Bennington College provides information technology (IT) resources to support its educational mission, including teaching, learning, research, administration, and community engagement. This policy defines acceptable use of all Bennington College–owned or Bennington-provided IT resources, including laptops, mobile devices, software, wired and wireless networks, accounts, and cloud services.

Scope

This policy applies to faculty, staff, students, contractors, affiliates, and guests who access or use College IT resources, whether on or off campus.

Guiding Principles

Use of College IT resources is a privilege and shared responsibility. Users must:

• Use resources in support of the College’s mission
• Act responsibly, ethically, and respectfully
• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and College policies
• Respect privacy, intellectual property, and the rights of others
• Protect the security and integrity of College systems and data

Acceptable Use

Reasonable personal use is permitted provided it does not:

• Interfere with academic, administrative, or operational activities
• Consume excessive resources
• Violate this or other College policies

Prohibited Use

IT resources may not be used to:

• Engage in illegal, fraudulent, or unauthorized activity
• Harass, threaten, discriminate against, or harm others
• Access or alter systems or data without authorization
• Bypass security controls or monitoring
• Introduce malware or disrupt network or system performance
• Use resources for personal commercial purposes or political campaigning

Security & Privacy

• Users are responsible for activity under their accounts and for safeguarding credentials and devices.
• College-owned devices must meet College security requirements.
• The College may monitor or access systems as necessary to maintain operations, ensure security, comply with law, or investigate violations.

Enforcement

Violations may result in loss of access to IT resources and may be addressed through College disciplinary processes or legal action.

Updates

This policy may be updated periodically. Continued use of College IT resources constitutes acceptance of the current policy.