perera@athena.cs.uga.edu (Niranjan Perera) (05/28/91)
Hi, I am a student who works part time as System Administrator. I am intrested in gathering information which will help me setup a computer account policy. Does anybody have any pointers to where one can get any guidelines etc. Please be kind enough to email me. I shall post a summary. thanks in advance, -- Niranjan Perera | In the hands of a fool a little knowledge perera@athena.cs.uga.edu | is very dangerous.
kadie@eff.org (Carl Kadie) (05/28/91)
perera@athena.cs.uga.edu (Niranjan Perera) writes: [...] >I am a student who works part time as System Administrator. I am >intrested in gathering information which will help me setup a computer >account policy. Does anybody have any pointers to where one can get >any guidelines etc. Please be kind enough to email me. I shall post a >summary. [...] [This response is based on a note I wrote last week to the Computers and Academic Freedom mailing list.] The user community, both faculty and student, should have a clearly defined means to participate in the formulation and application of computer and networking policy. (This is just an instantiation of the general right of representation promoted in the Joint Statement on Rights and Freedoms of Students and guaranteed by the student codes of many univerities). Most university computer policies seem to have been set down without serious user participation. Are there exceptions? Has anyone respected academic freedom (and possibly their own student code) and given users a voice? - Carl -- Carl Kadie -- kadie@eff.org or kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- But I speak for myself.
brendan@cs.widener.edu (Brendan Kehoe) (05/28/91)
Newsgroups: comp.admin.policy
From: kadie@eff.org (Carl Kadie)
Date: Tue, 28 May 1991 04:59:58 GMT
Most university computer policies seem to have been set down without
serious user participation. Are there exceptions? Has anyone respected
academic freedom (and possibly their own student code) and given users
a voice?
At the end of this semester, we finally agreed to agree upon an
account policy. This boiled down to me writing one up and bringing it
in front of the CS committee. (Comprised of the 3 system admins
[Vax/Sun/PCs], the student rep, the 5 faculty members, and the lab
manager [handles student consultants, etc].) It's just an
amalgamation of the various parts of policies from other schools (with
heavy influence from Boston University). I'm gonna try to have our
school's lawyer[s] look it over before this fall, just to make sure
the language is right, and to make sure it doesn't overstep any bounds.
I imagine (hope) that after maybe a semester of it being in place,
people will have comments or questions about certain parts of it.
Only problem with that is that for the most part, signing such an
agreement is just par for the course, especially when you're being
blitzed by forms and a million new experiences (as most Freshmen are).
So the critiques of the policy will probably only come from the
Sophomores and higher. Also, the number of people here that actually
would *care* about account rights is very low here. (This is both a
blessing and a curse.)
We'll see how it goes.
Brendan
--
Brendan Kehoe - Widener Sun Network Manager - brendan@cs.widener.edu
Widener University in Chester, PA A Bloody Sun-Dec War Zone
--
Brendan Kehoe - Widener Sun Network Manager - brendan@cs.widener.edu
Widener University in Chester, PA A Bloody Sun-Dec War Zonekadie@eff.org (Carl Kadie) (05/29/91)
[This is was send to me as e-mail. I am posting it with the author's permission. The OCF Bylaws and Consitution (with a Bill of Rights) are available via anonymous ftp from eff.org as files ocf.bylaws and ocf.constitution (also see file README) - Carl] Subject: Re: Need info on computer acct policy Date: Tue, 28 May 91 14:07:13 PDT Sender: cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU [kadie@eff.org writes: ] > > Most university computer policies seem to have been set down without > serious user participation. Are there exceptions? Has anyone respected > academic freedom (and possibly their own student code) and given users > a voice? > I point to the OCF here at UC Berkeley. With the exception of a faculty sponsor (who is actively non-involved 8), we are completely student run. We have a constitution, and under this constitution, the users of the cluster (about 1500) can elect various managers, and, if the elected managers do not perform as the users see fit, they can have the managers removed and/or overturn their decisions. There is a board of directors which is also elected that makes most policy decisions, and can be removed/overridden by the general membership as well. One interesting point about the entire organization: Though we publicize the various mettings heavily, and encourage attendance and user interest/activity, there usually ends up being less than 20 users at a given general meeting, and