UCO is a university on the move. During these tough economic times, we are grateful to work with a family of loyal and dedicated employees who operate out a strong sense of ethical character.
Campus wide, we want to foster an environment open to creativity; and using technology in creative ways to make our jobs more efficient, effective, and enjoyable is a perfect fit. At the same time, the university community must ensure the ethical and legal use of technology among students, faculty, and staff. To that end, the Office of Legal Counsel, the Office of Student Affairs, and the Office of Information technology provide periodic reminders of those legal and ethical issues.
University Technology Policies
Compliance is an important aspect of technology usage in any organization, especially in a large one as our university. All technology-related policies are available online. These policies and guidelines outline appropriate use of computers, printers, fax machines, and other technology hardware, software, and the network on which all are connected. UCO's policies and guidelines mirror federal and state regulations and regents' requirements.
Software Licenses
The Office of Information Technology (OIT) manages software licenses used by multiple colleges or administrative departments. These licenses, generally referred to as site licenses or enterprise software, are subject to monitoring by the various providers and the Open Software Consortium. Individuals and departments are exempt from proving licensure for these. Examples of campus wide agreements include Microsoft applications and operating system upgrades, anti-virus software provided by the university, SAS, SPSS, and more.
Software that serves a unique purpose for a department is managed by that department, once the purchase has been approved by the Offices of Information Technology and Legal Counsel and has gone through acceptable purchasing procedures. Any software that is not managed by the OIT is subject to proof of licensure upon short notice. Should you have a question regarding your software, please contact the Office of Information Technology at 405-974-2688.
Personally owned software should not be loaded on university equipment.
Legal Downloads
Universities are being targeted by entities such as the Recording Industry Association of America, under the assumption that students illegally down load music and videos. As such, we have provided the following resource:
Security and Privacy
The best, and worse, defense against inappropriate access to data is people. Following the UCO Information Security policy will ensure the highest level of protection to university information. As many technical measures as feasible are in place to ensure a high level of security. However, the only truly secure device is one that is disconnected and turned off.
Individuals should use strong passwords and change them as frequently as possible. Access to various data is granted through appropriate approvals. Members of the UCO community should never share their password, nor grant access to another individual to avoid following guidelines designed to protect university information.
Mandatory technology security training is offered every October. Should you have questions or concerns at any other time, call the Office of Information Technology or see the UCO Information Security policy.
Cyber Security
In addition to data security, the university community is encouraged to protect itself when operating in an on-line environment, whether at UCO or at home. Cyber Security training is included in the October sessions during Cyber Security Awareness month. For more information, visit the Cyber Security web site.
If this sounds like a lot of "rules," you are understanding the serious nature of technology use in a large organization. Use of technology and associated infrastructure is a privilege. By following these guidelines, we ensure that access is available to every authorized user on our campus. Thank you for assisting us in demonstrating the University's shared values of Community, Character, and Civility, and demonstrating leadership in the responsible use of technology at UCO.