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Intellectual Honesty in the Era of Computing
Article III: Rights of Educational Institutions
Educational institutions have legal standing similar to that of
individuals. Our society depends upon educational institutions to
educate our citizens and advance the development of knowledge.
However, in order to survive, educational institutions must attract
financial and human resources. Therefore, society must grant these
institutions the rights to the electronic resources and information
necessary to accomplish their goals.
Section 1.
The access of an educational institutions to computing and information
resources shall not be denied or removed without just cause.
Section 2.
Educational institutions in the electronic community of learners have
ownership rights over intellectual works they create.
Section 3.
Each educational institution has the authority to allocate resources in
accordance with its unique institutional mission.
Article IV: Institutional Responsibilities
Just as certain rights are assured to educational institutions in the
electronic community of learners, so too each is held accountable for the
appropriate exercise of those rights to foster the values of society and to
carry out each institution's mission. This interplay of rights and
responsibilities within the community fosters the creation and
maintenance of an environment wherein trust and intellectual freedom
are the foundation for individual and institutional growth and success.
Section 1.
The institutional members of the electronic community of learners have a
responsibility to provide all members of their community with legally
acquired computer resources (hardware, software, networks, databases,
etc.) in all instances where access to or use of the resources is an
integral part of active participation in the electronic community of
learners.
Section 2.
Institutions have a responsibility to develop, implement, and maintain
security procedures to insure the integrity of individual and institutional
files. Section 3. The institution shall treat electronically stored
information as confidential. The institution shall treat all personal files as
confidential, examining or disclosing the contents only when authorized
by the owner of the information, approved by the appropriate
institutional official, or required by local, state or federal law. Section 4.
Institutions in the electronic community of learners shall train and
support faculty, staff, and students to effectively use information
technology. Training includes skills to use the resources, to be aware of
the existence of data repositories and techniques for using them, and to
understand the ethical and legal uses of the resources. August 1993
Editor's Note: The first two sections of this "Bill of Rights" covers
Individual Rights and Individual Responsibilities. Due to space
limitations, we were not able to include those sections. Contact Dr.
Connolly for the full text.
