> MSU Policy and Procedures > Computing Policies Manual
SECTION CONTENTS
310.00 Campus Wide Information System - MSUinfo
310.10 Background
310.20 Access
310.30 Content
310.40 Maintenance
320.00 Computing Resource Allocation and Management
320.10 Objectives
320.20 Resource Categories
320.30 Consumables
320.31 Computer Usage
320.32 Computer Access
320.33 Network Services
320.34 Software
320.35 System Support
320.36 Consulting Services
320.37 User Training
320.40 Appendices
330.00 Student Computer Laboratories
330.10 Background
330.20 Scheduling
330.30 Fees
340.00 Administrative Information System
340.10 Objective
340.20 Definitions
340.30 System Management
340.40 System Security
340.50 System Access
340.60 Release of Information
340.70 System Enhancement
340.80 Appendices
350.00 MSU-Bozeman Web Site
350.10 Definitions
350.20 Purpose
350.30 Content
350.40 Management
Revised January 1996
Montana Session Laws 1991, Chapter 222 [HB 160], established a solid waste
reduction goal of 25% by 1996. Section 5(c) of that chapter directs the
university system to "apply computer technology to reduce the generation of
waste paper through the use of electronic bulletin boards." This policy
presents guidelines for implementing and maintaining an electronic bulletin
board, or campus wide information system, for the MSU system.
All information posted on MSUinfo is considered to be public information.
MSUinfo may be accessed by anyone on the Internet.
-
An MSUinfo Coordinator appointed by the President's Executive Council
(PEC) will determine specific MSUinfo contents and menu. The coordinator
will evaluate requests to add menu items to MSUinfo. Each request must
identify a person responsible for installing and updating the information.
Denials may be appealed to the University Computing Policy Committee
(UCPC).
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The President's Executive Council will provide an allocation of disk
space for information of university-wide interest. University offices
wanting to post information of interest to limited audiences may do so by
allocating their own disk space for this purpose. The MSUinfo coordinator
will decide whether information will be stored on centrally allocated disk
or must be placed on disk space already allocated to the requesting office.
Decisions may be appealed to the UCPC.
-
ITC is responsible for maintaining the MSUinfo software and the menu
structure, with input from the MSUinfo coordinator. ITC will provide
training and technical assistance for university offices wanting to post
information on MSUinfo.
-
Each menu item must be kept current by the person identified as
responsible. MSUinfo information must include the name, position and title
of the responsible person and the date of the most recent
revision.
Revised March 1992
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To provide and control general access to computing and information
processing resources at Montana State University. All computing resources at
MSU are regarded as finite and must be shared equitably among the university
functions of instruction, research, outreach, and administration in order to
provide efficient and effective support for the comprehensive mission of the
University.
-
To allocate these resources in a manner that addresses their costs and
limits their access realistically, so that their value may be preserved.
Costs for hardware maintenance, replacement, and upgrades must be reflected
appropriately in charges for computing resources. Budgetary restrictions
offer an efficient means for allocating resources and are the basis of MSU's
model of computer resource usage.
-
Consumables. Printed output, disk storage, and high resolution graphics
input/output.
-
Computer Usage. Central processor unit (CPU) time, memory, disk
input/output, connect time, and magnetic tape mounts.
-
Resource Access. Physical and virtual access to all network services,
software, and peripheral devices.
-
Network Services. Implementation and maintenance of the campus computing
network.
-
Software. Software used on the network, generally available to the campus
community at large, and managed by ITC.
-
System Support. Assistance provided by ITC to coordinate system access
and operation and to maintain system and network software and hardware.
-
Consulting Services. Assistance provided by ITC to address user questions
concerning supported software and hardware.
-
User Training. Training activities for MSU operating systems and basic
applications.
-
ITC, with the approval of the President's Executive Council and input
solicited from each division manager (see Appendix I), will determine annual
base allocations by division from usage data of the last fiscal year. Usage
data shall be a starting point for discussion and shall be reviewed
annually. Allocation of consumable resources will begin early in May and be
completed by mid June in time for input into ITC, college, and departmental
budgets for the new fiscal year.
