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Proposed Policy - Laptop Policy
NSCC Policies and Guidelines
All users are responsible for reading and abiding by the NSCC's policies and guidelines pertaining to the use of any NSCC computer resources including laptops, desktops, server and printer resources and the NSCC's computer network.
NOTE: These policies are reviewed periodically and are subject to change. All users are responsible for keeping themselves apprised of the latest revision of these policies. Please refer to the Computer Usage Policy document.
Laptop Usage Policy
The intent of this policy is to extend the NSCC Computer Resources Usage Policy to include laptops that are the property of the NSCC.
All laptop usage is bound by the rules contained in the current NSCC Computer Usage Resources Policy. As laptops are portable, they are liable to physical damage and theft. Any person with access to a NSCC owned laptop must assume a reasonable amount of responsibility for its safety against theft or damage. In the event that a laptop is presumed stolen, NSCC Technical Support must be notified immediately and a police report must be filed. NSCC Technical Support must receive a copy of this report.
In accordance with section (8g) of the NSCC Computer Resources Usage Policy no unauthorized software shall be installed on any NSCC owned computer, including laptops. Prohibited software includes, but is not limited to, such programs that allow downloading and/or distribution of copyright material such as games, music, movies, etc. These types of programs introduce a security risk to the College computing environment.
Any person holding administrative rights to a laptop in their possession must be held responsible for ensuring that updates of the operating system and virus scanner are carried out to the College standards. Automatic updates will be set up for those laptop users who do not have administrative rights.
The College reserves the right to audit any laptop at any time that does not disrupt normal business and/or academic functions.
Any abuse that occurs may result in laptops being prohibited from leaving NSCC property or the suspension of computer account privileges as outlined in the NSCC Computer Resources Usage Policy.
In the case of student usage, failure of a student to return a laptop to the NSCC in an acceptable condition (see Sections 3.0 through 3.2), prior to leaving for the work term, will result in the NSCC withholding transcripts and the student will not be eligible to graduate until these conditions are met. The NSCC may pursue legal action, where necessary.
In the case of student usage, failure of a student to return a laptop to the NSCC in an acceptable condition (see Sections 3.0 through 3.2) upon withdrawal from a program, will result in denial of any future access to NSCC programs or services until these conditions are met. The NSCC may pursue legal action, where necessary.
Reasonable Care of your NSCC Laptop
Although, some repairs may be covered by the warranty on your NSCC laptop, users are reminded that they are primarily responsible for taking reasonable care of their NSCC laptop. Any damage that occurs to a laptop could possibly result in user downtime while the system is repaired or replaced. Following are some general guidelines to assist in protecting your NSCC laptop from theft and/or damage:
- When plugging a laptop into an outlet, it should always be plugged into a power bar with surge protection.
- A laptop should never be stored in a vehicle for any length of time. Storing a laptop in a car renders it vulnerable to theft and possibly extreme temperature changes, especially in the winter months.
- If a laptop is left in a vehicle for any length of time during winter months it should be allowed time to reach room temperature before it is powered on.
- Do not use a laptop on unstable furniture and ensure that power cords do not present a trip hazard (causing bodily harm and laptop damage).
- When using a laptop in a public place, never leave it unattended. Laptops are a popular target for thieves.
- Avoid extremely dusty or smoky environments with the laptop.
- Always transport the laptop in its provided carrying case.
- You should always unplug the laptop from the modem jack and power outlet during a lightning storm.
- Do not place stickers on the laptop or in any way deliberately deface the laptop.
- Do not enable or change any system passwords.
Software Maintenance
In the event that a laptop must be re-imaged and the user wishes NSCC Technical Support to perform this service, the user is responsible for ensuring that all personal data is removed from the laptop's hard drive and stored in a safe location such as their personal network space that is provided by the College. Personal data should always be copied from a hard drive to a safe location (network drive, CD-R(W), memory stick, etc.) when any laptop maintenance is performed. Personal data should also be backed up periodically to avoid data loss due to a hard drive failure.
NOTE: NSCC Technical Support assumes no responsibility for personal data residing on laptop hard drives.
Theft
As mentioned above, a laptop should never be left unattended for any period of time. It takes only seconds for a laptop to be stolen. Leaving a laptop unattended on campus or in any other public area constitutes an act of negligence and will lead to financial consequences.
You should never leave a laptop unattended in a vehicle. If you choose to do so, ensure that the laptop is locked in the trunk and that the vehicles windows are rolled up and all doors are locked. Users will be fully responsible for laptops stolen from vehicles.
In the event that a laptop is stolen, NSCC Technical Support must be notified immediately and you must call the police to report the theft. You will receive a record of your NSCC laptop's Serial Number when you sign out the laptop. Keep this in a safe place, as the police will require this information. Filing a false police report is against the law and the police may charge the offender accordingly.
Financial Charges due to Laptop Damages
Charges to your student account for laptop damage depends upon how the damage occurred and the type of damage (see below). All charges will be assessed by NSCC Technical Support.
Normal "Wear and Tear"
Normal "wear and tear" will not be charged to your student account and occurs on your laptop over time as a result of recommended and responsible usage. Instances of normal "wear and tear" are determined by NSCC Technical Support and usually do not include cuts, cracks or breakage. Examples of normal "wear and tear" include faint scuffs or scratches to the exterior casing of your laptop or AC power adapter.
Warranty Repairs
Repairs covered under our vendor warranty will not be charged to your student account. These repairs are determined solely by the vendor. Some laptop components are repaired or replaced under warranty due to defects in manufacturing. An example of a warranty repair would be the replacement of a defective hard drive due to the presence of bad sectors.
All warranty calls to the vendor will be placed through NSCC Technical Support.
Accidental Damages
Accidental damages generally are not covered under vendor warranties. Students will be responsible for repair of damages to or replacement of laptops not covered under our vendor warranty.
Negligence
Guidelines and practices relevant to the use and reasonable care of NSCC laptops are summarized within this document. For billing purposes, negligence is defined as the failure to follow the previously mentioned guidelines and practices. If your laptop or accessories are damaged or stolen due to negligence students will be charged the full repair or replacement value of the laptop or required components. For example if a laptop is stolen from the classroom or a vehicle because it was left unsecured and unattended the user would be liable for the entire replacement value of the laptop.
NSCC Laptop Return Procedures for Students
Students are responsible for returning their NSCC laptop and accessories directly to NSCC Technical Support before leaving for the spring work term or upon withdrawal from studies at the NSCC. Contact the NSCC Technical Support if you have any questions regarding the return date of your laptop. All accessories issued (power adapter, power adapter cord, ethernet cable, modem cable, etc.) must be returned with the laptop at the same time. Students will have to pay the replacement cost of any accessories missing from the system when it is returned.
NSCC Technical Support will assess the condition of returned laptops in the presence of the student returning the laptop to determine if there is any non-warranty damage. The student and NSCC Technical Support will sign a computer assessment form indicating the condition of returned equipment. Students are financially accountable for the repair or replacement cost of any non-warranty damage to assigned computer hardware, as discussed above.
Upon surrender of the laptop to NSCC Technical Support, all data from the hard drive is erased. Data back-ups are optional and must be completed by the student prior to laptop return. Remember that copyrighted materials such as movies, mp3s and licensed software may not be backed-up, as indicated in NSCC's Computer Resources Usage Policy.
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