i think that there are currently 6 users on the BoD. Even though it's in their interest to be involved and help make policy, the vast majority of our users are simply interested in being able to get their mail, read their news, use irc, or whatever, and are completely uninterested in policy. It seems that the people who are most interested are those who *LEFT* the organization in all respects a long time ago, and enjoy criticizing the flaws of the current elected officers. <sigh> cgd cgd@ocf.berkeley.edu OCF {Staff, BoD} From comp-academic-freedom-talk-request@eff.org Tue May 28 18:47:26 1991 From: comp-academic-freedom-talk-request@eff.org Reply-To: comp-academic-freedom-talk@eff.org Precedence: bulk To: comp-academic-freedom-talk Return-Path: <kadie> Date: Tue, 28 May 91 18:18:27 -0400 Sender: kadie (Carl Kadie) Subject: Re: Need info on computer acct policy [This is the Constitution of Berkeley's Open Computing Facility, an organization that democratically manages computer resources for thousands of users.] The OCF Constitution As ratified or amended by votes of the OCF membership: 3 February 1989 Preamble We, the computer using community of the Berkeley campus of the University of California, provide by this Constitution an organization dedicated to the pursuit of obtaining and managing open computing resources. The intent of this organization is to provide an environment where no member of Berkeley's campus community is denied the computer resources he or she seeks. This group's spirit can be traced directly to the former Undergraduate Computing Facility, however this organization's membership is much more widely open. It is also the intent of this group to appeal to all members of the Berkeley campus community with unsatisfied computing needs and to provide a place for those interested in computing to fully explore that interest. It is the intention of this group that no small number of people ever control the accessibility of any OCF sponsored computing facility. Articles 1. Name This organization shall be called the Open Computing Facility and may also be referred to as the OCF. 2. Members 2.1. General Membership Any UC Berkeley student, faculty or staff member may be an OCF Member. 2.2. Active Members 2.2.1. Eligibility Active Membership status is restricted to U.C. Berkeley Faculty and Staff and Registered Students. 2.2.2. During General Meetings Any member of the OCF shall be an Active Member by physical presence at an OCF General Meeting. May 28, 1991 2 2.2.3. Between General Meetings Any OCF Member who has attended an OCF General Meeting in either this semester or the one preceding shall be an active member. 2.3. Inactive Members Any OCF Member who is not an Active Member shall be considered an Inactive Member. 3. Officers 3.1. Elected Officers 3.1.1. Offices The only elected offices are General Manager and Site Manager(s). 3.1.2. Eligibility All elected officers must be Active Members. 3.1.3. When Elected The officers shall be elected at each OCF Elections Meeting. 3.1.4. Term Of Office The officers' terms shall begin immediately after election and last until the next election. 3.1.5. Removal From Office An officer shall be removed from office if, at a General Meeting, the members vote to remove him or her. 3.1.6. Succession If any elected position becomes vacant, a General Meeting will be called to elect a replacement. 3.1.7. General Manager Duties The General Manager is the chief political and executive officer of the OCF and shall chair all meetings. 3.1.8. Site Manager Duties The Site Manager is the chief system manager of a particular installation of computing equipment. In the absence of the General Manager, a Site Manager shall chair meetings. 3.2. Board of Directors 3.2.1. Membership 3.2.1.1. General Manager and Site Manager(s) The General Manager and Site Manager are ex officio members of the Board and shall have no more and no less power than any other member of the Board. May 28, 1991 3 3.2.1.2. Other Directors Other Directors shall be appointed and removed through the OCF Decision Making Process. 3.2.2. Term Of Office The term shall expire at the next Elections Meeting. 3.2.3. Duties Directors shall normally be responsible for the creation, implementation and discussion of the majority of OCF actions. Also the Board shall review all of the actions of the General Manager and Site Manager at its discretion. 3.3. Interim Manager When the OCF is not formally in session, or any other time when there is a temporary vacancy in an elected office, the OCF Decision Making Process shall designate a member or members to see to it that the OCF functions properly. 4. Meetings The OCF is formally in session during the Fall Semester and the Spring Semester. This is the only time General Meetings can take place. The OCF is informally in session between the semesters. During this time the Faculty Sponsors and the Interim Managers are responsible for the functioning of the OCF. 4.1. General Meetings The OCF Decision Making Process can call a General Meeting at any time. When possible, one weeks notice shall be given. 