Implied Consent
Each person with access to the University's computing resources is responsible for their appropriate use and by their use agrees to comply with University, school and departmental policies, with applicable City, State and Federal laws and regulations, and with the acceptable use policies of affiliated networks and systems. This includes, among other things, prohibitions against use of the network for illegal or threatening purposes, restrictions on the copying and use of copyrighted software, respect for privacy of individual files stored on computers, etiquette towards other users and respect for equipment and facilities. Also, students are forbidden to install additional software programs on the hard disks of computers in the labs or in any other way reconfigure or modify the hard disks.
There will undoubtedly be many questions of interpretation of policies. The general rule is to attempt to resolve differences at the lowest possible level - preferably among users. If not possible, the computer resource staff will make interpretations. Issues of broad policy that arise will be referred to the dean, the Weitzman School executive committee, and to the faculty during regular meetings.
Policy on Unauthorized Copying of Copyrighted Media
http://www.upenn.edu/computing/policy/copyright.html
Downloading and sharing copyrighted material of any kinds is, not only a violation of the University's Policy, but a legal violation.
The violation reports we receive include names of files shared, software used to share the files, time of detection, and the IP address. This information, combined with our detailed logs, is more than enough to accurately pinpoint the offending user. We will take the following steps for any user/computer reported to be sharing copyright material:
E-mail containing specifics of the violation will be sent to the user's Weitzman address with copies sent to Penn's Information Security office, the Office of Student Conduct, and the student's Department Chair. The student must respond to the notice within 24 hours and demonstrate the removal of the file sharing program, and copyright material. A second violation will result in a repeat of the above action, and a copy of the violation will be sent to the Dean's office. Further sanctions may be taken; such as removal from Penn's network (both wired and wireless).
Computing Center-Sponsored Labs
Computing labs are located in Meyerson and Addams Hall. Equipment in these labs is available for use by all Weitzman students, faculty and staff only. All users are required to have a Weitzman provided Username/Password to have access to Weitzman computing resources. The Digital Video Editing Lab is available only to students enrolled in current Digital Video courses. Staff assistance is available from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; lab assistants provide support during a limited number of evening and weekend hours. During the summer labs are generally open, but technical help is limited, and labs may close occasionally for maintenance.
Local Data drives are available on most computers while working on a machine, however all data that is stored in this location is NOT backed up and can be deleted by any user. Students can permanently store data on the Weitzman Server called Juno in their network home area. Weitzman School will not provide any backups of data left on the local data drive on lab or other public machines. At times computers may be removed from the Lab for repair or maintenance. It is highly recommended that students make multiple backups of their work. Data stored in the network home folder on Juno is backed up daily. Loss of work on any computer is no excuse for failure to meet a presentation or course deadline.
Students are prohibited from installing software onto the lab or studio machines. This includes, but is not limited to, translation software, statistical software, and file sharing software. These programs are not Weitzman authorized or supported and are not to be installed onto the machines. If unauthorized programs are found on a hard drive, they will be immediately removed so that the integrity of the machine remains intact, and the person who installed the software will be warned. A second violation may result in suspension of your Weitzman account. Labs are often reserved during the semester for classroom instruction. Lab schedules are posted in the labs, and online.
NO food is allowed in any of the computer labs. Liquids must be in a spill proof container.
Network Printing in Weitzman Labs or Studios
A variety of printing devices is available in Meyerson Hall Room 325, and throughout the Design buildings. Students using the printers must have a user account. Only Weitzman students are able to print. Students are charged for printing. Pricing and media types are posted above each printer/plotter, and on the web. Prices will be posted in the labs and on our website. When you are finished with a public computer, remember to log out.
Priorities
When demand for computing resources exceeds available capacity, priorities for their use will be established and enforced.
The overall priorities for use of Weitzman computing resources are:
Highest: Uses that directly support the educational, research and service missions of the School of Design. The following locations get staff support in order of priority: Computing Center Lab, all other Weitzman studio machines.
Medium: Other uses that indirectly benefit the education, research and service missions of the Weitzman School, including reasonable and limited personal communications.
Lowest: Recreation web surfing and news reading
Forbidden: Activities that consume network bandwidth; such as, game playing, music services or peer-to-peer networking (file sharing).
Networking (Wired & Wireless)
All Weitzman buildings have wired and/or wireless networks. Wired studio desks are equipped with a high speed 1GB wired network port to provide access to the Internet and various Weitzman network resources.
Wireless Networking is perfect for reading e-mail, browsing the internet, and working on group projects. Using the wired connections is preferable when working on large files on the network. For more information on Wireless at Penn, see the following web site: www.upenn.edu/computing/wireless
Personal wireless access points will conflict with the primary router in the buildings. This will cause problems with all networking wired and wireless. As a result, these devices are prohibited on our network. Students found violating this policy will be subject to having his or her wireless device disconnected from the network, and suspension of their Weitzman account for 48 hours. This policy is designed to protect our network resources.
Scheduling of Computer Center LCD Projection Equipment
To avoid scheduling conflicts for courses and electronic reviews that need access to LCD projection equipment, and to insure that the system and software needs are properly supported, we ask that all faculty and students observe the following policies. Projector carts are only available for use for Weitzman courses in Meyerson Hall. Stand-alone portable projectors and laptops are available for presentation on campus outside of Meyerson. Pick up and return of equipment is the responsibility of the person reserving the equipment. Delay in returning the equipment may result in suspension of scheduling privileges. Reserve a projector by emailing us at ithelp@design.upenn.edu. For a list of equipment available for checkout, please visit https://www.design.upenn.edu/it/equipment-checkout.
Computer Purchasing and Support for Student-Owned Equipment in Electronic Studios
Computer ownership is a requirement for Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Historic Preservation and City Planning students. Studios are networked to facilitate computer usage. Each student with studio space will have adequate electrical service and network outlets to allow connection to the University of Pennsylvania Network, which is connected to Weitzman servers. Student-purchased equipment and software must meet specifications set by the Information Technology staff if it is to be connected to the network. When given the choice to work wired or wireless, always choose wired; it is faster and more reliable.
Note that while the Weitzman School endeavors to provide a secure environment for student computers, the University of Pennsylvania and the Weitzman School assume no responsibility against theft or damage for equipment. Students must secure their machines and peripherals with lock-down devices. Students who wish to have insurance should seek personal policies or check for coverage under existing policies. Students are to take collective responsibility for being sure that all studio doors are closed and locked at all times and for excluding people who are not working in the studio. If for any reason students encounter a problem, they should refer such a problem to the Facilities Office (G29) or should contact the University Police at 511 (off-campus and cell phones, 215-573-3333).
Weitzman Computing staff does not support student owned machines. Students need to acquire repair service from the manufacturer of the computer system. The on-campus computer service provider is the Computer Fixer Service Center, which can be reached at 215-898-2082, or First Call, which can be reached at 215-573-4778.
E-Mail Accounts and Support
Each student will receive a Penn e-mail account. Every student is expected to use their University e-mail regularly since the majority of communications from the University and the Weitzman School is sent to that account. Information about everything from courses to Happy Hour is distributed via e-mail. For more info about email accounts, please visit https://www.design.upenn.edu/it/penno365-email.
Links to University Policies and Useful Security Links
In addition to Design policies, students need to be aware of the University policies surrounding Acceptable Use of University Resources and policies regarding Copyrighted material. Reports of copyright abuse are reported immediately to the student's Departmental Office and the Office of Student Conduct. There is valuable information concerning security issues. Links below:
http://www.upenn.edu/computing/policy/