Home Regulations Internet Code of Practice

Internet Code of Practice

PLEASE NOTE: Revisions made in 2005 are indicated by red text.

1. Scope

The Internet Code of Practice refers to all types of electronic communications services and systems, such as the World Wide Web and email.

This Code, together with the Guide to Legislation, should be read in conjunction with University Regulations (and in particular with the sections on Use of Computing Services, Statement Concerning Harassment and Discrimination, and the Code of Student Discipline), the University's Code of Practice on Data Protection, and with the Joint Academic Network (JANET) Acceptable Use Policy , Network Guidelines, and such other regulatory and advisory documents as are published on the Computer Centre's website (http://www.le.ac.uk/cc).

2. Purpose

The University of Leicester is committed to allowing its members the freedom to engage in academic investigation and scholarly debate and accepts that the use of the Internet makes a valuable contribution to the exercise of these privileges. In addition, the University also aims to benefit from the Internet by presenting itself favourably to the rest of the world. The purpose of this Code of Practice is to ensure that the Internet is used in a way which is beneficial to all the members of the University, and which protects the good name of the institution and all its members, and your attention is drawn to the University's right to monitor your use of the network as set out in clause 6.

All those who have access to on-line services through the University's network are responsible for making themselves aware of the legal consequences attached to the inappropriate use of those services. The Guide to Legislation sets out the criminal penalties and civil liabilities which may follow the contravention of some relevant current legislation.

3. Responsibilities

Responsibility for the Corporate Web Information Service (CWIS) rests with the Information and Communication Strategy Committee, reporting to the Policy and Strategy Committee.

1. The Standing Committee of Deans is responsible for the introduction and periodic review of this Code. Queries relating to its operation should be referred to the Academic Registrar.
   
   
2. The Deans of the Faculties are responsible for establishing Faculty policy on Internet use (subject to the guidelines issued by the University. It is not a requirement that such policies should exist, but where they do, they must be clearly stated and widely publicised.
   
   
3. Heads of Department are responsible for:
   
   
   1. ensuring that departmental pages comply with the requirements of this Code and take account of the Guide to Legislation;
      
      
   2. ensuring compliance with guidelines issued by the University and any Faculty Internet policy;
      
      
   3. establishing, where required, departmental guidelines on Internet use;
      
      
   4. providing departmental liaison with the Computer Centre's CWIS Officer;
      
      
   5. authorising and vetting any departmentally-sponsored student pages;
      
      
   6. authorising the establishment of home pages by individual members of staff (see 4(a) below);
      
      
   7. ensuring that departmental pages provide information which is accurate (and therefore regularly updated) and which is consistent with information about the department which may be presented elsewhere on the network or in print (for example, in the Prospectus or in departmental leaflets and handbooks);
      
      
   8. ensuring that all entries on departmental pages bear the identity of and a link to the author or Web maintainer, date of creation and last update, and confirmation that the entry is authorised by the Head of Department;
      
      
   9. ensuring that those responsible for establishing and editing departmental pages are aware of, and understand their responsibility for complying with, the requirements relating to access to external Web sites detailed in the Guide to Legislation.
      
      University Web sites containing access to external Web sites should incorporate the official disclaimer by means of the globe icon link as described at http://www.le.ac.uk/webcentre/regulations/external.html.
      
      No links should be established without permission which may be direct or indirect pecuniary interest to a member of staff or student.

   Heads of Department may delegate these functions to another member (or members) of staff provided that details are notified to the CWIS Officer in the Computer Centre.

4. Individual Web authors are required to comply with all guidelines issued on Internet use (including this Code and any guidelines from the Faculty or the Department), both in relation to their authorship of departmental pages and their individual use of the Internet (see 4 below).
   
   
5. Pages established by the Students' Union must comply with this Code and guidelines. The President of the Students' Union is held to be the 'Head of Department' for this purpose (see 3(c) above).

4. Individual pages on Institutional Web servers

1. Members of staff, research postgraduates other than those with Advanced Postgraduate status, and members of the Executive of the Students' Union may register with the Computer Centre as Web authors on the CWIS. They may establish individual pages using the University's computer services only in the pursuit of legitimate academic activities and on the authority of their Head of Department/Section.
   
   
2. Web authors are held personally accountable for the content of individual pages, which must bear the date of creation and last update and a link to a contact page containing the name, telephone number and email address of the author.
   
   
3. Web authors should take all reasonable care to ensure that information accessed through hyperlinks does not breach this Code and the Guide to Legislation (see 3(c)(ix) above).
   
   
4. Individual pages must not state or imply that their content is sanctioned by the University, so should not bear the University's crest (or other identifying logo), and should state clearly on every page that any opinions and views expressed are the author's and not those of the University.
   
   
5. Students on taught courses or with Advanced Postgraduate or occasional status are not permitted to establish individual home pages through the University's computer services.
   
   
6. Undergraduates may publish Web pages through the Virtual Learning Environment as part of their coursework only.

5. Web publishing on departmental or other systems

The principles of Section 4 apply equally to the Web pages created on departmental or other systems owned by the University and/or accessed via the University network. Accountability is through the appropriate Head of Department, Dean of Faculty or Registrar and Secretary.

6. Improper Use

1. Users should be aware that failure by individuals to comply with this Code may expose the University to serious liability. Although no institution can be expected to monitor all the vast amount of information disseminated and accessible through its network, the University of Leicester retains the right to monitor a selection of messages and materials sent over its network to check that this facility is not being abused, and is committed to responding promptly to any potentially damaging publication by withdrawing from its services any unacceptable materials and taking any other necessary action. This means that users responsible for such materials may have their communications intercepted and their access to the University's computing services withdrawn.
   
   
2. Users are reminded that its computing systems are provided principally for academic and administrative purposes. They must not be used to access or disseminate materials of a pornographic or obscene nature or which may cause offence when viewed in a public area such as an open access user area.
   
   
3. Users must not install or use file-sharing or 'peer-to-peer' software for the illegal downloading of copyrighted material.
   
   
4. Unless the police are involved from the outset, when different procedures may apply, any suspected improper use will normally be investigated in the first instance by the Computer Centre. The Director of Computing Services will report to the Registrar and Secretary on the outcome of such investigations.
   
   
5. Users should note that it is possible for an individual to breach Regulations, or to discredit or harm the University, without a criminal offence having been committed. The University will not hesitate to take disciplinary action in such cases.
   
   
6. The Director of Computing Services will refer to the Registrar and Secretary any requests for access for research purposes to networked material of a potentially compromising nature.

LAST REVISED: 2005  

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