4.1.1. Election Meetings The Elections Meeting shall, in this order, approve the Faculty Sponsors, elect the General Manager, elect the Site Managers, appoint Directors and then consider new business. 4.1.1.1. Fall Meeting The OCF shall meet during the week immediately preceding Thanksgiving. 4.1.1.2. Spring Meeting The OCF shall meet during the second week following Spring Break. 4.1.2. Special General Meetings 4.1.2.1. How Called Ten OCF members can call a Special General Meeting when the normal process for calling a General Meeting is not feasible. May 28, 1991 4 4.1.2.2. Procedure These ten members must notify the General Manager if possible, provide prominent public notice of the meeting at least one week beforehand and must try to contact all members of the OCF. 4.2. Voting 4.2.1. Elections and General Meetings Quorum By definition a quorum exists at these meetings. 4.2.1.1. Special General Meetings Quorum consists of 25% of all Active Members prior to the meeting. 4.2.2. Board Meetings Quorum consists of 3/4 of the Board of Directors or five Board members, whichever is greater. 4.2.3. Procedure 4.2.3.1. Election of Officers The election of officers shall be by secret ballot. A simple majority of those casting votes (including abstaining votes) is required. If on the first ballot no candidate receives a simple majority, then there will be a runoff between the top two candidates. The voting will continue until one candidate receives a simple majority. 4.2.3.2. Other Votes All other votes require a simple majority to pass. 4.2.3.3. Proxy An OCF Member must be present at a meeting to vote. 5. Faculty Sponsors The OCF Faculty Sponsors shall consist of a faculty member or faculty members who are dedicated to the functioning of the OCF. These Faculty Sponsors shall be selected by the OCF Board of Directors and shall be subject to selection by the OCF at the Elections Meeting. 6. The OCF Decision Making Process 6.1. Faculty Sponsors The Faculty Sponsor or Faculty Sponsors shall have ultimate authority over any OCF actions except for constitutional amendments and the approval of the Faculty Sponsors. 6.2. OCF Membership The OCF Active Membership shall have authority over any OCF actions except where such action conflicts with Article 6.1. May 28, 1991 5 6.3. OCF Board of Directors The OCF Board of Directors shall have authority over any OCF actions except where such action conflicts with Articles 6.1 and 6.2. 6.4. OCF General Manager The OCF General Manager shall have authority over any OCF actions except where such action conflicts with Articles 6.1, 6.2 and 6.3. 6.5. OCF Site Managers OCF Site Managers shall have authority over any OCF actions except where such action conflicts with Articles 6.1, 6.2, 6.3 and 6.4. 7. Bill of Rights 7.1. Nondiscrimination The OCF shall not discriminate in any way against any person by race, color, religion, marital status, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, handicap, college major or political activity. 7.2. Hazing The OCF shall not haze, in accordance with California state law. 7.3. Grievance Any individual who has a grievance with the OCF shall first contact the General Manager. He or she may then appeal to the Faculty Sponsors and then finally to the University of California through established channels. 7.4. Conduct All users of OCF managed facilities shall comply with University of California regulations, including the UC Berkeley Student Conduct Code and any OCF regulations. 7.5. Freedom of Information All official OCF documents must be provided to interested parties without undue delay and the OCF may not charge above cost to do so. 7.6. Privacy Individuals' rights of privacy shall not be violated without reasonable cause. 7.7. Rights Not Enumerated The enumeration in this Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage other rights retained by individuals. May 28, 1991 6 8. Amendments and Bylaws 8.1. Amendments 8.1.1. Process A proposed amendment to the Constitution must be presented for consideration at a General Meeting. If the Membership votes to further consider the amendment, it shall be open for voting for a review period, of not less than two weeks. Voting in this case may be through electronic or physical means. A 2/3 majority of all Active Members is required for approval. 8.1.2. Annotation Whenever this Constitution is amended, an annotation of the date of ratification shall be added to the beginning of this document and shall be further noted immediately following the new amendment. 8.1.3. ASUC Records All amendments, additions, or deletions must be filed with the ASUC Student Affairs Office within one week of adoption, and must be in consonance with University of California and ASUC regulations and policies. 