Eligibility to Use Information Technology Resources

Scope

This policy applies to all users of Indiana University information technology resources regardless of affiliation, and irrespective of whether those resources are accessed from on-campus or off-campus locations.

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Policy Statement

Persons having the following affiliation(s) with Indiana University are eligible to access and use university information technology resources

1. Current academic appointees and staff, including post-doctoral fellows,
2. Currently enrolled students (including undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree students),
3. Retired academic appointees and staff,
4. Spouses/domestic partners of faculty or staff who become deceased after attaining official IU Retiree status as determined by age and years of service, and
5. Certain persons affiliated with external agencies collaborating with Indiana University.

The scope of access and use will vary in accordance with the affiliation, and may change from time to time. The university establishes procedures for verifying the eligibility of persons seeking to access and use university information technology resources. Eligibility to use university technology resources shall cease when the person no longer has an affiliation that supports eligibility. Procedures also describe the scope of access and use granted to persons with particular affiliations. The eligibility of all individuals will be tested automatically and periodically against official university sources, including employee, faculty, and student enrollment records. Other sources may be used where these records do not accurately reflect ongoing affiliation.

Unless eligible through another affiliation, alumni of Indiana University are not eligible to use university information technology resources.

The privilege of initial and continued eligibility to use university information technology resources by persons external to Indiana University requires initial and periodic verification by the appropriate department faculty member or administrator that the access is for purposes that support the mission of the university.

Initial and continued eligibility of retired faculty and staff to use university information technology resources is granted in recognition of honorable service to the university community. Access is generally limited to electronic mail and general purpose academic or research systems. Unless there are special circumstances in which retired faculty or staff require continued access to institutional information systems and data to support the university's mission, such access is removed upon termination of active employment. Service will be extended to retired account holders as long as computing resources are available to support it. If resources become constrained, this practice will be reviewed and may be restricted or eliminated in favor of allocating required resources to uses by active faculty, students, and staff.

Initial and continued eligibility of spouses/domestic partners of faculty or staff who become deceased (after attaining official IU Retiree status as determined by age and years of service) to use university technology resources is granted in recognition of honorable service to the university community. A new account will be made available to the surviving spouse/domestic partner for his or her own use. Access is generally limited to electronic mail, and the service will be extended to the surviving spouse/domestic partner as long as computing resources are available to support it. If resources become constrained, this practice will be reviewed and may be restricted or eliminated in favor of allocating required resources to uses by active faculty, students, and staff.

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Reason for Policy

Taxpayers, students, and other groups providing sources of funding that support information technology resources at Indiana University expect that use of these assets will be limited to eligible individuals who engage in support of the university's mission of research and creative activity, teaching and learning, and civic engagement.

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Procedures

Faculty and staff

1. Tenure-track and non-tenure-track academic appointees, appointed staff, and hourly employees are eligible to use technology resources until the termination of their employment or appointment with the university. Eligibility will be based on information supplied by the campus faculty records and/or Human Resources offices.
2. Units are responsible for keeping official university personnel records updated to reflect new and departed personnel, including adjunct and visiting faculty appointments.
3. Once individuals are entered into the official university records system, they are able to create and maintain their own central computing accounts by visiting https://access.iu.edu.
4. Continued eligibility is automatic and based on official university records.
5. An employee's access to his or her accounts will be disabled after official university records indicate his/her employment has ceased.
6. Employee accounts will be deleted 180 days after the accounts have been disabled.

Students

1. Undergraduate, graduate, and non-degree students are eligible to use information technology resources for the duration of their enrollment. Eligibility is based on information supplied by the campus registrar's office.
2. Distance education students are eligible to use technology resources for the duration of their enrollment. Eligibility is based on information supplied by the relevant continuing studies/distance education unit (or campus/department equivalents), and may require the student to request access and pay a service fee.
3. Once individuals are entered into the official university records system, they may create and maintain their own central computing accounts by visiting https://access.iu.edu.
4. Continued eligibility is automatic for enrolled students, and enrollment status is based on official university records.
5. A student's access to his or her accounts will be disabled after official university records indicate the student is not enrolled.
6. Students who are no longer enrolled are eligible to use technology resources for purposes that directly support the mission of the university, with a written request from a university faculty member or academic faculty advisor. The sponsor submits the request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Periodic renewal by the faculty member or advisor is required, and accounts will be removed at the termination of the activity.
7. Student accounts will be deleted 180 days after they have been disabled.

