Use of your Cornell NetID obligates you to abide by all policies, terms and conditions. It is your responsibility as a user of Cornell's computers and networks to be familiar with the policies that govern their use. Understanding what you can and cannot ethically and legally do when using these resources requires a little learning and a lot of common sense.

POLICY DIGEST
Policy Name	Policy Audience	Policy Emphasis	Technology Emphasis	Who Handles Violations
Information Technologies Policies and Policy Interpretations
Responsible Use of Electronic Communications	The entire Cornell community	Responsible use of electronic communications; policy violations in four categories (see FAQs)		Varies according to violation (see FAQs)
Policy Regarding Abuse of CIT Computers and Network Systems	All students and faculty and staff members	Protection of institutional computers, network systems, and information technology resources; legitimate use of a computer or network does not extend to whatever an individual is capable of doing with it (see FAQs)		Office of the Judicial Administrator (according to Campus Code of Conduct procedures)
Terms and Conditions Governing Use of CIT Network IDs	All Network ID recipients	Describes authorized use of Network IDs including limitations (see FAQs)		CIT (Cornell Information Technologies)
Policies Dealing with Academic and Personal Conduct
Campus Code of Conduct	All faculty and staff members, students, and university- registered organizations	Fostering a safe and productive learning and living environment	Interference with, or damaging of, computer or network resources; misappropriation of data, copyrighted materials	Office of the Judicial Administrator
Code of Academic Integrity	All students	Integrity in relationships related to educational process, including use of University resources	Ethical behavior and actions; respect for privacy of information, ownership of proprietary software, finite systems capacity, and procedures used to manage systems	Dean of the appropriate college
Standards of Ethical Conduct	All executive officers, faculty and staff members, student employees, and others, acting on behalf of the university	Maintenance of highest standards of ethical conduct	Legal, proper use of university technology resources; observation of rules and laws governing the use of copyrighted materials, software, etc.	The appropriate office, depending on the nature of violation

Responsible Computing and Network Use

Cornell's computing policies generally rely on existing institutional policies--such as the Campus Code of Conduct and the Code of Academic Integrity--as well as state and federal law. Since these existing Cornell policies apply to electronic communications and on-line behavior, additional policy violations aren't created unless there is a technology-specific need that must be addressed. Internet activity that is illegal under local, state, and federal laws is also a violation of Cornell policy.

The table above and the frequently asked questions page summarize the key elements of the policies that govern the use of information technologies and resources at Cornell. The table includes links to the complete text of each policy. Printed copies of CIT (Cornell Information Technologies) policies are available from the HelpDesk in 119 Computing and Communications Center (CCC).

By using your NetID at Cornell, you automatically agree to abide by all of the policies, terms, and conditions. Because of this responsibility, many people find it helpful to have a separate account with a commercial Internet Service Provider (ISP) for their non-Cornell Internet activities. Remember, connecting to a free e-mail account such as yahoo.com or hotmail.com through the Cornell Campus Network (including through EZ-Remote or ResNet) still commits you to abiding by Cornell policies.

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In addition to the university-wide policies and codes mentioned in this policy digest, there are more-specific policies that have been developed to address the requirements of individual services, programs, and facilities. Examples are the Residence Hall Network Service (ResNet) and EZ-Remote, the modem/dial-up access service. General policy information for both of these services can be found on their Web sites. Subscribers to these types of services are informed of such specific policies when they sign up.

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