-
Funding the base allocation for all accounts will be the responsibility
of ITC. Each SL account manager will be responsible for delegating and
managing the base allocation.
-
ITC will provide "automated" line-item monitoring of consumables by
account with automatic threshold reports to users upon completion of
online/batch sessions, and summary threshold reports covering all accounts
supervised to the SL account manager. A summary of SL account status will be
given to each division manager.
-
When 75 percent and 90 percent of the base allocation has been expended,
ITC will issue appropriately severe warnings online, on computer output, and
via the billing process.
-
When 100 percent of the base allocation has been expended, ITC will
inform the SL account manager and the division manager that the account is
responsible for payment for any further usage.
-
SL account managers who anticipate that they will exceed their
allocations can appeal their allocations to their division manager. Division
managers can appeal their allocations to the President's Executive
Council. 320.31 Computer Usage
-
ITC will be responsible for establishing computer accounts with an
initial allocation of computer usage resources based on historical and/or
projected user needs. Available account types are listed in Appendix II.
-
ITC will develop management structures for accounts, manage and monitor
computer usage, and report usage statistics in appropriate units with dollar
estimates. ITC will set the cost of these resources in a way that recognizes
their current availability and encourages the use of ITC systems.
-
ITC has the option to allocate computer usage resources in excess of the
base allocation on request. Should the director decide that an allocation
might adversely affect the campus community, the request will be referred to
the appropriate vice president and associated computing committee for
further review.
-
ITC will establish incentives for conserving computer resource use during
peak periods as needed. Should computer usage resources become scarce and
require more rigid control, ITC will request an allocation policy from UCPC,
subject to approval by the President's Executive Council. 320.32 Computer Access
-
Access to each system will be controlled by the accountable
administrator, determined by the resources' funding source (see Appendix
III).
-
In cases of multiple funding sources, resource access will be negotiated
between accountable administrators, with disputes adjudicated by the
President's Executive Council.
-
Users seeking access to a system resource must make a request to the
accountable administrator.
-
ITC can accept authority for controlling access to a resource by mutual
agreement with the accountable administrator. ITC can also delegate
authority for controlling resource access by appointing an
administrator.
-
Accountable administrators may charge for resource access to recover the
cost of materials, time, and/or expertise. Charges should not exceed those
levied at comparable universities and are subject to review by the
President's Executive Council.
-
ITC will maintain an inventory of system resources, including location,
intended use, and accountable administrator. The accountable administrator
is responsible for reporting to ITC any change in resource capability,
configuration, or account management. 320.33
Network Services
-
A Network Advisory Subcommittee, comprised of representatives from ITC,
instruction, research, administration, and a member of UCPC, will be
appointed by UCPC to advise them on network planning and policy issues and
to provide guidance for ITC.
-
The subcommittee will define the MSU network domains and update the
definition as appropriate. They will produce and review annually a plan for
network domain operations, maintenance, expansion, and upgrades.
-
The subcommittee will develop quantitative measurements of network usage.
UCPC and ITC will develop equitable procedures for funding network services
based on historical and/or projected usage, subject to approval by the
President's Executive Council.
-
ITC is responsible for administration and maintenance of the network
backbone and network domains (Section 320.35).
In order to facilitate the goal of ensuring compatibility of network
domains, ITC must approve all implementations or modifications of network
domains that serve a broad constituency, such as those established by the
Geographic Information & Analysis Center and the MSU Libraries.
-
Each network domain will have a coordinator/manager to serve as liaison
for ITC and the Network Advisory Subcommittee. 320.34 Software
-
Software used on the network and managed by ITC will be evaluated
regularly by a Software Advisory Subcommittee appointed by UCPC. Membership
will include representatives from ITC, instruction, research,
administration, and a member of UCPC. The subcommittee will report to UCPC
and provide guidance for ITC.
-
Advisory subcommittee evaluations of each software package will consider
the software's impact on the system, the number of current or potential
users, and the costs of acquiring, maintaining, and updating the package.
The subcommittee will produce for UCPC a prioritized listing of
recommendations for software acquisition, discontinuance, license renewal,
maintenance and ongoing support. The list will include funding sources and
level of access or use.
