Policies
Welcome to Farmingdale State College’s Policy Library. This library is the official repository for all institutional policies and procedures and is intended to be a resource for faculty, staff and students seeking information related to the policies that govern the institution. This library does not contain department-specific policies and procedures. Please contact the department for specific departmental policies and procedures.
Please direct all questions regarding policy content to the Responsible Office listed on the respective policy.
If you wish to propose or amend an institutional policy, please review the Policy for Developing Institutional Policies and complete the Policy Proposal Form.
For assistance with drafting and amending policies, please refer to the Policy Writing Guidance and/or contact the Risk and Compliance Office at 934-420-5365.
Guidelines for the use of Digital Material
Persons Affected
Faculty, Staff, Students
Policy Statement
How closely is the network monitored?
Farmingdale State College system administrators do not routinely monitor our network for illegal activity, but they must respond to formal legal complaints they receive.
Organizations like the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) frequently watch file-sharing programs for copyrighted material belonging to the artists they represent. Under the DMCA, the College has responded to several RIAA complaints of copyright violations for sharing music from student computers on the the College’s network. In addition to civil action, local campus disciplinary action may be taken against offenders.
Some people are under the impression that their activity on the Internet is largely anonymous or untraceable, but this is untrue. In fact, almost all your activity on the Internet is logged on many of the computer systems you use, and while these logs usually are not inspected, they can be used to confirm or implicate you in illegal activity.
What will happen if I get caught?
If a complaint of copyright infringement is made against you, your Internet connection will be disconnected and you will be notified immediately. If, after investigation, the allegations against you appear to be true, you must delete the offending software and copyrighted material before your Internet connection will be reconnected. Failure to comply may result in disciplinary action being taken by the college.
Which activities are violations?
Violations include copying and sharing most MP3s, images, movies, or other copyrighted material by using “peer to peer” programs like KaZaA, DC++, LimeWire, BearShare, and Morpheus. Setting up file shares with copyrighted material and unauthorized downloading of anything which you don’t already own a copy (software, MP3s, movies, etc.) are also violations
Guidelines for the use of Digital Material:
Music, Video, Pictures, Software and Games – How the laws apply to students, faculty, and staff
The Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998 (“DMCA”), which addresses copyright issues regarding digital materials, was signed into law by President Clinton on October 28, 1998. One of the provisions of the DMCA is to limit the liability of educational institutions for damages due to copyright infringement by members of their community. The College complies with all DMCA’s requirements and requires that:
- all members of the College community must follow the College’s Copyright Guidelines for digital material
- all members of the College community must adhere to the College’s Acceptable Use Policy.
Are MP3s illegal?
Some music files can be legally obtained through online subscription services or from sites officially permitted by the copyright holders to offer certain downloads. Some are copyright free. Most music files do not fall into either of these two categories.
The most common type for music file is the MP3 format. MP3s are legal if have obtained the rights to possess. Otherwise, MP3s are illegal. In most cases, sharing music files (over the campus network) is also illegal.
Copyright laws allow you to create MP3s only for your personal use and only of songs to which you already have rights. You can make MP3s only of songs for which you already own the CD or tape, known as a “transfer of copy.” And personal use means for you alone – you can’t make copies and give or sell them to other people.
Individuals sued for copyright infringement often state that they did not intend to share the material. When it comes to the copyright law, there is a strict liability tort, and there does not have to be intent.
Contact Help Desk: 934-420-2754
or via email: helpdesk@farmingdale.edu
The Perils of P2P
Using a computer to copy or store any copyrighted material (text, images, music, movies, computer programs, etc.) is a violation of state and federal law. Doing so leaves you liable, on conviction, to heavy fines (for each infringed work in amounts that typically range from a minimum of $750 for each work to a maximum of $30,000 per work) and/or possibly imprisonment. In 2003, the Recording Industry Association (RIAA) targeted music traders and focused on college students in particular. The RIAA began filing civil suits seeking compensation for damages of up to $150,000 per offense; four broadly publicized cases wound up costing the students involved $12,000-$17,000 each in damages. In April 2005, the industry sued 405 computer users at 18 colleges, accusing the defendants of sharing songs on i2hub, a student-run file-sharing system. In 2007, over 30 Morrisville State College (SUNY) students were served with prelitigation settlement letters. Most students ended up settling with the RIAA for thousands of dollars, making it impossible for some students to return to school. Students can’t afford these sorts of damages, and colleges can’t afford to have their networks compromised or threatened by illegal actions. Illegal file sharing activities put both the college and its students at risk.
