19.1 Preamble
The University of Iowa's information technology resources are critical to the University's missions of teaching, research, and service. To ensure a highly robust, continuously available, fair, and effective environment that serves the University's computing needs, institutional and external standards for acceptable use must be applied. Each individual user must therefore comply with institutional and external standards for acceptable use of these shared resources. Although limited personal use of University-supplied technology resources may develop the skills of individual users and otherwise contribute indirectly to the University's mission, these resources should be used primarily for University-related research, educational, and administrative purposes. By using University information technology facilities and resources, users agree to abide by all related University policies and procedures, as well as applicable federal, state, and local law. Violations may result in University disciplinary action or referral to appropriate external authorities.
The use of University information technology resources — like the use of any other University-provided resource and like any other University-related activity — is subject to the normal requirements of legal and ethical behavior within the University community. Thus, legitimate use of a computer, computer system, or communication network does not extend to whatever is technically possible. Although some limitations are built into computer operating systems and networks, those limitations are not the sole restrictions on what is permissible. Users must abide by all applicable restrictions, whether or not those restrictions are built into the operating system or network and whether or not they can be circumvented in any way.