STAFF (601N)
Updated 07/07
STAFF: USE OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS
The communication systems, including telephone and computer resources, available to Kansas Athletics employees are owned by Kansas Athletics and may only be used for business purposes, subject to any exceptions listed below. All users of Kansas Athletics’ communications systems are obligated to use the computers, the internet, e-mail, telephone systems responsibly, professionally, ethically, and lawfully.
Employees should not consider electronic communications to be either private or secure. Employees should not have any expectation of privacy in anything they create, store, send, or receive on the Kansas Athletics communication systems. E-mails and voice mails are stored and backed up on computer servers. In addition, e-mail may be stored indefinitely on any number of computers, including that of the recipient. Copies of messages may be forwarded to others either electronically or on paper. E-mail sent to incorrect usernames may be delivered to unintended persons.
Kansas Athletics reserves the right to monitor and review any and all aspects of its communications system, including, but not limited to, sites visited by employees on the Internet, chat groups and newsgroups, material downloaded or uploaded by users of the internet, and e-mail and voice mails sent and received by users. Activities of Kansas Athletics Internet users are logged, including visits to inappropriate sites (including gambling, pornographic, hate groups and fight sites), and reported to management personnel at Kansas Athletics as necessary.
Use of Kansas Athletics computer resources for any of the following activities is strictly prohibited:
- Sending, receiving, downloading, displaying, printing, or otherwise disseminating material that is sexually explicit, profane, obscene, racially or sexually harassing, fraudulent, defamatory, or otherwise unlawful;
- Sending, receiving, downloading, displaying, printing, or otherwise disseminating material related to gambling, drug use, doping, or steroid use;
- Sending, receiving, downloading, displaying, printing, or otherwise disseminating material that encourages hate groups, criminal activity or is of a violent nature;
- Disseminating or storing commercial or personal advertisements, solicitations, promotions, destructive programs (for example viruses or self-replicating code), political information, or any other unauthorized material;
- Wasting computer resources by, among other things, sending mass mailings or chain letters, playing games, or otherwise creating unnecessary network traffic;
- Using or copying software in violation of a license agreement or copyright;
- Installing or using encryption software on any computers without first obtaining written permission from the copyright or patent owner. You may not use passwords or encryption keys without the permission and the knowledge of your supervisor.
- Installing or using any password or encryption software that has the effect of locking out or inhibiting Kansas Athletics ability to monitor and review its computer systems, including individual computers;
- Violating any state, federal, or international law or any rule or regulation promulgated by the University, Kansas Athletics, the Big 12 Conference or the NCAA.
Exceptions to the business requirement above:
- Academic research. If a staff member plans any academic research that may violate this policy, the staff member must submit a request, which includes a projected end-date, via email to the Associate AD/Student Support at least one week prior to beginning the research.
- Unsolicited inbound email (i.e., including spam or jokes). While staff members have no control over what comes into their email, they can, upon receipt of questionable email, ask their friends to respect the fact that they are not allowed to receive emails at work that may violate this policy.
All employees shall be expected to sign an acknowledgement of this policy at the time of their employment. Failure to comply with this policy and its guidelines shall be brought to the attention of management for appropriate action, which may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Violations of applicable laws or regulations (e.g., Computer Security Act, export control laws, copyright laws) could also result in criminal or civil prosecution.