Responsible Office
Information Technology
Policies
Categories
- Academic Integrity Policy
- Amnesty Policy
- Aviation Flight Center Safety Policy
- Campus Policy For Preferred First Name
- Campus Policy for Animals Care and Use for Research
- Campus Policy for Assignment of Credit Hours
- Campus Policy for Credit‐By‐Evaluation
- Campus Policy for Transfer Credit
- Captioned Media Policy
- Faculty Compensation and Load Credit for Credit‐Bearing Internships
- General Education Requirements
- Grade Grievance Procedure
- Guidelines for Academic Standing for Matriculated Undergraduate Students
- Plagiarism Detection and the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
- Planning & Conducting Distance Learning
- Policies for Academic Standing for Non-Matriculated Students
- Policy and Procedure Guide For Faculty Led Study Abroad Programs
- Policy for Recording Classroom Instruction
- Prior Learning Assessment Policy
- Professional Licensure Student Location Policy
- Research Integrity Policy
- Specially Designated Course Policy
- Student Attendance Policy
- Syllabus-Guide
- Writing-Intensive Requirement
- Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Facilities
- Additional Sick Leave Request Guidelines(a.k.a. Presidential Sick Leave)
- Affirmative Action Search Waivers Policy
- Also Receives Policy
- Alternate Work Arrangements Policy
- Alternate Work Location Policy
- Background Investigation Policy
- Chosen Identity Policy
- Civility and Bullying Policy
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Policy & Procedure
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure for Title IX Sex Discrimnation and Sex-Based Harassment
- Domestic Violence and the Workplace Policy
- Drug and Alcohol Free Workplace Policy
- Extra Service Processing Procedure
- Farmingdale State College Consensual Relationship Policy
- Gender-Based Violence and the Workplace Policy
- Informal Resolution Policy
- Internal Promotion Policy
- Nepotism Policy
- New Position Justification
- Part Time Recruiting and Hiring Policy
- Reasonable Accomodations for State Employees
- Reimbursement of Moving Expenses Policy
- Religious Accomodations Policy
- Sexual Harassment Response and Prevention Policy Statement
- Telecommuting Policy
- Tobacco Use Policy
- Volunteer Policy
- Workplace Violence Prevention Policy
- Acceptable Use Policy for Computer Facilities
- Banner Security Policy
- College Email Policy
- Copyright Guidelines
- Cyber Security Awareness and Education Policy
- Data Communication Network Security Policy
- Farmingdale Information Security Policy
- Farmingdale State College Privacy Policy
- GDPR Privacy Notice
- Guidelines for the use of Digital Material
- Retiree Email Policy
- Wired or Wireless Network Policy
- Child Protection Policy
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Policy & Procedure
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure for Title IX Sex Discrimnation and Sex-Based Harassment
- Fraud and Irregularities Policy
- Mandatory Reporting and Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse
- Records Retention and Management Policy
- Chosen Identity Policy
- Discrimination and Sexual Harassment Complaint Procedure for Title IX Sex Discrimnation and Sex-Based Harassment
- Farmingdale State College Consensual Relationship Policy
- Farmingdale State College Student Alcohol Policy
- Grievance Procedure for Sex-Based Harassment Complaints for Students (including NYS 129B requirements)
- Informal Resolution Policy
- Involuntary Leave of Absence Policy
- Personal Transportation Device Policy
- Policy and Procedures on Students Rights and Assembly
- Refund Policy
- Request and Grievance Policy for Student Disability Related Accommodations
- Sexual Harassment Response and Prevention Policy Statement
- Student Immunization Policy