5300P Computer Labs (Procedures)

Original Date: 7/10/2003 * Last Revision Effective: 5/7/2015
Policy Contact: Vice President, Information Technology Services

Purpose

The following procedures are established to meet the requirements for implementing policy #5300 – Computer Labs.

Procedures

These procedures apply to all Bellevue College employees, students and non-employees who may be authorized to use the Bellevue College computing labs. Compliance with these procedures will assure the integrity and reliability of these resources. These procedures describe the steps to be completed, and identify who is responsible for completing them.

Account Management

  • Creation of accounts for the student network and for the computer labs at Bellevue College are handled differently than are those accounts for the administrative network. However, the creation and use of these accounts are consistent with the practices and policies in place on the administrative network.

Student Permission for Use

  • Network
    • Only students enrolled for the current quarter will be authorized to use any Bellevue College student network resource, including computers. Student accounts will not have sufficient privileges to access the administrative networking domain or administrative computers. Security measures on the student network will ensure this separation is maintained. Therefore, a formal written request and approval process for creating student accounts is not required.
    • The specific procedure for creation of student user login/e-mail accounts for use on the student network will be at the discretion of network system administrators, with the approval of the director of computing services.
    • Accounts may be requested by students and, when possible, processed, strictly by electronic means.
    • Computing services and the student network system administrator will take all due care to ensure that only authorized, registered students are allowed to create user accounts for the student network.
    • Student users must be notified of, and are expected to abide by, all expectations, responsibilities and guidelines of this policy, any other applicable Bellevue College policies, standards, procedures, and applicable state and federal laws and rules.
    • A student account may not be created on the student network until a network system administrator has verified the student has read and agreed with this policy.
      • This notification and confirmation may be in electronic format and may be done with the use of a web-based form requiring electronic acknowledgment by the student when requesting an account (using the information contained in the Bellevue College network account and email request form located in the MyBC forms library).
      • Login banners that must be acknowledged before use of student network or computing resources, containing the same textual information, may also be used.
    • Student users will be notified of the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing password management, and will be expected to comply with its password security section. In addition, they will be strongly encouraged, but not required, to comply with the password selection section of the same standard.
    • Accounts and passwords of students not registered for the subsequent quarters will expire and will be disabled at the end of the last day of the quarter during Fall, Winter and Spring quarters.
    • At the end of the last day of Summer quarter, all student user accounts and passwords will expire and be disabled.
    • An electronically accessible copy of these procedures and its related policy are available at the Bellevue College website (https://bellevuecollege.edu/policies) and a printed copy is available in the main campus open computer lab in room N250.
  • Non-network
    • Some computers provided for student use are not attached to the Bellevue College network. These may either be set up with a generic login account, or may require the use of an appropriate student login account, depending on a security analysis of the purpose of the computer. If individual login accounts are required to access these resources in order to protect these resources from misuse and/or accidental damage, the same procedures as that for requesting network login accounts will be followed, despite their lack of actual network connectivity.

Employee and Non-Employee Permission for Use

  • Network
    • Before using any Bellevue College student network resource, including computer labs, Bellevue College employees and non-employees must have signed the Bellevue College network account and e-mail request form, available through MyBC, and will have a valid Bellevue College login and password.
  • Non-network
    • Some Bellevue College-owned computers in labs or classrooms are not attached to the Bellevue College network. However, to protect these resources from misuse and/or accidental damage, these resources will be configured by ITS technical support personnel, or an authorized designee, to require the use of login accounts. The same procedures for requesting network login accounts will be followed for this type of resource despite their lack of actual network connectivity.

Additional Accounts

  • Students
    • Temporary login accounts may be created by a network system administrator for use during the first week of any quarter in a specific classroom to allow student users a few days to acquire their personal accounts. These accounts will be limited to the specific room, but may be used concurrently on as many computers as are in the room. Blank passwords will not be allowed for these accounts.
  • Instructors
    • A single, generic local instructor login account and password may be created to provide faculty access to the computers in podiums in the electronic classrooms and labs across campus. This account will have local standard user access privileges only.

Software Installation and Access

  • System administration, installation, upgrading and removal of software (including plug-ins and system patches), and repair of all Bellevue College lab computers will be done by authorized Bellevue College ITS technical support personnel, or authorized designees. Users authorized to use the Bellevue College computing labs will not install any software applications, upgrades, patches or add-on software to any lab computer. Violation of this prohibition will result in loss of computer lab privileges.
  • Software installed in computer labs and electronic classrooms at Bellevue College will be compliant with all policies and procedures regarding software installations detailed in the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing software management, and with the Bellevue College Software Licensing Compliance policy.
  • In addition:
    • Bellevue College will not allow illegal copying of software. Any software use in Bellevue College computing labs which does not adhere to the Bellevue College Software Licensing Compliance policy is strictly prohibited and is grounds for disciplinary action and/or criminal prosecution.
    • Computers in computing labs have been configured in accordance with the academic needs of the students using the specific facility. Tampering with the files on any fixed or network drive, or any malicious mischief with any hardware or software, is grounds for disciplinary action.
    • Any programs, files or documents downloaded from the internet may not be stored or run on computer lab machines.
    • Personally-owned program disks are not allowed in any lab. Lab assistants may ask any user to present any disks for verification that they are indeed data disks.
  • Some software which operates from CD-ROM without requiring installation may not be pre-installed on open lab computers, but may instead be available for checkout from the counter area. This software may not be used on any computers except those in the open lab. Users checking out such software are required to leave their student ID cards as collateral until they return the software. Users will not attempt to install this software on any lab system.