-
ITC will monitor use of software. Software will be assigned to the unit
of the system appropriate to the level of demand and the characteristics of
the software. Low demand software that can be efficiently run on a
distributed unit generally should be available only on that unit.
-
ITC will offer education and consulting services to support use of
software packages based on priorities set by the advisory subcommittee.
-
Software not selected as essential for campus use but purchased,
operated, and maintained by individual users will not be the responsibility
of ITC. 320.35 System Support
-
ITC is responsible for coordinating the interaction of network domains,
including the distribution and management of network addresses.
-
ITC will maintain the network and hardware for those systems purchased by
state appropriations designated for computing, and any other systems
recommended by ITC and UCPC. Similar services can be provided for other
systems on a cost recovery basis.
-
Normal operations tasks, including backup/restore, tape and form mounts,
error logging, and system accounting will be provided by ITC for those
systems purchased by state appropriations designated for computing, and any
other systems recommended by ITC and UCPC. These services can be provided
for other systems on a cost recovery basis. 320.36 Consulting Services
-
ITC is responsible for resolving questions and issues that concern
supported software and hardware. A list of supported programs and equipment,
and the level of support offered, may be obtained from ITC.
-
Questions or problems requiring more than 30 minutes of staff time or an
on-site visit normally will be charged. Other questions will be answered at
no charge.
-
ITC will base decisions to undertake special projects and all associated
charges on the magnitude of each proposed project, the staff available, and
the benefit of the project to campus users.
-
ITC will assist individual users and MSU departments in selecting
software and hardware best suited to their needs, including the ability to
communicate with the campus network. Users and departments selecting
unsupported software or hardware are responsible for arranging their own
service and support. 320.37 User Training
-
ITC will provide training, generally at no charge, in the use of basic
utilities associated with VMS, Unix, Mac, and DOS operating systems (e.g.,
logging on, editors, file structures, mail, and reading news). Training for
other software used in the instructional program is the responsibility of
the academic departments.
-
Training in the use of application software packages commonly used in
campus offices will be available from ITC for a fee. Alternatively,
departments may pursue other avenues for training.
-
Additional training requested by users will be developed and offered by
ITC as resources permit.
Appendix I
Division managers are responsible for distributing base allocations of
consumable computer resources to SL account managers within their divisions.
Division managers include:
- President
- Provost/Vice President for Academic Affairs
- Vice President for Research
- Vice President for Administration
- Vice Provost/Dean of Student Affairs
- Dean of Agriculture
- Dean of Arts and Architecture
- Dean of Business
- Dean of Education, Health and Human Development
- Dean of Engineering
- Dean of Letters and Science
- Dean of Nursing
Appendix II
Types of accounts administered by ITC include:
- I - Instructional accounts
- G - Global student accounts available to all registered students
- A - Administrative accounts unrelated to the IA system
- Z - Administrative accounts for IA access
- R - Sponsored research accounts
- U - Unfunded research accounts
- S - Student/faculty organization accounts
- N - Non MSU accounts
- P - Personal accounts
- O - ITC overhead accounts
Appendix III
Sources of funding for system resources and the accountable administrator
associated with each source are as follows:
- State computing appropriations: Director, ITC
- Student fees: Designee
- Departmental funds: Department head
- Grants and Contracts: Principal investigator
- Donations, IDCs: Recipient
- Designated accounts, MSU Foundation: Account manager
- Loaned/visiting devices: Sponsor/department head
Revised
May 1993
Most of the equipment located in student computer laboratories has been
purchased with student computer fees (Section 210.00)
for instructional use. Requests by instructors for classroom scheduling and
requests by nonstudents for instructional use have increased as the facilities
have been expanded and improved. This policy emphasizes instructional use and
prioritizes student access of the facilities while providing mechanisms for
use by nonstudents.
-
Responsibility for scheduling student computer laboratories lies with ITC
in consultation with the Registrar's office.
-
Student computer laboratories may be regularly scheduled for
instructional uses only for those components of MSU classes specified in the
catalog as using Laboratory or Recitation/Discussion modes of
instruction.
