Middlebury Handbook

PURPOSE

The Information Technology Policy promotes innovation within the framework of ethical technology use, resource conservation, and respect for others. It governs the use of Middlebury’s technology services, defining acceptable use and individual responsibilities.

DEFINITIONS

Please refer to H.1 Information Technology Overview for explanations of phrases and terms used throughout the Information Technology policies. 

SCOPE 

This policy applies to all students, faculty, and staff, as well as retirees, emeriti, contractors, guests, alumni, parents, and other parties authorized to interact with Middlebury’s technology services.

POLICY

Your Responsibilities 

As a member of the Middlebury community and a Middlebury account holder interacting with Middlebury’s technology services, you must understand and adhere to these policies. Failure to comply may result in penalties, such as losing privileges to use technology services or facing disciplinary or legal action.

Responsible and Ethical Use: Use technology ethically and legally. Consider how your actions affect others. Harassing or discriminatory language, and actions that may disrupt or damage technology services, will not be tolerated. Unauthorized access, bypassing access controls, misusing technology services, and using services for illegal activities are all prohibited. Account holders are responsible for activities conducted with their accounts.

For additional guidance, please see these related Handbook policies: Respectful behavior, Non-discrimination statement and policy, Open expression.

Sensitive Information and Privacy: Accessing or sharing sensitive information without authorization is prohibited. Always use secure methods for transmitting and storing sensitive information. Don’t store unencrypted sensitive information on personally-owned devices. Do not transfer sensitive information to systems or services not provided by Middlebury without an ITS-approved plan. For additional details, see Data Classification Policy and Banner Security Procedures.

Authentication Credentials: Keep your login details private. Don’t share your passwords. Don’t use your Middlebury password as the password for anything else. Authentication credentials are considered sensitive information. See Password Policy for more details.

Respect and Privacy: Respect the rights and privacy of others. Accessing other people’s data, files, or communications without permission is prohibited. Only access sensitive information necessary to fulfill your responsibilities. Do not leverage your account to access sensitive data unrelated to your Middlebury duties. Harassment, doxing (revealing private information without consent), and creating public nuisances by, as an example, making inappropriate posts to social media or mass emails are prohibited. 

Personal and Commercial Use: You may make limited use of Middlebury’s technology services for personal purposes, consistent with this policy, though it is discouraged. It is better to keep your personal digital life separate from your Middlebury digital life. Don’t use Middlebury technology services to handle your own sensitive personal information, such as taxes or medical records, or for reasons unrelated to Middlebury business. You may not use Middlebury telephone services for personal international long distance calls. You may not use Middlebury’s technology services for commercial purposes or personal financial gain. 

Use of Personally Owned Devices: You may use personally owned devices to interact with Middlebury technology services, in compliance with this policy and subject to restrictions depending on the nature of your work. Middlebury may need access to data on your personal devices in the event of a legal or conduct investigation, or to preserve operational continuity. Refer to the Security and Privacy for information.

Copyright and Content Use: Don’t copy or distribute copyrighted material without permission. Follow copyright laws and institutional policies when posting content on Middlebury websites. 

Email Policies: Email is an official means of communication at Middlebury. Read official emails promptly. Don’t block or opt out of official communications. For bulk mail services, contact ITS. Due to concerns about sensitive information and privacy, forwarding email outside of the organization is strongly discouraged and will be discontinued in the future. Guidelines for the appropriate use of college mailing lists and additional email related information are available here: Email Policies.

Technology Skills: Understand how to properly and securely use the technology services you interact with. Middlebury provides technology and information security training opportunities to assist with this and ITS is available to provide support when needed. 

Reporting Security Issues: Report lost or stolen computing devices to ITS and Public Safety immediately. Report suspected cybersecurity issues to ITS Information Security immediately. Report exposure of sensitive information to ITS Information Security immediately.

Resource Conservation: Be judicious with your use of technology services. Avoid costly and/or environmentally detrimental practices like unnecessary printing. Peer-to-peer file sharing services are discouraged except for academic uses. You are responsible for the network traffic that you generate. Be mindful that excessive network use could negatively impact the common resources we all rely on.

Use of Middlebury Websites: Publishing on Middlebury websites requires maintaining accurate, timely content free from broken links or images, while complying with copyright and data protection laws. Content must be accessible and adhere to Middlebury's policies on appropriate use. Harassment, commercial use, and any illegal activities are prohibited. Promptly report any issues or security concerns. Read Full Web Policy