Policy for Students Working on EMU Production Computer Systems
Purpose
The purpose of this policy is to clarify issues related to the status of students who work on EMU’s production computer systems. This includes their sphere of responsibility, their level of access both to data and to systems, and the process and degree of supervision. It addresses matters related to the work itself and to confidentiality concerns regarding data and systems which are integral to such work.Eastern Mennonite University wishes to benefit itself by employing the advanced skills and knowledge of our students in order to grow and maintain web sites of excellence. At the same time, EMU wishes to benefit students by providing opportunities for authentic learning in the context of their course of study and residence at EMU. In order to accommodate those aims, it is necessary to define the boundaries for this type of student’s working relationship with EMU.
There are two levels of student workers: those with routine assignments and those who are given more complex assignments with higher levels of responsibility. This policy is intended to be used for those advanced students who will require significant degrees of collaboration with EMU’s employees and who will also require access to restricted areas of technology systems.
This policy is not deemed necessary
for work-study students with routine assignments, although
the Statement (see below) may be used if so desired.
Definitions
Student Technician – any student who is not a formal employee of EMU, but who is acting in a capacity similar to an employee, but at a higher level than regular work-study students. The typical terms for such students are: intern, independent-study student, work-study student.
Sponsor – any formal, IS-approved employee of EMU, either faculty, staff, or administrator, who agrees to be the responsible party in an arrangement with a student technician for advanced technology assignments.
Technical Consultant – any IS staff member or other designated EMU employee who is assigned by the Director of Information Systems to be the formal contact within the Web Team for supervising the work of a student technician.
Student-Sponsor Contract [hereafter, Contract]– a formal contract or agreement between a student technician and sponsor which defines the assigned project. This includes:
-
the scope of the project,
- the time lines for completion of the project and mileposts for mid-course evaluation,
- the amount and type of reports describing the work progress, and the criteria for evaluation of success or failure,
- setting the deadline for evaluating the project and who is to receive the evaluation report of the project, and
- defining how successful completion of the project is to be rewarded.
Access and Confidentiality Statement [hereafter, Statement] – a document signed by the student technician which, when signed, commits the student to certain responsibilities, and notifies the student technician of the scope of academic and legal consequences of breaching the Statement.
Areas of Interest
Examples of areas where this policy would apply include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Responsibilities for working with systems that are mission critical to EMU operations.
- Responsibilities for working with systems that expose the student technician to data that is confidential and considered private, particularly for data that is addressed by FERPA and HIPAA regulations.
- The responsibilities for working on the data content and graphic presentation in EMU systems, specifically ensuring its integrity.
- Recognition of both the value EMU receives from its students who undertake these assignments, and the value the student receives from the experience gained by contributing to ‘real world’ projects.
Policy Statement
Supervision
The student technician is to secure a sponsor. This sponsor must agree to be ultimately responsible for the work and actions of the student. The student and the sponsor are to write a Contract. This signed Contract should be attached to the student’s Statement. This sponsor is to contact the Director of Information Systems or his/her designee to arrange, approve, and sign-off on such assignments. The director will determine who will be identified as the technical consultant for the assignment. This technical consultant will be notified who the student’s sponsor is and will collaborate with the sponsor to insure that the proper reporting channels are established. As part of this process, the student technician and the technical consultant will sign the Statement. The original Statement and the attached Contract will be maintained on file in the Information Systems Department, and copies will also be provided to the student technician and the sponsor. (See the appendix for the Statement.)
Content and Program Development
The student technician is to consider himself/herself as working in a status similar to that of an EMU employee. Any changes to data systems that are the intended consequence of any work assignment must be channeled through or approved by the technical consultant.
If the student is assigned to develop computer code it must be delivered to the technical consultant for implementation or deployment. Students may not modify EMU’s "live" systems, unless express written permission is obtained beforehand. This written permission should be included as part of the Statement, if applicable, which must be signed by the student, their sponsor, and the technical consultant.
Access and Confidentiality
The Statement includes sections discussing confidentiality and privacy of student, faculty and staff information. Since there is increased use of computer technology in the work place, access to sensitive information about members of the EMU community is more readily available to university employees. It is therefore critical that confidentiality and privacy of information about others be respected and protected. A breach of the Statement is just cause for immediate dismissal of the student from his/her position, and depending on the severity of the infraction, it may result in discipline, up to and including dismissal and/or criminal prosecution.
Responsible Party
Responsibility for this policy lies with Director of Information Systems who is responsible for the EMU computer systems.
Policy Review
This policy is to be reviewed every two years, or whenever an issue arises that requires additional clarification, as determined by the discretion of the Director of Information Systems.
Distribution
This policy is distributed through the web pages of the Information Systems Department in their Policy pages.
Related Policies
[Note: The following policies are located in the EMU Faculty/Staff handbook and can also be obtained from the Office of the President. Informational copies of these policies may also be located on EMU’s web site.]
Community
Lifestyle Commitment
Security
Standards for EMU Network Users
Intellectual Property
Policy
Acceptable
Use Policy for Campus Computers & Networks
Approved by Web
Policy Committee
March 15, 2002
Substantially
modified by ISPC to apply to all EMU computer systems
April 17, 2003
Application for Students Working with Institutional Data (PDF Format)
