Download: University IT regulations
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The main purpose ("Main Purpose") for the provision by the University of Information Technology (IT) facilities is for use in connection with teaching, learning, research, and approved business activities of the University by its staff, students and other authorised persons ("Users").

The University wishes to encourage good and full use to be made of these facilities. With this in mind, for the protection and benefit of the community of Users, any person using IT facilities must abide by these regulations and observe the requirements of the University's Internet Policy Statement, Email Policy and Information Systems Security Guidelines, copies of which can be found at Information Services administrative offices.

To ensure that the IT facilities are not abused the University retains the right to monitor a selection of messages and materials sent over its network and to take any appropriate action if it comes to the University's attention that access to the IT facilities is being abused. This may include referral to the Police in the event of suspected criminal activity.

1. IT hardware must be treated with care and used only in accordance with the proper operating instructions.  No equipment shall be used which is labelled out of order.  Any apparent fault with hardware should be reported promptly to Information Services personnel, or in the case of equipment based in a Faculty, to the appropriate technical personnel within the Faculty concerned.  Equipment must not be used if there is reason to believe that it may not be in safe working order.
2. Users must not by any deliberate or careless act or omission jeopardise or seek to jeopardise the integrity of any IT equipment, and/or its software and/or any information stored within it and/or accessed through it.
3. Users must not access and/or attempt to access any IT equipment, software and/or data which they are not properly authorised to access. In particular, the confidentiality of data belonging to other Users must be respected.
4. Users must take all necessary steps to protect and maintain the security of any equipment, software, data, storage area and/or passwords allocated for their use. Users must not use access codes that belong to someone else.
5. Users must not use any IT facility for a purpose other than that for which they are authorised. Users must seek advice if they have any doubt about their authority to use any of the IT facilities.
6. Users must comply with all their legal obligations affecting their use of IT facilities, including: 
   • Contempt of Court
   • Copyright
   • Defamation
   • Computer Misuse Act
   • Data Protection Act
   • Official Secrets Act
   • Obscene Publications Act
   • Protection of Children Act
   • Sex Discrimination Act and Race Relations Act.       
   Users are advised to refer to the Guide to Legislation Relevant to Computer Use, a copy of which may be obtained from the Information Services departmental offices.
7. The use of any IT equipment for storage and/or transmission of materials which the University considers to be obscene and/or offensive is strictly prohibited. Furthermore, IT facilities must not be used to download pornographic, obscene, excessively violent and/or offensive materials from the Internet.
8. Users must take all reasonable steps to exclude and avoid the spread of malicious software, e.g. viruses, and must co-operate fully with all measures instituted by Information Services to prevent the spread of such software. In particular, Users must not install or execute on a University computer any software obtained from a third party source, unless such software has been previously checked and cleared of the presence of malicious software by Information Services personnel or appropriate technical personnel within their Faculty/Service. Under the Computer Misuse Act 1990 it is an offence knowingly to corrupt a computer program or any of the data stored in the computer system.
9. Computer programs on the IT facilities are protected by the law of copyright. The University has the appropriate licences to use these programs. Users must comply with all their legal obligations concerning copyright, and must not copy any software or other data without the prior authorisation from the copyright owner. Such action would be in breach of copyright law. Furthermore Users must comply with any contractual obligations imposed on the University concerning the use of any of the IT equipment or software.
10. Online library learning resources, including datasets and databases, ebooks and ejournals, which are subscribed to by Staffordshire University are protected by copyright and licence agreements. Users who are not covered by these licence agreements must not attempt to use these resources. If in doubt, Users are advised to seek advice at the Library Help Desk.
11. Users must comply with their legal obligations concerning data on living persons, as required by the Data Protection Act 1998 ("the Act"). A copy of the Guide to the Act can be found at the Information Services administrative office. Student Users must not store personal data on any of the IT facilities without consultation and the prior written approval from the member of the academic staff supervising their work. Any requirement students have to store or process personal data as defined within the Act must be undertaken under the direct supervision of a member of the academic staff.
    
    Any use of any of the University's IT facilities by Users to store personal data as defined in the Act may need to be registered in accordance with the Act. Consultation should be undertaken with the University's Information Protection and Security Manager, Sue Howlett, in such instances and approval obtained in advance.
12. The University permits the use of its IT facilities by Users for personal use, subject to the following limitations:
    1. a level of use that is reasonable and not detrimental to the Main Purpose for which the facilities are provided;
    2. priority must be given to use of resources for the Main Purpose for which they are provided;
    3. personal use must not be of a commercial or profit-making nature, including private consultancy, or for any other form of personal financial gain, unless prior written approval is obtained from the appropriate Director of Faculty or Service;
    4. personal use must not be of a nature that competes with the University in business;
    5. personal use must not be connected with any use or application that conflicts with an employee's obligations to Staffordshire University as their employer;
    6. personal use must not be connected to any purpose or application that conflicts with the University's rules, regulations, policies and procedures;
    7. personal use must comply with the University's policies and regulations.
       
       In relation to the personal use of University IT facilities, if Users are in any doubt about what constitutes acceptable and appropriate use, they should seek the advice and guidance, in the case of members of staff, of their Manager, and in the case of students, of their Course Tutor.         
13. Users must not connect any unauthorised equipment to the University network without consultation and the prior written approval from Information Services. If Information Services has reasonable grounds for believing that any equipment may be the cause of unacceptable degradation of the performance of the network detrimental to other Users, then the User must co-operate with the disconnection of the equipment from the network pending resolution of the problem.
14. Users must not set up or operate a server connected to the University network without consultation and the prior written approval from the Director of Information Services and the appropriate Director of Faculty or Service.
15. When any of the University's IT facilities are used to access any external network and/or computer facilities, Users must also abide by any additional conditions pertaining to the external facilities, including those imposed by the external providers of such facilities.         

The University views the unauthorised access or interference with any of its IT facilities as an extremely serious disciplinary offence.  Any breach of these regulations shall be dealt with in accordance with the disciplinary procedures of the University applicable to the User concerned.  In the case of a serious breach, the authorisation of a User to use particular IT facilities may be withdrawn immediately, by a decision of the Director of Information Services, or the appropriate Director of Faculty or Service.