The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) recognizes the value and potential of information published on the Internet via the World Wide Web and encourages all faculty, staff, and students to develop innovative uses of web technologies in pursuit of the university's mission. To achieve this purpose, the university owns and operates web servers to facilitate the educational process and enhance research and publication by university employees and students.

Because UTEP recognizes the value of the internet as a resource for information and communication, students and employees may make incidental use of university resources to access the web for co-curricular or personal purposes provided they abide by the general policies and procedures governing use of Information Resources and there is no direct cost to the university attributable to such incidental use.

1.0 Web Sites

University Web sites are segregated into two distinct sets: official web pages, and individual web pages. Because the university's web sites support diverse purposes and diverse constituencies, webmasters, site owners and personal page creators are accorded wide discretion for the selection of content and for establishing reasonable and appropriate policies applicable to their sites. However, because anything placed on the Internet from UTEP is easily identified as originating from the university network, some readers may assume that the university sponsors those publications. Even with disclaimers, the university is represented by its employees and staff and appropriate language, behavior and style is warranted.

2.0 Official Web Pages

Official web pages are provided exclusively for:

• The dissemination of official policies and procedures.
• The description of budgeted university offices and departments, their services, programs and activities, including identification of associated faculty or staff members.
• The provision of operational instructions or information necessary to assist students, employees, and entities with which the university conducts business.

Official sites are authorized for:

• Administrative divisions and offices.
• Academic departments.
• Grant programs and research centers or activities authorized by the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects.
• Other activity or informational centers authorized by the President or a Vice President.

The supervising administrative officer for each unit that publishes an official web site is responsible for the establishment, security and content of all pages within the site.

While respecting the users' confidentiality and privacy, the university reserves the right to examine all computer files. The university reserves this right to enforce its policies regarding acceptable use of university resources, to prevent the posting of proprietary or copyrighted material, to safeguard the integrity of computers, networks, and data either at the university or elsewhere and to protect the university against seriously damaging consequences.

3.0 Individual Web Pages

All faculty, staff and students are provided space for personal web pages on the server. Individual web pages are the responsibility of the page creator and do not reflect the opinions, positions, policies or procedures of the university. Anonymous web pages are prohibited and all individual web pages must prominently display the name(s) of the creators who assume full legal and ethical responsibility for the content thereof.

4.0 Web Accounts

User accounts on the primary UTEP web server, www.utep.edu, are available to: academic colleges, academic departments, administrative departments, official student organizations (as determined by the Dean of Students) and official research centers or groups (as determined by the Office of Research and Sponsored Projects, academic Deans, or academic Chairs).

The administrative authority responsible for the department or group is designated as the Site Owner and is responsible for securing access to the account and for all material posted to the account. Site Owners are expected to control access to the account and to modify the password at the appropriate times.

5.0 Acceptable Use

• To facilitate communication and dissemination of information to UTEP faculty, staff, and students regarding university services and programs.
• To facilitate communication with current and prospective business partners for the daily operation of university business.
• To advertise and promote university programs and services to prospective students, professional colleagues, and the general population.
• To support professional societies, government advisory, or standard activities related to the user's professional or vocational discipline.
• To apply for or administer grants or contracts for work-related applications.
• To announce products or services for use within the scope of university business, but not for commercial advertising of any kind.
• For official sites, any other communications or activities in direct support of university-related research, instruction, learning, dissemination of scholarly information, and administrative activities.
• For personal sites, any other communications or activities that are not in violation of this or any other university policy, or applicable federal, state or local law.

6.0 Unacceptable Use

All Internet and web use is subject to the general policies governing use of the university's Information Resources. In addition, the following uses or contents are expressly forbidden on any university web page, official or individual:

• Publishing or linking to any material prohibited by law or university regulations, material that violates the terms of any university license or contract, or uses copyrighted material without required permission.
• Publishing or linking to legally restricted or confidential material.
• Publishing or linking to material that is obscene, libelous, physically threatening or otherwise in violation of standards for university publications.
• Publishing or linking to material that intentionally or negligently may lead to damage to a university or other computer system;
• Using the university seal, logos or other registered university marks without the review and approval of the university Communication Office. Such approval will not be granted for individual web pages.