Mount Mercy Acceptable Use Policy

Please read this policy before clicking on the web mail link at the bottom of the page!

Acceptable Use Policy

Mount Mercy College encourages computer use as a tool to further its teaching, scholarly research, and service goals. Mount Mercy College provides faculty, students, and staff with equipment and facilities that provide access to campus and global information resources. Computing resources are to be used in an ethical, courteous and fair manner.

Use of Mount Mercy College computing facilities is restricted to current faculty, staff, students, and other employees. With permission of lab supervisors, alumni and non-college individuals may be permitted to Use Mount Mercy College technology resources. This latter access will be granted on a case by case basis.

The purpose of this policy is to extend these expectations to include acceptable uses of information technology resources. Furthermore, the policy extends these expectations to cover circumstances in which the interests and rights of others must be protected and preserved. These guidelines apply to all Mount Mercy faculty, staff, and students using Mount Mercy College information technology resources. These policies also extend to alumni and non-college individuals and entities who access information through Mount Mercy College technology resources.

Information technology resources are those facilities, technologies, and information resources required to accomplish information processing, storage, and communication, whether individually controlled or shared, stand alone or networked. Included in this definition are the Busse Computer Center, departmental/building technology centers, classroom technologies, equipment, personal computers used on campus owned by students, staff, and faculty, and computing and electronic communication devices and services.

Specialized computer labs within the college community may define conditions of use for facilities under their control. These statements must be consistent with this overall policy, but may provide additional detail, guidelines, and/or restrictions. In addition, any network traffic exiting the college is subject to the acceptable use policies of the college’s national and international network connectivity providers.

Student violation of these policies constitutes computer abuse and disciplinary actions will be governed as outlines in The Good Book. Computer abuse by faculty and employees of Mount Mercy College will be handled by appropriate administrative channels. The campus computer director’s role in the process will be to call attention to the situation, gather and validate pertinent information and forward the information to the appropriate dean, vice-president or supervisor. Violations of courtesy are to be referred to the Director of Campus Computing or supervisor of the individual lab or electronic device.

Persons using electronic mail with Mount Mercy College information technology resources are expected to treat the contents of electronic files as private and confidential. Inspection of electronic files and electronic mail, and any action based upon such inspection, will be governed by all applicable United States and Iowa laws. The college community is advised that all files stored on main systems, including electronic mail, are backed-up regularly and may be subject to subpoena.

Mount Mercy College cannot monitor and does not control the information available through the Internet. Parents or guardians are responsible for monitoring the materials accessed by minors.

Information technology resources may be used for the following purposes:

Class assignments

Campus community and public service projects

Campus publications and announcements

Academic research and investigation

Computing for personal and professional advancement

Administrative and instructional support

Staff and faculty consulting, subject to college policies

Computer users must not engage in unauthorized or inappropriate conduct on the college network, e-mail, or Internet. Examples of such activities include, but are not limited to:

Using or sharing another person’s login ID to access computing facilities at Mount Mercy or another Internet facility. This includes permitting others to use one’s own login ID.

Unauthorized tampering with or modification of network resources.

Using any means to crack or access systems, whether on campus or off, in an unauthorized or inappropriate manner.

Using Mount Mercy technology or facilities to engage in illegal or criminal activities.

Using Mount Mercy technology or facilities to threaten or harass another person.

Attempting to read or access another person’s electronic mail or protected files

Copying or distributing software in a manner which violates copyright laws, license agreements, and intellectual property as outlined in the Copyright Law of the United States of America, revised March 1, 1989, in Title 17 of the United States Code, Section 117.

Knowingly distributing or actively developing a computer virus, worm, or Trojan Horse.

Repeated use of Mount Mercy technology or facilities in a discourteous manner.

By clicking on either of the links below you are agreeing to abide by the Mount Mercy Acceptable Use Policy.

Employee Email

Student Email