5350P Use of Bellevue College Computer Facilities by Outside Groups (Procedures)

Original Date: 7/10/2003 * Last Revision Effective: 5/13/2015
Policy Contact: Dean, Information Technology Services

Purpose

The following procedures are established to meet the requirements for implementing policy #5350 – Use of Bellevue College Computer Facilities by Outside Groups.

Procedures

These procedures describe the steps to be completed, and identify who is responsible for completing them. Compliance with these procedures will assure the continued integrity, reliability and availability of these resources.

Scheduling

Anyone wishing to schedule the rental of any Bellevue College computing lab, computing classroom and/or electronic classroom should first contact computing services to discuss their technical and space needs. Once it has been determined that adequate space exists and that Bellevue College will be able to appropriately support the event, the renters will be referred to the events office for completion of the rental negotiations and use agreement.

Installation Requests

Computers in computing labs have been configured in accordance with the academic needs of the students using the specific facility. Bellevue College provides a standard package of software applications in each computer lab, generally including at least a word processing program, a database program, a spreadsheet program, presentation software, and software with which to access the Internet, if such access is available in the lab.

Renters wishing to use any additional software applications and/or data files in rented computer labs or electronic classrooms may request installation of that software and/or data files by computing services prior to the event. It is the renter’s responsibility to ensure that computing services has approved and installed the software needed for an event. The following procedures apply:

  • All software used in any Bellevue College technology facility must be approved by the director of computing services, or authorized designee.
  • The request must be made during business hours at least 3 weeks prior to the scheduled event. Sufficient time in advance of the required use is required 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.
  • Computing services will not install non-Bellevue College owned software unless the renter provides appropriate documentation of permission to use the software and the number of licenses allowed. Any software which is not compliant with all procedures regarding software installations detailed in the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing software management and with Bellevue College Policy #5100 – Software Licensing Compliance is strictly prohibited.
  • Shareware software will not be installed in Bellevue College labs or classrooms, unless the appropriate numbers of licenses have been obtained 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 or classroom; such use would constitute a prohibited, hands-on, production use of the software.
  • The events office will provide notification of all rentals of Bellevue College computing facilities to computing services prior to the event.
  • Computing services will make every reasonable effort to install and configure requested software. However, no guarantee is made that any specific software package will run on the computers and computing services reserves the right to refuse to install any software that threatens the integrity of the computing systems or the Bellevue College networks.

Reporting Problems in Labs

In any unstaffed electronic or computer classroom or lab being used by a renter, technical problems should be reported to computing services, either in person or at the help desk phone number provided with the rental contract. Immediate technical support for facilities being rented at Bellevue College is available only during normal business hours (Mon-Fri, 8:00am – 5:00pm), unless the lab has been staffed by a Bellevue College employee as a part of the use agreement.

In those cases, problems should be reported to attending staff, if present, who will either solve the problem or ensure the problem report is passed on to the appropriate Bellevue College technical support personnel. Additionally, the staff member in charge of the open lab in the N building (Room N250; 425-564-3960) may be notified of a problem during any extended hours that lab is open.

Account Management

Login accounts for renters using the student network and/or the computer labs and classrooms at Bellevue College are created just prior to actual use, and will be disabled immediately after the event. Account and password information will be disseminated to the renting entity contact person at the beginning of the event. Renter 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.

The specific procedure for creation of renter login accounts will be at the discretion of network system administrators, with the approval of the director of computing services, following the general expectations and processes used for student accounts as described in Bellevue College policy #5300 – Computer Labs.

Software Installation

System administration, installation, upgrading, removal of software (including plug-ins and system patches), and repair of all Bellevue College lab computers will be done only by authorized Bellevue College ITS technical support personnel, or authorized designees. Renters authorized to use the Bellevue College computing labs will not install any software applications, upgrades, patches or add-on software on any computer unless such installations are a part of approved curriculum.

Violation of this prohibition will result in loss of privileges, and is grounds for termination of the event in progress, and may result in action as described in the “Investigations” and “Sanctions” sections below.

