The primary purpose of information technology resources at the University of Illinois Springfield is to enhance and support the educational mission of the University. Access to the University’s technology resources is a privilege granted to University students, faculty, staff, and approved guests. These resources include hardware, software, computer accounts, local area networks as well as connections to other computer networks via the Internet. Everyone using these resources is responsible for using them in an appropriate, ethical and lawful manner.
All users must refrain from the following activities:
- Using computing resources to violate any university policy or regulation, or federal, state or local law.
- Using university computing resources for personal gain or personal commercial purposes.
- Entering, without authorization, into any account to use, read, transfer or change the contents in any way.
- Using computing facilities to send obscene, abusive, threatening, defamatory, or harassing messages.
- Using the resources for activities not directly related to academic or research endeavors in such a way that it causes disruption to other users.
- Installing or using unauthorized copyrighted materials or licensed software.
- Using computing resources to interfere with the normal operation of university computing systems and connected networks including, but not limited to, introducing viruses, flooding the network with messages, sending chain letters, or unfairly monopolizing resources that results in the exclusion of others.
Sharing or downloading copyrighted material without permission is illegal and as such is against university policy. If you share copyrighted files without the permission of the copyright holder, you are breaking the law and may face civil and/or criminal prosecution, in addition to university discipline. There are many legal alternatives to illegal downloading of copyrighted media. The EDUCAUSE site maintains a Legal Sources of Online Content page here
Intentional failure to comply with this policy may result in action that may include suspension of user privileges or other disciplinary action.