Alumni

Indiana University Alumni are eligible for email accounts offered by the Indiana University Alumni Association. Registration information can be found at the IU Alumni Association web site.

Persons affiliated with external entities collaborating with Indiana University

1. Research collaborators are eligible to use technology resources if they are appointed as an academic no-pay, which carries a formal title. Generally, the individual must be making an extended, direct academic contribution to the university and have written certification of their affiliation from a Dean or Unit Head in order to qualify for an appointment. The appointment request is initiated by the academic unit with final approval by the Dean of the Faculties Office with option for renewal, unless terminated by the academic unit. Once individuals are entered into the official university records system as academic no-pay appointments, they are able to create and maintain their own central computing accounts by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Continued eligibility is automatic and based on official university records. Accounts will be disabled when official university records indicate appointment has expired.
2. Visiting students are eligible to use technology resources for the duration of their visit with written request from a sponsoring Indiana University faculty member only if such access is necessary to fulfill the purposes of the visit. Faculty sponsors can submit a request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Periodic renewal by the faculty sponsor is required, and accounts will be removed at the termination of the activity.
3. Contract employees/consultants are eligible to use technology resources for the duration of their contract, with written certification of need from the relevant Indiana University unit contract manager only if such access is necessary to fulfill the purposes of the contract. The required technology needs and limits thereon will be specifically defined in the associated contract. Contract managers can submit a request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Periodic renewal by the contract manager is required, and accounts will be removed at the termination of the activity.
4. Persons associated with external entities that have a contract or other collaboration with Indiana University are eligible to use technology resources for the duration of their contract or collaboration, with written certification of need from a full-time Indiana University faculty or staff member in the unit that is most closely associated with the activity, and only if such access is necessary to fulfill the purposes of the contract or collaboration. The required technology access and limits thereon will be specifically defined in the associated contract. Unit sponsors can submit a request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Periodic renewal by the sponsor is required, and accounts will be removed at the termination of the activity.
5. Others involved in short-term (less than one semester) temporary projects may be eligible to use technology resources, if such access is necessary to fulfill the purposes of the project, and with written certification from a university Dean, Director, or Department Chair that such project consists of activities that directly support the mission of Indiana University. Final review and approval of eligibility for such use is reserved to the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology. Certifying administrators can submit a request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Renewals are not granted, and accounts will be removed at the termination of the activity.
6. Family members of permanent faculty, appointed staff, and hourly employees with no other affiliation to the university may be eligible to use technology resources with written certification from a university Dean, Director, or Department Chair that such person is involved in activities that directly support the mission of Indiana University. For academic activities, the Dean, Director, or Department Chair submits a request for an academic no-pay appointment through the unit human resources liaison. Once individuals are entered into the official university records system as academic no-pay appointments, they are able to create and maintain their own central computing accounts by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Continued eligibility is automatic and based on official university records. For non-academic activities, the Dean, Director, or Department Chair certifies that such person is involved in activities that directly support the mission of Indiana University. Final review and approval of eligibility for such use is reserved to the Office of the Vice President for Information Technology. The certifying administrator submits the request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Periodic renewal by the sponsoring Dean, Director, or Department Chair is required, and accounts will be removed at the termination of the activity.
7. Account sponsor responsibilities: Sponsors should weigh the risks of an affiliated user causing harm through inappropriate use of IU information technology resources against the benefits of the user having access. Sponsors are responsible for taking steps to reduce the likelihood of inappropriate use (including appropriate user training).  Additionally, prior to requesting the account, the sponsor and the person being sponsored should have a written agreement defining the terms of the affiliation relationship. Any written agreement must comply with university policy FIN-TRE-VI-100, Signature Authority and Delegation. Sponsors should consult with their department or unit on how best to document the user's affiliation with and responsibilities to both IU and the sponsor's department or unit.

Honorable service

1. Retired faculty and staff are eligible to use technology resources as long as there are resources available to support their continued use. Access shall be based on information supplied by the campus faculty records or human resource offices. Renewal is automatic and is based on official university records and continued active account use. If a resource supporting active users becomes constrained and the number of accounts belonging to retired members must be reduced, technology managers will use account longevity as the criterion for removing accounts as necessary to recover appropriate resources. These accounts will be the second candidates for removal in the case of constrained resources, after accounts of spouses/domestic partners of deceased faculty/staff have been removed.
2. Spouses/domestic partners of faculty/staff who become deceased after attaining official IU Retiree status as determined by age and years of service are eligible to use technology resources with a written request from the university Dean, Director, or Department Chair of the faculty/staff member, as long as there are resources available to support their continued use. A new account will be made available to the surviving spouse/domestic partner for his or her own use. The sponsor submits the request to add an affiliate account by visiting https://access.iu.edu. Periodic renewal by the sponsor is required. If a resource supporting active users becomes constrained and the number of accounts belonging to spouses/domestic partners of deceased faculty/staff must be reduced, technology managers will use account longevity as the criterion for removing accounts as necessary to recover appropriate resources. These accounts will be the first candidates for removal in the case of constrained resources.

