Policies covering employee use of NAU's networks are covered in the NAU Personnel manual: http://hr.nau.edu/Home/Policy_Manual. Relevant policies involving network acceptable use include the following:
An employee shall not, directly or by implication, use the name of the university or his/her affiliation with the university in the endorsement of political candidates, initiatives, referenda, or in supporting or opposing a position on other political issues.The use of University resources, including mail, e-mail or web sites, for the purpose of attempting to promote or defeat the election of a candidate for public office, or the passage or a ballot measure is prohibited.
Solicitations are to be discouraged on the campus, unless an employee is acting for a charitable or service organization, …Permission to solicit requires written formal request to, and written approval from the Associate Provost for Student Services or designee. Such request shall be in writing.
All desks, files, lockers, vehicles, computers (including the campus electronic mail system and network access), telephones, other office equipment, and other university-owned property, together with the interior spaces in them, belong to the university, and employees have no expectation of privacy in this equipment and in these locations. This property is subject to inspection by university personnel for purposes of inventory, cleanliness, maintenance, recovery of university property and other reasons determined by supervisory personnel at anytime, without limitation.All property including, but not limited to land, buildings, facilities, equipment, vehicles, supplies or labor, belonging to the university or for which the university is responsible, is to be used solely for university purposes.
All equipment belonging to the university which the employee has obtained permission to use at home, such as computers, etc., must be returned to the university upon a supervisor’s request or employee’s termination. A written inventory of such equipment should be maintained by the supervisor and employee. The supervisor of the terminating employee is responsible for the procurement of all university property in the possession of the employee.
…offenses under this policy include harassing, attacking, physically abusing, threatening to physically injure, and physically intimidating any member of the university community because of that person’s race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, non-disqualifying disability, veteran status, or sexual orientation. …Any behavior, whether verbal or physical, constitutes sexual harassment if: … the behavior creates an environment which is intimidating, hostile, or offensive for members of one sex, and thus interferes with a person’s ability to work or learn.
Employees are also expected to abide by a reasonable set of ethical standards when using network resources. For many years, the following ethics statement has guided employee behavior:
Ethics StatementAn account on an NAU computer system is a privilege available to qualified students, faculty and staff. Because of this, you have a responsibility in helping to maintain this resource on campus. The NAU systems and networks that they are attached to cost real dollars to maintain. The reliable operation of these systems and the responsible use of their resources is of common interest and concern for all users, operators and sponsors. Many of the network resources are provided by NAU and the US government. In addition to ethical concerns, abuse of this system could result in criminal or civil prosecution.
Irresponsible use of this critical resource poses an enormous threat to its continued availability to the campus. Justification for the support of this system suffers when highly disruptive abuses occur. Anyone who seeks to gain unauthorized access to the resources of the NAU computer systems or network (trying to log or break into accounts or computers you are not authorized for), disrupts the intended use of the network, wastes resources (people, capacity, computer) through such actions, destroys the integrity of computer-based information, or compromises the privacy of users will lose this privilege. You are responsible for all use of your account. Do not give out your password. This account may only be used by the official account holder.
Appropriate electronic communications are little different from appropriate face-to-face communications. Profane, suggestive or abusive language or messages are not appropriate and will not be tolerated.