Use of TAFE NSW

Internet and Intranet Services

PART A

TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet services are provided for the advancement of the work of its staff and the
education of its students. This document exists to ensure that TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet services will
function securely and appropriately for all users.

TAFE NSW reserves the right to monitor and record all usage of its computer networks, including its Intranet
and Internet services, and to take disciplinary action when breaches of expected behaviour occur. Disciplinary
action may include legal action and illegal acts will be referred to the appropriate legal authority.

Staff are expected to comply with the following policies:

• Use by Staff of Employer Communication Devices – September 2000
• Code of Conduct and Ethics – October 1991

Student breaches of expected user behaviour will be dealt with under the following TAFE NSW policy:
• Student Discipline Policy – October 2000

Applicability
The information in this document applies to all Internet and Intranet services provided by TAFE NSW including
email, email lists, web browsing, website publication, chat and newsgroups (forums). TAFE NSW reserves the
right to limit access to Internet and Intranet services, including the filtering of websites.

This information applies to all users of TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet services including staff (full-time, part-
time, temporary or contract), students (full-time or part-time, as well as participants in commercial courses)
and users who may be authorised from time to time to use these services. This information applies wherever
the services are being used – for example, at a college or campus, remotely from home, remotely from a place
of work or from remote tuition centres.

Expected User Behaviour

1. Using TAFE NSW computer resources to seek out, access or send any material of an offensive,
obscene, pornographic, threatening, abusive, defamatory or otherwise inappropriate nature is
prohibited and may result in disciplinary action.
2. Users will make use of TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet services for educational, professional or
career development activities with allowance for reasonable personal use.
3. Users are responsible for all use of their user account(s) and must take all reasonable precautions
to prevent others from using their account(s).
4. Users will adhere to any requirements for Internet and Intranet services usage and user behaviour
addressed in TAFE NSW policies and government legislation.
5. Users will observe the User Responsibilities for appropriate use of TAFE NSW Internet and
Intranet services detailed in Part B User Responsibilities.
6. Users will ensure that the language they use and information they publish through all TAFE NSW
Internet and Intranet services is respectful of, and sensitive to, all peoples.
7. Users can subscribe to email lists that are directly relevant to education in TAFE NSW or the
professional or career development of staff. Email lists that focus on the user’s personal interests are
not to be subscribed to through the TAFE NSW network.
8. Users will respect the copyright of owners and authors of work on TAFE NSW and other websites.
Copyright infringement occurs when an individual inappropriately reproduces a work that is protected
by a copyright. Many works can only be used with the prior written permission of the author.
9. Users will notify their designated Help Desk when they identify a security problem, or their
supervisor/manager in the case of illegal/inappropriate use of TAFE NSW websites.

TAFE NSW Version 1.0 May 2002

 Use of TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet Services

TAFE NSW Version 1.0 May 2002

 Use of TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet Services

PART B

User responsibilities

Users of TAFE NSW Intranet and Internet services will fulfil their responsibilities as set out below. Confirmed
violation of any of these responsibilities will result in the actions listed in Part A of these guidelines.

Do’s
Protect the reputation of TAFE NSW
Users must:
a) Ensure that there is no conflict between what is in a user’s interest and what is in the best interest
of TAFE NSW and its customers.
b) Create web pages on TAFE NSW websites only where they are directly related to the educational
business of TAFE NSW.
c) Include a notice to inform readers that the opinions expressed on the page are those of the
creator of the web page and not those of TAFE NSW, when a website is created by an individual user
within TAFE NSW.

Respect copyright and avoid plagiarism

Users must:
a) Acknowledge the work of the originator when referring to or presenting the ideas, writings,
images, etc. of others.
b) Follow the expressed copyright requirements where a work specifies acceptable use of that
work.
c) Request permission from the copyright owner unless it is clear that they can use a copyrighted
work.
d) Use only computer software or versions of software that have been authorised and tested for
use on TAFE NSW computer facilities.

Support the management of resources

Users must:
a) Unsubscribe to email lists before a vacation or extended absence from TAFE NSW.
b) Download files greater than 2 MB in size only where necessary. Such downloads should
occur when the network is not being heavily used – generally between 6:00pm and 8:00am

Maintain system security

Users must:
a) Immediately notify their Help Desk if a user identifies a security problem.
b) Not look for security problems (unless it is within their defined role as an employee with TAFE
NSW) – this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.
c) Avoid the spread of computer viruses by following the TAFE NSW virus protection procedures
and report all faults and malfunctions of the computer system to the relevant Help Desk.

Protect user safety and privacy

Users must:
a) Promptly disclose to their teacher/manager any material (eg. message, attachment) they
receive that is inappropriate or causes offence.
b) Promptly exit an inappropriate website should a user inadvertently access such a site.

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Don’ts
Compromise system security
Users must NOT:
a) Provide their password to another person. Where it is necessary to ensure continuity of
communications while a member of staff is on leave, etc., arrangements for this should be
made through a supervisor or manager.

Risk user safety and privacy

Users must NOT:
a) Publish personal contact information about themselves that is outside the business of TAFE
NSW. This includes home address and telephone, mobile telephone, private email addresses,
and similar. College or campus addresses and TAFE NSW email addresses may be used.
b) Publish personal contact information about other people or include reference to others
including names and pictures without their permission.
c) Forward a message identified by the sender as private without the permission of the sender.

Participate in inappropriate conduct

Users must NOT:
a) Use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory or threatening language in public or
private messages, in material published on web pages or when using services such as chat.
b) Publish information that, if acted upon, could cause damage to property or persons, nor
publish deliberately false or defamatory information about a person or organisation.
c) Engage in personal attacks including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks, nor harass (distress
or annoy) another person. If a user is told by a person to stop sending messages to them, the
user must stop.
d) Use TAFE NSW Internet and Intranet services to access gambling sites or material that is
profane, obscene, pornographic or paedophilic, that promotes illegal acts, or that advocates
violence or discrimination. Exceptions may be made where the purpose of such access is to
conduct authorised research, and where written approval has been gained from an
appropriate authorised person.
e) Email chain letters or send annoying or unnecessary messages to other people.

Engage in illegal or destructive activity

Users must NOT:
a) Attempt to gain unauthorised access to the TAFE NSW computer network or go beyond their
authorised access.
b) Make deliberate attempts to disrupt computer system performance nor harm or destroy
hardware and data, including through the uploading or creation of computer viruses.
c) Use the TAFE NSW network to engage in any illegal act. Such activities will be reported to the
appropriate legal authority.

Plagiarise and infringe copyright

Users must NOT:
a) Plagiarise works that they find on the TAFE NSW and other websites. Plagiarism is taking the
ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were original to the user.
b) Infringe the copyright of an individual through inappropriate reproduction of a work or any part
of a work protected by a copyright.
c) Make available or use illegal (pirated) copies of copyrighted software on TAFE NSW
equipment.

TAFE NSW Version 1.0 May 2002