Official University Policies
All Activities using Olin Resources Must Conform to all Washington University Computing Policies, the Washington University Policy on Sexual Harassment, and all other appropriate policies, laws, and regulations.
Guidelines apply to all users.
These policies apply to faculty, staff, and students equally, unless otherwise noted.
Users are responsible for all activities initiated from their accounts
Never share your password with anyone. Change your password regularly. Choose a password that is difficult to guess and includes a mix of letters and numbers.
Users are responsible to stay informed
IT makes every effort to keep the user community informed of system and policy changes through a variety of means including email and this web site. It is the users’ responsibility to read on-line system messages and electronic mail messages as such information may seriously impact their computing plans.
Users are not entitled to execute arbitrary programs
Program development on IS computers is restricted to software that is needed for business education. The execution of software not provided by the IS is permitted only when the execution of the resulting code is not detrimental or disruptive to system uptime or normal system activities. Users may not provide access to software which can be used to violate IS rules. Permanent installation of software (including games) on IS machines without authorization is prohibited.
Users may not access other users’ data without authorization
Standard permissions on accounts restrict access to on-line disk storage to the owner of the data. By controlling the access permissions on stored data, account holders can make some data available for access to other users. Additionally, IT can set up groups to allow users to share information in a more convenient fashion.
Tampering with hardware or software is prohibited
Users shall not tamper with, open, or remove hardware without prior authorization from the Director of IS or the Manager of Networking & and Operations. In addition, users shall not tamper with system software including unauthorized access of system accounts and modification of system software. Finally, users shall not use Olin equipment or software to tamper with or break into other computer systems on the network.
Software piracy is prohibited
Users shall not copy software for use on any non-Olin machine without written permission from the Director of Operations. This includes a user’s personal computers, other non-Olin computers located at Washington University, or computers located off-campus. Users shall not download/install/use pirated software using Olin computers or personal computers connected to the Olin network. Violators will have their accounts revoked and may be subject to School, civil, and/or criminal penalties. See EDUCOM’s Using Software: A Guide To The Ethical and Legal Use of Software.
Account Auditing & Monitoring
System auditing tools may be used to determine resource usage (including file sizes and types), trace data-integrity anomalies, and identify system abuse. Under normal situations, all accounts are subject to the same level of auditing. Monitoring of any subset of the user community at an elevated level shall be authorized by the Director of the Operations.
User Privacy
Users should be aware that user files, email messages, and computer activities are not completely private. Olin reserves its right, as the owner of the network and the computers in question, to examine, log, capture, archive, and otherwise preserve or inspect any message transmitted over the network and any data files stored on University-owned computers. In addition, depending on the source or destination, copies of your email may sit on uncontrolled machines and your internet activities may be logged on non-university machines. If a user is suspected of violations of University policies or guidelines regarding computer and email use, that user’s privacy is superseded by the University’s requirement to maintain the network’s integrity and the rights of all network users. In the event of criminal or legal investigations, Olin may also be required to provide copies of information to the appropriate authorities.
The Director of Operations has the right to limit any activity
The Director of Operationas has the right to limit any activity that he or she deems detrimental to the efficient operation of Olin systems. This includes revoking user access to Olin resources. Users may appeal any decision to the Dean of the School of Business.