Seminary Computing Services

Download a printable version of this document here: Computer Use Guidelines (due for revision)

Purpose:

This document is intended to guide, not govern, the use of computers and computer related facilities at the ESR and Bethany seminaries. It should be read carefully by all persons who intend to use the computing resources of either seminary.

A fundamental assumption was made in drafting these guidelines that users desire to behave honorably and in a responsible manner. This document is intended to guide users in determining for themselves what constitutes honorable and responsible behavior, but it neither can nor will define such behavior in every conceivable case (1 Tim 1:9-10).

Those who do not behave honorably may be denied the use of seminary computing facilities. Such action will be at the discretion of Seminary Computing Services (SCS) or the respective school's administration.

Intellectual property

Computer files are intellectual property under national and international law. Any copying of files (especially, but not limited to, computer software) without express permission from the owner is stealing. Stealing is not honorable behavior. SCS will cooperate fully with any investigations involving suspected theft of software or other intellectual property at the seminaries. The guiding principle is that what is possible isn't always honorable. An unlocked door doesn't mean it's OK to come in and start taking stuff.

Nature of computing facilities:

The computing facilities at the seminaries are the property of the respective institutions and are provided to individuals based on their requirements. The nature of the relationship between the user and the equipment varies somewhat depending on the status of the user.

Faculty, staff, and volunteers workers:

Most faculty and staff have computers dedicated for their exclusive use. In this case the computer is much like a rented home. They can and should treat the computer as their own, but it technically remains the property of the seminary. There is no lease, per se, and individual computers may be reallocated to individuals as requirements and availability of equipment changes. SCS is responsible for the maintenance of the property, but not the housekeeping. That means the users need to take care of their computers day-to-day, organize files as they see fit, back up important files, and follow the reasonable directions of the SCS staff regarding care and use. As with any rented property they should not make major alterations (installing or deleting applications, performing "upgrades," installing peripherals, etc.) without permission from the "landlord," i.e., SCS.

Although seminary provided computers are intended to be used for seminary related work, it is reasonable to expect a certain amount of privacy with a computer reserved for individual use. The files on such computers are, in effect and with few exceptions, the personal property of the user. Except in cases where a violation of the law is suspected and a legal search warrant obtained, files will not be intentionally accessed by anyone without the permission of the user. This right to privacy needs to be balanced with the need to maintain our computer systems. No one other than the designated user or their proxy should access files on a computer intended for individual use except the SCS or ECS (Earlham Computing Services) staff, and then, barring extraordinary circumstances, only for the purpose of troubleshooting or maintenance and with the implied or explicit permission of the designated user. SCS and ECS staff are honor-bound not to reveal any information they inadvertently obtain while performing maintenance or to use such information to their or anyone else's advantage.

In some cases faculty or staff - particularly student workers, part time staff, or adjunct faculty - are provided equipment that is shared with other employees. This situation is analogous to renting an apartment and having roommates. Most of the above still applies, but expectations of privacy are somewhat diminished and are dependent to a large extent on the good graces and cooperation of the "roommates."

Students/Seminary Lab

Unlike faculty and staff, students are not provided individual computers, nor are they provided any support whatsoever for any computing equipment they purchase, whether or not SCS or ECS played a role in the purchase. Students do have access to computers in the seminary lab when it is open and on a first-come-first-served basis.

The nature of the relationship between the user and the equipment in the lab is affected by the fact that the lab is a community area. There is no expectation of privacy in the lab, and students should not store files on the lab computers at any time, except while they are actively working at a station. The computers themselves are borrowed, not rented, and should be treated the way one would treat a borrowed tool from a respected friend or relative.

Rules as deemed prudent or necessary by the SCS staff will be posted in the lab and on the web and will be updated from time to time. Failure to make a good faith effort to comply with any of them may result in banishment from the lab. Students who have questions about these rules should contact the Director of Seminary Computing and are free to appeal to the administration of their respective seminary if they feel any of these rules are unfair or prejudicial.

Lab computers are provided for doing seminary related work and research, not for entertainment or personal communication. Gaming of any type is prohibited. Students using lab computers to read or compose personal email should do so during non-peak hours. Students using a computer for something other than course work will yield if other students are waiting to use a computer. In such cases they should not wait to be asked, but if asked by an SCS staff member, they shall promptly and courteously yield their computer to other users.

Other users

In general, computing resources at the seminaries are for the exclusive use of students and employees (including volunteer workers). However, employee's may allow close friends or family members to use their computer on an occasional basis if the employee is willing to take full responsibility.

Earlham College students, family members of seminarians, alums, and other friends of the seminaries may use the seminary computer lab, but current seminary students always have priority.

Network Access

Various levels of access to the Earlham local area network (LAN) servers are provided based on user need and status. There are separate policies regarding the use of the Earlham LAN. Copies are available from ECS.

Internet Access

Virtually all computers on the Earlham campus have high-speed access to the Internet. Such access is intended for research and education, not for entertainment, shopping, or personal enrichment. Any illegal activity performed on the Internet using seminary owned equipment is likely to result in separation from the seminary and criminal prosecution. This includes criminal mischief performed with noble intent.

Web Pages

All seminary students and employees have space on an SCS server for personal web pages. There are separate policies and guidelines for the use of this space published by the Earlham Web Advisory Group (WAG). Copies are available from SCS.

Email

All seminary students and employees are issued email addresses and passwords by ECS. This is the address users are expected to use to receive all seminary related email. Users may elect to have email electronically forwarded to a third party address, but are still responsible for remembering their Earlham address and password, as they may need these to access various other services.

Electronic mailing lists

ECS provides electronic mailing lists services for various college and seminary related groups and organizations. There are several established lists for general seminary use. Two are for the student body (one for each seminary); the others are for faculty and staff use only.

Students are placed on one of the student lists by default when they matriculate. Students may, at their insistence, be removed from the list. However, they will still be responsible for official information posted to the list by the seminary administration. Current rules and guidelines for using the lists are available on the SCS website.

For more information contact SCS