F or M drive or OneDrive, rather than stored only on a local computer.
IT approval is obtained before College computer equipment assigned to a specific location is installed or relocated.
IT approval is obtained before maintenance or repairs are performed on College-owned technology equipment.
Requests for computer equipment or upgrades for academic or administrative purposes are submitted in writing during the annual budgeting cycle to the Director of IT.

Roles and Responsibilities of the IT Department pertinent to these Policy & Guidelines:

IT shall:

Inform users of College policies and requirements governing acceptable use of information resources and technology.
Establish and maintain procedures necessary to protect the security and integrity of College information resources.
Monitor network and system activity as reasonably necessary to identify misuse, security threats, and unauthorized activity, consistent with applicable laws and College policies.
Promptly report suspected security incidents or unauthorized activity to the appropriate College officials.
Ensure that applicable technology policies and procedures are made available to users.

Steps that IT will take to ensure compliance campus-wide:

HCCC owns or administers its computer facilities, network resources, and information resources. Use of HCCC technology resources, including access through non-College devices, constitutes consent to reasonable monitoring, inspection, auditing, and collection of information as necessary to maintain the security, integrity, and functionality of College resources, subject to applicable law and College policy.

HCCC may monitor network traffic and system activity to identify security threats, investigate suspected misuse, protect College resources, and ensure compliance with this policy and applicable law.

Users are responsible for activity conducted through their accounts and for complying with this policy. Suspected violations may result in restriction or suspension of access and may be referred for disciplinary or legal action, as appropriate.

HCCC Enforcement Policy:

Violations of this policy will be addressed in accordance with HCCC disciplinary procedures applicable to the individual or department involved, including applicable Human Resources policies, handbooks, collective bargaining agreements, and student disciplinary procedures. When it reasonably appears necessary to protect the integrity, security, or functionality of College resources or to protect the College from liability, HCCC may suspend, block, or restrict access to information and network resources.

HCCC may monitor network traffic and system activity as permitted by applicable law and College policy. Suspected violations of applicable law may be referred to appropriate law enforcement agencies.

HCCC Abuse Response Policy:

Incidents of suspected abuse or unauthorized use of HCCC computing resources should be reported immediately to abuse@herkimer.edu. Information security questions and concerns should also be directed to abuse@herkimer.edu.

Upon receipt of a report, HCCC will assess the reported activity and, as appropriate, investigate, contact responsible parties, take steps to protect College resources, and notify appropriate College officials or authorities.

HCCC may temporarily suspend or restrict access to computers, resources, networks, users, or accounts when reasonably necessary to protect College resources or pending investigation. When a violation is reported, system or network administrators may suspend network privileges pending investigation. Account holders will be notified as soon as reasonably possible, consistent with the needs of the investigation and applicable law.

If the violation involves a student, the matter will be referred to the Dean of Students or other appropriate College official. If the alleged violation involves a faculty or staff member, the matter will be addressed under the applicable HCCC Human Resources policies and procedures and/or Faculty/Staff Handbook, including any applicable collective bargaining agreement. Violations of HCCC policies or federal, state, or local laws may result in denial or restriction of access to College technology resources and may be subject to other applicable disciplinary or legal procedures.