Installation Requests

  • Bellevue College will provide a standard package of software applications in each computer lab. Generally this will include at least a word processing program, a database program, a spreadsheet program, and software with which to access the internet, if such access is available in the lab. Some specialized labs may not include this generic software.
  • Instructors wishing to make additional software applications available to their students for educational purposes, either in the open lab, in electronic classrooms, or in computer classrooms, may request such installation.
    • Such requests may only be made by Bellevue College faculty or staff.
    • Generally, software installations for labs must be requested to CS at least one quarter in advance of the required use, in order to provide Bellevue College technical support personnel the opportunity to test the software for functionality and for compatibility with the installed software base on the computers for which it is intended.
    • Sufficient notice prior to expected use is required for software installations in electronic classrooms.
  • Instructors may request that a specific number of copies of any application be made available for student use in the open lab. The open lab will maintain a minimum number of installations of copies of all software applications installed in any other classroom or lab on campus, provided a sufficient number of licenses are available.
    • Shareware software will not be installed in Bellevue College Labs and/or a classroom unless the appropriate number of licenses is purchased in compliance with the manufacturer’s licensing agreement and the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing software management.
    • Demonstration and/or trial software may be installed in a lab or classroom podium for the purpose of demonstration only, if such installation is compliant with the software licensing agreement. Demonstration software may not be installed on the student computers in a lab; such use would constitute a hands-on, production use of the software.
    • Students are not permitted to install software on any Bellevue College-owned computer on campus unless such installations are a pre-authorized part of curriculum.
  • Divisions are responsible for funding the initial purchase of any software installed in any Bellevue College computing lab. Computing services will provide funding for any subsequent upgrades from revenues from student technology fees.

Lab Scheduling

  • To schedule a lab for use as a full-time classroom during the quarter, instructors should contact their division administrative manager. Division administrative managers may consult with computing services to resolve instructor technical needs.
  • To schedule a lab for use during the quarter on a part-time or one-time basis, instructors or their representatives should contact computing services, by calling the help desk, or in person. Labs available for periodic use are scheduled on a first-come, first served basis, so instructors should make such requests in as timely a manner as possible. If an instructor needs software installed for their scheduled time in these labs, a request should be made in accordance with the “installation requests” section of this procedure.

Lab Rentals

  • Bellevue College allows outside entities to take advantage of the excellent resources available in its computer labs by renting available facilities when those resources are not in use by the college. The policies, standards and procedures related to the rental of Bellevue College computing facilities are described in the Bellevue College Use of Bellevue College Computer Facilities by Outside Groups policy and procedure documents.

Connection of Personal Computer/Telecommunications Equipment

  • Bellevue College users may connect personal workstations to the Bellevue College network for short-term use in Bellevue College computer labs. The processes, procedures and requirements enumerated in the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing connecting non-Bellevue College equipment to the Bellevue College networks must be fulfilled before this type of connection may be made.
  • In addition, wireless connectivity is available in some Bellevue College computer labs. The processes, procedures and requirements for making such connections to the Bellevue College network are spelled out in the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing wireless network configuration and management. Bellevue College technical support personnel will provide information only and will not support or configure non-Bellevue College equipment.

Reporting Problems in Labs

  • Technical problems in a computer lab staffed by a Bellevue College employee, such as the open lab or specialized labs, should be reported to attending staff, who will ensure the problem report is passed on to the appropriate Bellevue College technical support personnel. In unstaffed electronic classrooms or computer classrooms being used by a class, any technical problems with computers should be reported to the instructor responsible for the lab. Instructors should report technical problems to computing services at https://bellevuecollege.edu/requestcenter. Students do not have this access.

Power Outages/Backups/Saving

  • Computers cannot work without electrical power. Though every precaution has been taken to reinforce the Bellevue College power grid supporting the computer labs, occasionally the campus suffers power outages without warning. If a computer loses power, any data that is not saved will be lost. Therefore, it behooves each user using the resources available in the Bellevue College computer labs to save their work frequently. It cannot be assumed that the computer or the software being used is automatically saving data. It is better to save every ten (10) minutes and risk losing ten (10) minutes work at most, than it is to save every two (2) hours.
  • In addition, magnetic digital storage media, such as floppy disks, zip disks and even hard drives, sometimes inexplicably lose data. This can be a catastrophic experience if a user has not sufficiently made backup copies of their data. In addition to frequently saving their work, computing services encourages computer lab users to make backup copies of any important personal data.

