Computing Policy Statement
As a student, faculty, or visitor of Brown University, you are obligated to adhere to the computing policies outlined by Computing and Information Services. In addition to these campus-wide policies, I ask that all students, faculty, and visitors of the Division of Engineering and affiliate offices adhere o the following departmental policy regarding installation of software on instructional and lab computers.
Computer users are not permitted to install ANY type of software packages whether it is course related or not. All software packages must be fully tested by our IT staff before they can be deployed in our instructional facilities and/or laboratories. Any additional software packages that are course related must be submitted to Jim Scheuerman, