4.17 - Copyrighted Materials Policy

Last updated on April 4, 2023

POLICY: It is the policy of Spoon River College to comply with the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 and amended provisions and the Higher Education Act of 1965 which (as a condition of participation in any Title IV and other HEA programs) requires a written plan in place to effectively combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material by users of the College's network without unduly interfering with the educational and research use of the network.

SCOPE:

This policy applies to all Spoon River College employees, students, and visitors.

DETAILS:

  1. Use of one or more technology-based deterrents: Spoon River College uses the following technology to guard against unauthorized downloading and distribution of copyrighted materials:
    1. Network Access Control;
    2. Firewall (SonicWALL);
    3. Intrusion Detection and Prevention (SonicWALL).
  2. Mechanisms for educating and informing its community about appropriate versus inappropriate use of copyrighted material: Spoon River College uses the communication mechanisms below to educate and inform students about appropriate and inappropriate use of copyrighted materials.
    1. Student Handbook;
    2. Student Code of Conduct;
    3. Computer Usage Policy; and
    4. Student E-mail and Posted Disclosures.
    5. Library Webpage and Library Guide
  3. Procedures for handling unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material: Spoon River College considers the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials through the College computer network and hardware as a violation of the College’s Student Code of Conduct and Technology and Network Services (Use of) Policy. Appropriate formal adjudication procedures are generally applied to each accusation of misconduct and sanctions are imposed when it has been determined that College policy was violated.
  4. Procedures for periodically reviewing the effectiveness of the plans to combat the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials by users of the institution's network: Annual reviews to assess the effectiveness of the plan are conducted by the Chief Information Officer and the Dean of Student Services. Data collected from the current academic year is used for the assessment.