Computer use and facilities at Sydney

Our computing facilities

At Sydney Institute you have access to a wide range of computing facilities for your education, training and support needs.

It is important to remember that these are public places shared with other users.

Users are expected to use TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute computing and communication facilities in a manner which is ethical, lawful, effective and efficient.

The TAFE NSW Code of Conduct for Acceptable Use for Computer Users must be followed by anyone using these computers at colleges, home, work or remote tuition centres, including:

• staff (full-time, part-time, temporary or contract)
• students (full-time, part-time, as well as participants in commercial courses)
• others who may be authorised from time to time.
  

Currently, most TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute computing facilities are provided free of charge for educational and educational support use. Where specific charges are levied, details can be obtained from section heads. Users will receive 30 days notice of any changes to these charges.

 Internet use

• Free of charge for most services.
• Limited to reasonable use that supports educational needs.
• Not for personal business purposes.
• Not for any illegal, immoral or socially unacceptable use. Unacceptable use includes bad language, bullying and harassment.
• Accessing or viewing inappropriate web sites such as pornography, graphic violence and material that is profane, obscene, that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence and discrimination towards others is prohibited.
• No other person’s personal details may be posted without their permission.
• Not to be used for plagiarism or to infringe copyright.
• User activity is recorded on our network.
• May be monitored from time to time.
  

Computer use

• All computer software is subject to copyright laws and licensing conditions.
• Copying or use of software without permission is prohibited.
• No software is to be loaded onto Sydney Institute computers.
• Using illegal software is prohibited.
• Is not to be used for plagiarism or to infringe copyright.
• Using computers for pornography, graphic violence and material that is profane, obscene, that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence and discrimination towards others is prohibited.
• Computers are not to be used to infringe copyright laws.
• Your activity is recorded – ie the programs that you have used, and what you have looked at while you were in the system.
  

Dissemination of personal information through the network could endanger personal safety. Personal contact information includes telephone number, home address, work address, etc.

Users will:

• promptly disclose to their teachers or other TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute employees any message they receive that is inappropriate or makes them feel uncomfortable
• respect the privacy and confidentiality of data held on, or reproduced from, the TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute computing facilities. Any release of data may lead to legal action being taken.

Users will not:

• post personal contact information about themselves. Personal contact information includes telephone number, home address, work address, etc. College address and email address may be used where it is necessary to receive information
• post personal contact information about other people, including telephone number, home address, work address, etc. In addition, TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute and its users will not include any reference to personnel or users, including their names and pictures, without their permission
• re-post a message that was sent to them privately and confidentially without permission of the person who sent them the message.

Users will not:

• use the TAFE NSW or Sydney Institute network to engage in any illegal act
• attempt to gain unauthorised access to the TAFE NSW or Sydney Institute networks or to any computer system through the TAFE NSW network, or go beyond their authorised access. This includes attempting to log on through another person’s account or access another person’s files
• make deliberate attempts to disrupt or interfere with any computer system performance or to destroy data
• attempt to harm or destroy hardware and/or data of another user. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses and changing settings
• abuse computer classrooms, laboratories or access centres by leaving the facilities in an untidy or unsightly condition; collecting or discarding any output without the owner’s permission; smoking, eating or drinking in the facilities; unauthorised removal of paper, disks, and any computer related equipment and consumables.

Users are requested to report all computer faults and malfunctions to the Institute or section Help Desk.

Users are responsible for the use of their individual accounts and password and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their accounts.

Users will:

• immediately notify their Institute or section Help Desk or the TAFE NSW Help Desk if they have identified a possible security problem. The user will not go looking for security problems, because this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access
• avoid the inadvertent spread of computer viruses by following the TAFE NSW and the Institute virus protection procedures if they download software. Virus protection procedures are available from the section Help Desks and within each computer classroom.

Users will not:

• provide their password to another person
• provide room or access codes, or admit any unauthorised person to the computer classrooms/laboratories/access centres.

Restrictions against inappropriate language apply to public messages, private messages and material posted on web pages.

Users will not:

• use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening or disrespectful language
• post information that, if acted upon, could cause damage, danger or disruption
• harass another person. Harassment is acting in a manner that distresses or annoys another person. If a user is told by a person to stop sending them messages, the user must stop
• post false or defamatory information about a person or organisation. Any of these actions will result in disciplinary action.

Users of TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute computing and communication facilities are personally responsible for complying with the Commonwealth Copyright Act relating to the use of computer software and to the terms and conditions of the particular contract or software licence relating to each item of leased or purchased software.The reproduction of computer software, without the publisher’s permission, constitutes a breach of the Copyright Act and may result in civil and/or common law action against the offender.

Users will:

• respect the right of copyright owners. Copyright infringement occurs when an individual inappropriately reproduces a work that is protected by a copyright. If a work contains language that specifies acceptable use of that work, the user should follow the expressed requirements. If the user is unsure whether or not they can use a work they should request permission from the copyright owner
• use only computer software or versions of software authorised and tested for use on TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute computer facilities. This will avoid problems of incompatibility with the TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute computing environment.

Users will not:

• plagiarise works that they find on the Internet or TAFE NSW Intranet. Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were your own
• use or make available illegal copies of copyrighted software on TAFE NSW or Sydney Institute equipment.

Users will not use TAFE NSW or Sydney Institute computers or networks to access materials that are profane or obscene (pornography), that advocate illegal acts, or that advocate violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature). Exceptions may be made only if the purpose of such access supports TAFE NSW curriculum, or is to conduct research, and has been approved by an appropriate Sydney Institute manager.

If a user inadvertently accesses such material, they should immediately exit the site and disclose the inadvertent access to the Sydney Institute Help Desk or the TAFE NSW Help Desk. Repeated access to such sites will result in disciplinary action.

Mobile Storage Devices

Users should be aware that confidential or network sensitive data which is stored on portable storage devices (phone, laptop, PDA, USB device, iPod, CD, DVD, floppy disk, etc) can be at risk of unauthorised access, as these small storage devices are more easily lost or stolen. Data should be stored securely, eg, on network shares on a server if possible.

TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute and its users will not include any reference on websites to personnel or users, including their names and photos, without the individual’s permission.

When a personal or class web page is created, a notice must be included to inform the public that the opinions expressed on the page are those of the creator of the web page, not TAFE NSW or Sydney Institute. A statement on the web page must acknowledge the authorship of the page.

Infringements of the TAFE NSW and TAFE NSW – Sydney Institute Principles for the Acceptable Use of Institute Networked and Personal Computers will be investigated and disciplinary action taken as provided under the Technical and Further Education Act 1990 – Regulations, and TAFE Gazette No.41, 19th October 1994.

TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute make available to users a range of data and information facilities and accept no responsibility for any damage or loss of data arising directly or indirectly from the use of any of these facilities or for any consequential loss or damage.

TAFE NSW and Sydney Institute make no warranty, express or implied, regarding the computing facilities offered or their fitness for any particular purpose.

Please refer to www.tafensw.edu.au/students/rights.htm for further information or clarification. 

Visit www.sit.nsw.edu.au/library/facilities.htm for a copy of the Computer Users Code of Conduct.