Student Handbook

Computers and Computer Based Information Access

UW-Whitewater encourages faculty, staff and students to use university computer equipment and software in their educational pursuits and responsibilities. However, misuse of computer equipment, software, or information accessible through the UW-Whitewater website and network is subject to Chapter 293, Laws of 1981, 943.70, Computer Crimes. Computing & Network usage policies and guidelines of UW-Whitewater are available for review on the UW-Whitewater IT Services website.

Responsibilities in using Campus Network and Internet Access at UW-Whitewater

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Network is a shared resource; therefore access to networks and computer systems owned or operated by UW-Whitewater requires certain user responsibilities and obligations and is subject to the University policies and local, state, and federal laws. Appropriate use should always be legal and ethical, reflect academic honesty, show consideration and restraint in the consumption of shared resources, respect intellectual property, rights to privacy and to freedom from intimidation and harassment. All UW-Whitewater students, staff, and faculty can obtain access to computer resources through an individual account (Net-ID). Having an account is a privilege, in exchange for which you must agree to certain responsibilities:

Keep your password private; do not let others use your personal account.
Be wary of suspicious e-mails requesting personal information (phishing emails) or emails containing unsolicited attachments. NEVER provide personal information to unsolicited sources. Suspicious emails can be attached and sent to suspiciousemail@uww.edu.
If you believe you received a questionable email, but are not certain, contact the IT Help Desk at helpdesk@uww.edu.
Be conservative in your use of all network resources; Delete or archive unneeded mail messages to save disk space.
Be courteous and considerate of the rights of others.
Respect the fact that, at UW-Whitewater, the primary use of the Internet is academic: teaching, class assignments, research and communication, and administration.

The following actions are considered unacceptable and participation in them may result in disciplinary actions and the loss of your account and privileges:

Using another person's account; or allowing another person to use your account credentials.
Using abusive, objectionable or threatening language.
Copyright infringement.
Harassing others through electronic means.
Intentionally disrupting the work of other people.
Interfering with the normal operation of network communications, generating excessive network activity, or performing unauthorized modifications.
Placing unlawful information on the network or using the network to commit a crime.
Using network resources for commercial activity or financial gain which does not conform to UW-Whitewater rules and regulations.

Logging onto your UW-Whitewater account on the network constitutes agreement to the above guidelines and policies and standards listed below. As a user, you are accountable for your actions when accessing network services.