-
Classes will not be scheduled in Reid 306 so that the largest computer
laboratory will be available to students at all times.
-
Student computer laboratories may be scheduled for special events (e.g.,
class demonstrations, examinations) only after all regular room scheduling
has been completed.
-
Regularly scheduled MSU classes and ITC short courses will use the
student computer laboratories without charge.
-
ITC will recommend to the President's Executive Council a scheduling fee
for all other users. All scheduling revenues will go to the Computer Fee
Advisory Committee (Section 130.00)
to be allocated with student computer fees.
-
Use of these facilities for instructional purposes by non-university
users shall follow the procedures in the MSU Administrative Handbook,
"Use of Facilities," Section VIII.
Revised January 1993
To establish an operational framework which facilitates optimal use of the
Administrative Information System for the benefit of students, faculty, and
staff.
-
Administrative Information System (AIS): Data and software dedicated to
the management of personnel, student, and financial records of Montana State
University.
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Financial Records System (FRS): The financial module of the AIS.
-
Human Resources System (HRS): The personnel and payroll module of the
AIS.
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Student Information System (SIS): The student records module of the
AIS.
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Data Base Information Coordinator (DBIC): Individual responsible for
overall management of the AIS.
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Data Base Manager (DBM): Individual responsible for overall management of
one of the AIS modules.
-
Administrative Systems: A department of systems analysts who provide
programming support for the AIS.
-
Functional Office: An administrative department whose responsibilities
and functions are directly associated with one or more of the AIS modules
(see Appendix for a list of functional offices).
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Data Base Information Coordinator (DBIC)
-
The DBIC will be appointed from current MSU employees by the President's Executive Council to manage the AIS, subject to approval of
the employee's supervisor.
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Responsibilities of the DBIC include:
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Facilitating cooperation among DBMs, functional offices, ITC, and
departmental users of the AIS.
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Coordinating the development of policy proposals and the operational
and security procedures necessary for management of the AIS.
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Serving as an ex-officio member of any committee or task force
appointed to study the feasibility of acquiring new system modules or
related software.
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Data Base Managers (DBMs)
-
Each of the system modules will be administered by a DBM, appointed by
the appropriate Vice President and approved by the President's Executive
Council. Unless otherwise designated, the FRS DBM will be the MSU
Controller, the HRS DBM will be the MSU Director of Personnel Services,
and the SIS DBM will be the MSU Registrar.
-
Responsibilities of each DBM include:
-
Facilitating cooperation among the functional offices associated with
the appropriate system module and serving as their liaison with the
DBIC, ITC staff, and departmental users.
-
Coordinating requests for system access and prioritizing requests for
programming support for the appropriate module.
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Coordinating daily scheduling operations for the appropriate
module.
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Addressing issues relating to system security, system access, and
release of data from the appropriate module.
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Administrative Information System Projects Committee
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A committee will coordinate projects and enhancements for the AIS and
advise the President's Executive Council, as necessary, with respect to
management, policy, and procedural matters of the AIS. The committee will
meet monthly.
-
The committee will chaired by the DBIC. Voting members will include the
three DBMs, an assistant or associate dean, and a department head. The
academic positions will be appointed by the Vice Provost for Academic
Affairs.
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Module Teams
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Each AIS module will have a module team comprised of representatives
from the module's functional offices (see Appendix I).
-
Each team will meet at least bimonthly to review requests for software
modifications or enhancements, identify those to be addressed in house,
and forward the remainder to the Administrative Information System
Projects Coordinating Committee (see Section 140.00).
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The team will advise the DBM as necessary concerning requests for AIS
access, data, and reports.
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The team will provide training in module access and software
modifications as necessary for departmental users.
-
Detailed procedures for the security of data accessed by the AIS will be
developed by the DBIC and DBMs in consultation with module teams and
administrative system analysts. Copies of current procedures are available
from the DBIC.
-
The DBIC and the DBMs will develop educational programs to acquaint the
campus community with security policies and procedures, and will develop
auditing procedures to adequately monitor campus compliance.