Physical Security

  • The entrances to campus labs, offices and classrooms will be accessible to authorized staff via key twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.
  • All computer classrooms and labs will be locked when not in use.
  • The primary means of access control to computer labs and classrooms is through the use of traditional metal keys that are individually assigned to authorized Bellevue College employees. Campus operations should be contacted if a user needs to be permanently assigned a key to a room; issuance of such keys will follow the Bellevue College Keys procedures. If a user needs to check a key out for short-term use, the key may be acquired through campus operations or their designee.
  • Coded key-pads may also be used to limit access to certain computer classrooms and labs. Key code records will be maintained by campus operations.
  • All use of Bellevue College computer labs must be supervised by authorized lab staff, teaching assistants and/or faculty. Instructors scheduling the use of a lab must be present at all times while their classes are using the facilities.
    • Exception: As described in the section entitled “labs and classrooms” above, certain specialized labs are designated for the use of students enrolled in specific courses and curriculum. Some of these labs house computers with very specialized software installed. When these classrooms are in the same building as the open lab, unsupervised access to these labs is available under the following circumstances:
      • A list of classrooms available use, the programs supported, and currently authorized students is available each quarter at the desk in the open lab (N250).
      • Students must be currently enrolled in the program the particular classroom/lab supports. For instance, the media students can use the media labs and students in an IT related program can use the IT labs.
      • The classroom/lab may only be used when it is not in use by a scheduled class and only during open lab business hours.
      • An authorized student desiring to use an N-building classroom/lab must sign-in at the desk in the open lab and leave their current Bellevue College student identification card. The labs cannot be used without a valid Bellevue College student ID card. An electronic method of sign-in may be used.
      • Open lab personnel will unlock the room and let the student in the classroom/lab, locking the door afterward. It is strictly against this policy for any student to allow any other student into the classroom/lab; all access will be processed through the open lab.
      • When finished using the classroom, the student will return to the open lab to sign out and retrieve any student ID.

Logging and Monitoring

  • All individuals using the computer systems and network in the Bellevue College computer labs, classrooms and electronic classrooms are subject to having their activities monitored and recorded. In the course of monitoring individuals who are improperly using this system, or in the course of system maintenance, the activities of authorized users may also be monitored. Use of the systems will be considered express consent by the individual to such monitoring. If such monitoring reveals possible evidence of inappropriate activity, system personnel may provide the evidence to Bellevue College management and law enforcement officials.
  • Bellevue College information technology services (ITS) personnel authorized by the IT security administrator or his/her designee will actively scan the Bellevue College network and all Bellevue College-owned computers to ensure compliance with this policy.

Investigations

  • Bellevue College reserves the right to act when an individual misuses any Bellevue College technology resource. Any complaint, either from inside or outside Bellevue College, arising from a user’s activities in a Bellevue College computer lab may be cause for immediate suspension of computing privileges pending an investigation.
  • Any Bellevue College network administrator, or any other individual authorized by the vice president of information technology services, is allowed to inspect, copy, remove, or otherwise alter any data, file, or system resource which may undermine the authorized use of any Bellevue College computer lab, the student network, or the administrative network, and may exercise any other rights necessary to protect Bellevue College computing facilities.
  • Bellevue College accepts no liability for interference with, or loss of, any files, programs or data belonging to any user resulting from efforts to maintain the privacy and security of its computing facilities.
  • If the purpose is related to an investigation of a suspected illegal act or violation of Bellevue College policy, the system administrator, or his/her designee, may gather the specific materials with or without notification to the user.
    • Materials so accessed may either be copied or removed from Bellevue College systems.
    • Copies of all materials related to the investigation will be retained by the system administrator.
    • Any individual’s network use privileges on the student network may be suspended or reduced immediately upon the discovery of a possible violation of this policy. Every attempt will be made to notify the individual immediately of this suspension, unless to do so would jeopardize any on-going investigation. These privileges may be temporarily restored at the discretion of the director of computing services pending resolution of the situation.
    • Such suspected violations will be confidentially reported to the appropriate administrators.
    • Appropriate disciplinary action will take place under the direction of the associate dean of student success in situations where a violation is confirmed.
    • If the student is cleared of any wrong-doing at the conclusion of the investigation, his/her privileges will be restored and he/she will be given the opportunity to change their password, if desired.

Sanctions

Violation of any of the provisions of this, or any Bellevue College IT policy, standard or procedure will be dealt with immediately and may result in disciplinary review. In such a review, the full range of disciplinary sanctions is available, including:

  • Permanent loss of computer use privileges;
  • Denial of future access to Bellevue College IT resources;
  • Disciplinary action – any disciplinary action will be taken in accordance with appropriate procedures as established by the vice president of human resources (for employees) or the associate dean of student success (for students);
  • Dismissal from the college; and/or
  • Legal action.

Those users who misuse or abuse any computing or network resource may have their login accounts closed and access to the systems immediately terminated. Some violations may also constitute a state, local or federal criminal offense.

Relevant Laws and Other Resources

Revision History

Original 7/10/2003
Revision 5/21/2009; 9/17/2012; 10/30/2012; 5/7/2015

Approved By

President’s Cabinet

Last Updated January 29, 2019