In addition:

  • Bellevue College will not allow illegal copying of software. This is grounds for immediate termination of the event.
  • Tampering with the files on any fixed or network drive, or any malicious mischief with any hardware or software, is grounds for termination of the event and/or criminal prosecution.
  • Software which operates from CD-ROM without requiring installation may not be used by facilities renters unless its use has been pre-approved by computing services. Renters will not attempt to install this software on any lab system.

Physical Security

Protection of Bellevue College facilities and technology resources is a primary concern. Campus operations, or authorized designee, will be responsible for providing access to any rented facility. Additionally:

  • All computer classrooms and labs will be locked when not in use.
  • Renters scheduling the use of a lab must be present at all times while their classes are using the facilities, unless other arrangements have been made with computing services.

Rental Fees

The events office has the responsibility and authority for developing a facilities-use fee structure to appropriately compensate Bellevue College for the use of its facilities. All cancellations, changes to use agreements, billings, deposits and refunds will be handled in accordance with Bellevue College policy # 6100 – Facilities Use.

Connection of Non-Bellevue College Computer/Telecommunications Equipment

Bellevue College facilities may not be rented to provide an outside entity space and network access to attach their own “lab” computers to the Bellevue College network. Those renting Bellevue College facilities may not connect individual non-Bellevue College owned workstation(s) to the Bellevue College network in those labs without the specific prior approval of the director of computing services, or authorized designee.

The process of configuring the workstation(s) to work appropriately on the network will be identified at the time of the request, and must be completed under the direction of ITS technical support personnel. A request for such connectivity must be made sufficiently in advance to provide adequate time to make the appropriate configuration.

Bellevue College technical support personnel will provide information only and will not support or configure non-Bellevue College equipment. No connection in violation of the Bellevue College IT security standard addressing connecting non-Bellevue College equipment to the Bellevue College networks will be allowed.

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 renter using the resources available in the Bellevue College computer labs to save work frequently. It cannot be assumed that the computer or the software being used is automatically saving data.

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 renter has not sufficiently made backup copies of his/her data. Computing services encourages computer lab renters to make backup copies of important or sensitive personal data.

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 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 implied consent by the individual to such monitoring. If such monitoring reveals evidence of inappropriate activity, it may result in termination of the use agreement and suspension of privileges. In addition, system personnel may provide the evidence to Bellevue College management and law enforcement officials.

Because all Bellevue College computer labs are networked through the student network, the system administrator for the student network, or any other individual authorized by the Bellevue College IT security administrator, 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. This includes actively scanning the Bellevue College network and all Bellevue College-owned computers to ensure compliance with this policy.

Investigations

Bellevue College reserves the right to act immediately when a renter misuses or abuses any Bellevue College technology resource. A complaint, either from inside or outside Bellevue College, arising from a user’s activities in a Bellevue College computer lab, or an internal discovery of a possible violation of this policy, is cause for immediate suspension of computing privileges, pending an investigation.

  • If the purpose is related to an investigation of a suspected illegal act, or violation of Bellevue College policy, the system administrator, or authorized designee, may gather 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, and may be given to law enforcement, if applicable.
  • 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 Bellevue College administrator(s), who will communicate them to the use agreement contact person.
  • If the renter is cleared of any wrong-doing at the conclusion of the investigation, privileges will be restored. In situations where a violation is confirmed, access to the systems will immediately be terminated.

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.

Sanctions

The policies put into place to govern the use of Bellevue College computing labs are serious matters. Violation of any of the provisions of this policy or Bellevue College policy #5300 –Computer Labs will be dealt with immediately. Anyone renting Bellevue College facilities that misuse or abuse any computing or network facility will have access to the systems immediately terminated, in accordance with Bellevue College policy #6100 – Facilities Use. In addition, Bellevue College may deny such renters or sponsoring entities future access to Bellevue College computing facilities.

Some violations of this policy may constitute a state, local or federal criminal or civil offense. Bellevue College will assist law enforcement agencies in any investigations regarding the use of its facilities, and will vigorously pursue legal redress for misuse of these resources, if applicable.

Relevant Laws and Other Resources

Revision History

Original 7/10/2003
Revision 5/21/2009; 5/13/2015

Approved By

President’s Cabinet

Last Updated January 29, 2019