-
Campus departments and colleges are responsible for maintaining the
privacy and integrity of data accessed by their employees and for training
employees in the proper use of databases. Departmental and college
administrators are responsible for notifying ITC in a timely fashion upon
the termination of one of their employees.
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In the event of a breach in security, the DBIC, the DBMs, and the ITC
security officer will review the departmental operations which allowed the
breach to occur and prescribe corrective measures as
appropriate.
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The DBIC and the DBMs, in consultation with the three Advisory
Committees, will develop standard levels of system access to be provided to
specific categories of users. Copies of current procedures are available
from DBIC.
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Departments and colleges are responsible for requesting system access or
changes in access by submitting an access application form to the
appropriate DBM.
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Release of information must be in compliance with the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, related Montana statutes, and guidelines in
the MSU Undergraduate Bulletin.
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Information accessed using the AIS will be for internal use only and will
be considered unofficial. Unauthorized disclosure will be treated as a
breach of system security, and offenders are subject to penalties consistent
with university security policies.
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Proposals for system enhancements may be submitted to any of the
following committees:
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Module teams, which may accept them or forward them to the AIS Projects
Committee with recommendations.
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The Projects Coordinating Committee, which makes decisions on which
projects shall be implemented. Appeals to Project Coordinating Committee
decisions may be made to the President's Executive Council.
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The DBIC will coordinate input from the above committees to prioritize
requests for enhancement of the AIS and modification of system software.
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The DBIC will work with the ITC director to develop proposals for major
system development, which must be reviewed and approved by the President's
Executive Council. The DBIC and ITC director will coordinate and monitor
program implementation.
The individuals and functional offices below constitute the primary
contributors to and users of each of the system modules. Each functional
office will have at least one representative on a team for relevant
modules.
- FRS Module Team
- FRS Data Base Manager
- Treasurer
- Purchasing Office
- Budget Office
- Grants and Contracts
- Business Office
- Accounting
- Agricultural Experiment Station
- Administrative Systems
- ITC Representative
- Internal Audit
- HRS Module Team
- HRS Data Base Manager
- Payroll
- Budget Office
- Accounting
- Personnel
- Administrative Systems
- ITC Representative
- Internal Audit
- SIS Module Team
- SIS Data Base Manager
- Financial Aid
- Registrar
- Admissions
- Business Office
- Graduate Studies
- Administrative Systems
- Residence Life
- ITC Representative
- Internal Audit
Interim Policy
Revised March 2000
The Montana State University-Bozeman Web site encompasses all
pages whose URL is in the domain of [montana.edu].
The official MSU-Bozeman home page has the URL
[http://www.montana.edu/].
Institutional pages are those closely associated with the
MSU-Bozeman home page whose format and content are centrally controlled by
ITC.
Local pages are all other pages within the MSU-Bozeman Web
site except personal pages.
Personal pages are those created and maintained by individual
students, faculty, and staff of MSU-Bozeman without direct institutional
oversight.
Commercial activity encompasses all exchange or buying and
selling of goods and services, including advertising and receipt of
contributions, that do not involve governmental funds.
MSU-Bozeman maintains a Web site to provide information about the
University to the campus community and the public at large. Colleges,
departments, and divisions are encouraged to develop and maintain local Web
pages accessible through the MSU-Bozeman home page. Information presented is
considered to be public information except where licensing agreements,
confidentiality concerns, or instructional considerations require
otherwise.
-
All official, institutional, local, and personal Web pages represent
Montana State University-Bozeman; therefore, all information presented must
comply with existing law and university policy, including:
-
Acceptable Use Policies for MSUnet,
SummitNet,
and MSU's
Internet service provider
-
Student
Academic and Conduct Guidelines and Grievance Procedures and Faculty
Handbook;
-
Non-Discrimination
Policies and Procedures
-
Family
Education and Privacy Act of 1974
-
Individuals may develop local pages for nonprofit organizations related
to their work for the University, with the understanding that MSU-Bozeman
will not provide assistance for development or maintenance and will not
guarantee the accessibility of those pages.
-
Restrictions on commercial activity
-
No private commercial activity is allowed on any Web page at any level
in the domain of [montana.edu], including personal Web pages hosted by the
University.