8.2. Bylaws Bylaws may be created or modified as needed, through the OCF Decision Making Process. 9. Dissolution The assets of the OCF constitute a continuing trust for the benefit of all members of the Berkeley campus community interested in open computing facilities. In the event of the dissolution of the OCF for whatever reason, the assets, after payment or adequate provision for payment of all outstanding debts and obligations of the OCF shall be transferred to a non- profit fund, foundation or corporation which is organized and operated exclusively for the purposes for which the OCF was founded. All unspent ASUC funds shall remain the property of the ASUC. May 28, 1991 From comp-academic-freedom-talk-request@eff.org Tue May 28 18:47:27 1991 From: comp-academic-freedom-talk-request@eff.org Reply-To: comp-academic-freedom-talk@eff.org Precedence: bulk To: comp-academic-freedom-talk Return-Path: <kadie> Date: Tue, 28 May 91 18:24:43 -0400 Sender: kadie (Carl Kadie) Subject: Need info on computer acct policy [These are the Bylaws of Berkeley's Open Computing Facility, an organization that democratically manages computer resources for thousands of users. - Carl] Bylaws of the OCF. 1. The General Manager and the Site Managers cannot appoint directors except when the OCF is not in session and the Board of Directors cannot make a quorum because there are fewer than five directors in town. 2. The OCF Board of Directors shall meet weekly. 3. Any Director missing two consecutive regularly scheduled meetings will be removed from the Board, regardless of whether the meetings achieve quorum. 4. OCF Board meetings must be announced to all Directors at least twenty-four hours in advance. 5. Resolutions by the Board of Directors can be put to a vote electronically. When putting a resolution to the Board in this manner, all Board members must be included in the request for votes. To pass an issue this way, at least half of all the Board members must agree. If the motion fails to achieve a majority within seventy-two hours of being called to such a vote, the motion fails. The results of the vote will be posted in role call form. 6. Attendance lists and minutes for all OCF meetings shall be maintained for the decisions of that meeting to be valid. May 28, 1991 From cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU Tue May 28 18:48:14 1991 Return-Path: <cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU> To: kadie@eff.org (Carl Kadie) Cc: cgd@earthquake.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Re: Need info on computer acct policy In-Reply-To: kadie@eff.org's message of 28 May 91 04:59:58 GMT Date: Tue, 28 May 91 14:07:13 PDT From: cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU > > Most university computer policies seem to have been set down without > serious user participation. Are there exceptions? Has anyone respected > academic freedom (and possibly their own student code) and given users > a voice? > I point to the OCF here at UC Berkeley. With the exception of a faculty sponsor (who is actively non-involved 8), we are completely student run. We have a constitution, and under this constitution, the users of the cluster (about 1500) can elect various managers, and, if the elected managers do not perform as the users see fit, they can have the managers removed and/or overturn their decisions. There is a board of directors which is also elected that makes most policy decisions, and can be removed/overridden by the general membership as well. One interesting point about the entire organization: Though we publicize the various mettings heavily, and encourage attendance and user interest/activity, there usually ends up being less than 20 users at a given general meeting, and i think that there are currently 6 users on the BoD. Even though it's in their interest to be involved and help make policy, the vast majority of our users are simply interested in being able to get their mail, read their news, use irc, or whatever, and are completely uninterested in policy. It seems that the people who are most interested are those who *LEFT* the organization in all respects a long time ago, and enjoy criticizing the flaws of the current elected officers. <sigh> cgd cgd@ocf.berkeley.edu OCF {Staff, BoD} From cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU Tue May 28 18:48:14 1991 Return-Path: <cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU> To: kadie@eff.org (Carl Kadie) Cc: cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU, cgd@earthquake.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Re: Need info on computer acct policy In-Reply-To: Your message of "Tue, 28 May 91 17:13:47 EDT." <9105282113.AA05012@eff.org> Date: Tue, 28 May 91 14:22:33 PDT From: cgd@ocf.Berkeley.EDU yes, you can share it... if you'd like more info, i can send a copy of our constitution and bylaws, and such, as well. cgd -- Carl Kadie -- kadie@eff.org or kadie@cs.uiuc.edu -- But I speak for myself.