NIC is in the process of updating its computer policy.
The policy, which has now been divided into two separate policies, an email policy and a rules of use and privacy policy, is expected to be passed by the board of trustees at their next meeting.
All together, the policies received 10 key updates. The rules of acceptable use and privacy had the following updates: updated language, with current terminology being used, Internet bandwidth is now labeled as a “shared source,” the importance of password protection is now noted, communications references have now been moved to a separate email policy, and access is now defined separately as either being student or employee for enforcement purposes.
According to Steve Ruppel, director of information technology, and author of the re-writes, this last point is an important one to note.
“When the policy was written in the ‘90s, we did not have student email, so when we revised the policy, we had to think about it in terms of, ‘We’re not just talking to staff or employees, we’re talking about all email system users that we provide.’ We’re talking to students as well,” Ruppel said. “When the procedure was written and the enforcement policy as procedure was written, what we did was point—if the policy wasn’t adhered to by students, they go to the student code of conduct to have that reviewed.”
According to Ruppel, this makes it simpler, with employees answering to their bosses individually for policy violations.
The email policy also received five updates: it now notes that email systems are provided for official communications, and are an official resource, people are now allowed to redirect emails from their NIC accounts to their private accounts, and with limited liability for the college, added “non-allowed” uses, as defined by Idaho statutes and policies, stated that emails are “non-record copies” to clarify that the college is not keeping archives of emails, and emphasizing their use as a communication tool only, removed references to rules of acceptable use and privacy.
All updated policies were cross-checked by lawyers to ensure that none violated federal policies such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and that they were sound and legal.
Two faculty members, Joe Jacoby and Carl Curtis, had concerns over possible privacy issues involving information technology personnel doing system monitoring, concerns over what information technology personnel are monitoring, and how often the policy will be updated.
Ruppel explained that information technology personnel do not screen content, just the hardware, and it does so to keep an eye on safety, reliability, cost effectiveness and performance.
He also said the policy is not projected to have to be updated again in the near future.
The revision process began over a year ago, when NIC President Priscilla Bell charged Ruppel with modernizing the policy, which had been created in 1996, and last updated in 1999.