-
Commercial activity by institutional entities--those authorized and
governed by the Board of Regents, such as colleges, departments, centers,
institutes, and clubs--is permitted in the domain of [montana.edu] if it
is consistent with and in support of the University's land-grant mission
of instruction, research, and service, or is consistent with Regential
authorization.
-
Institutional entities may display corporate names or
logos on their Web pages to acknowledge corporate sponsorship as long as
they do not display comparative messages ("Brand X is better than Brand
Y"), enticements to buy a particular product ("Brand X will improve your
life"), or price information ("Brand X costs only $2.00").
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Institutional entities wanting to provide links to
corporate Web sites in exchange for money, goods, or services must
establish an annual base corporate sponsorship contract through the
University's Legal Counsel. If the University's Treasurer determines
that the proposed links are likely to result in unrelated business
income tax liability for the University, then the additional costs will
be estimated and may be added to the contract.
-
Institutionally-affiliated entities--those incorporated for the sole
purpose of supporting the missions of MSU, including the Alumni
Association, MSU Foundation, MSU Bookstore, MSU Athletic Scholarship
Association, Research and Development Institute, and Museum of the Rockies
Inc.--are required to establish a [.org] domain for commercial activity.
MSU will provide up to 5 MB of Web server space on MSUNET for
noncommercial activity, and the entity must reimburse MSU for any
additional server space costs. Institutionally-affiliated entities must
reimburse MSU for all commercial activity taking place on
MSU Web servers over MSUNET.
-
Institutionally-associated entities--those that are not programs of MSU
but have a contractual relationship with MSU and reside on or near the
campus--are required to establish a [.org] domain for commercial activity.
MSU will provide up to 1 MB of Web server space on MSUNET for
noncommercial activity, and the entity must reimburse MSU for any
additional server space costs. MSU will not provide any services for
commercial activity.
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Each Web page should conform to the Web Content and Format
Guidelines approved by the Director of Communications and Public
Affairs.
-
Web Advisory Committee
-
Recommends policies and procedures for administering the MSU-Bozeman
Web site to the Director of Communications and Public Affairs;
-
Reviews format and content standards for local Web pages and advises the Director
of Communications and Public Affairs about them;
-
Advises ITC concerning priorities for development of ITC-developed Web
pages and priorities for the Web Coordinator;
-
Advises ITC on Web-related products, applications, and
services.
-
Web Coordinator
-
Implements design recommendations of the Director of Communications and
Public Affairs;
-
Processes requests to link local Web pages to the MSU-Bozeman home page
or Institutional pages and monitors the integrity of those links;
-
Maintains linkage structure for the home page and all institutional
pages.
-
Enforcement
-
The MSU Web Coordinator will unlink any Web page suspected of violating 350.30
A from the MSU-Bozeman home page and all
institutional pages until either the violation is corrected or the
appropriate administrative body determines that no policy violation
exists. Appeals will be handled by the appropriate administrative
body.
-
When a Web page is thought to be out of conformance with 350.30 B
or 350.30 C, the following procedure will be implemented:
-
The Web Coordinator will discuss the problem with the contact person
for that page and request that the problem be remedied.
-
If attempts at informal resolution are not successful, the Web
Coordinator will send written notification to the contact person, who
will have 14 days to either correct the problem or file an appeal.
-
Failure to respond to the written notification within 14 days will
result in the Web Coordinator's removal of links to that page.
-
Decisions by the Web Coordinator concerning linking of pages to
MSU-Bozeman's home page or institutional pages and judgments by the Web
Coordinator pertaining to 350.30
B may be appealed.
-
An appeal is initiated by notifying the Chair of the Web Advisory
Committee.
-
The Web Advisory Committee will meet within 30 days of receipt of
an appeal. The Committee will issue a decision within 7 days after
their meeting.
-
Decisions of the Web Advisory Committee may be appealed to the
Director of Communications and Public Affairs within 7 days of the
Committee's decision.
-
If the Web Coordinator's judgment is upheld, the page(s) involved
must be corrected before the page will be re-linked.
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