Limited access

The university may also provide limited access accounts/services for specialized purposes, such as for potential students, admitted students who are not yet enrolled, conference attendees, or visitors requiring only access to the Internet from their personal computers. A service fee may be assessed for this access.

Suspension or termination of access

Service managers, system administrators, and security and network engineers may temporarily suspend or block access to an account when it reasonably appears necessary to do so in order to protect the integrity, security, and functionality of university or other computing resources, or to protect the university from liability.

Access to university technology resources may be removed immediately given a written request from the appropriate university authorities, the supervisor or executive administrator of an employee, or the sponsor of the account. Reasons for removal may include, but are not limited to, the following: the individual is terminated for cause and there is concern for safety of systems or data; there is reasonable belief that the individual to whom the account is assigned has perpetrated or is involved in illegal activities or activities that violate university policy. Before removing access for staff or faculty who are also students, the department should consult with the appropriate campus Dean of Students or equivalent.

The technician responsible for a particular service may disable access unilaterally if processes in an assigned account are causing or reasonably appear likely to cause damage to systems or data or serious service degradation for other users. Except when prohibited by law, inappropriate, or impractical, the technician will notify the involved individual prior to disabling the computer account. Where prior notification is not permitted, appropriate, or practical, the technician will make all efforts to notify the involved individual afterward in a timely manner. Unless other policies are invoked, access will be restored as soon as possible after the removal of the threat.

Username longevity

As of 2003, usernames are not re-used. Prior to that time, usernames may have been re-used after the accounts remained inactive for two years.

Access to other information technology resources

Procedures that describe the scope of access and use granted to persons with particular affiliations, and for verifying the eligibility of such persons, are available from the provider of the service to be accessed.

Consultation

The University Information Policy Office (UIPO) and/or regional Chief Information Officers (CIOs) are available to provide consultation or advice related to technology use or abuse to any university, campus, or department administrators or staff.

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Definitions

Information technology resources

includes all university-owned computers, peripherals, and related equipment and software; voice communications infrastructure, peripherals, and related equipment and software; data communications infrastructure, peripherals, and related equipment and software; all other associated tools, instruments, and facilities; and the services that make use of any of these technology resources. The components may be individually controlled (i.e., assigned to an employee) or shared single-user or multi-user; they may be stand-alone or networked; and they may be stationary or mobile.

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Sanctions

Indiana University will handle reports of misuse and abuse of information and information technology resources in accordance with existing policies and procedures issued by appropriate authorities. Depending on the individual and circumstances involved this could include the offices of Human Resources, Vice Provost or Vice Chancellor of Faculties (or campus equivalent), Dean of Students (or campus equivalent), Office of the General Counsel, and/or appropriate law enforcement agencies. See policy IT-02, Misuse and Abuse of Information Technology Resources for more detail.

Failure to comply with Indiana University information technology policies may result in sanctions relating to the individual's use of information technology resources (such as suspension or termination of access, or removal of online material); the individual's employment (up to and including immediate termination of employment in accordance with applicable university policy); the individual's studies within the university (such as student discipline in accordance with applicable university policy); civil or criminal liability; or any combination of these.

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History

• Revised April 22, 2016: updated all references to itaccounts.iu.edu to new tools at access.iu.edu.
• Revised July 13, 2015: added account sponsor responsibilities (revised language from KB).
• Revised September 9, 2014: updated limited access section.
• Reviewed December 2011.
• Revised August 17, 2011: changed titles in Sanctions section to more accurately reflect current usage.
• Revised December 20, 2010: changed language for retired spouses/domestic partners per UHRS request and after stakeholder review.
  
• Revised March 4, 2010: enhancing language in Sanctions section
• Updated procedures section for "Persons affiliated with external entities collaborating with Indiana University" to match academic no-pay process — September 23, 2008
• (1) Updated Alumni email eligibility to reflect new Alumni Association service — March 2, 2007
• Revised March 12, 2006
• Approved May 23, 2006
• Posted as an interim policy November 15, 2000

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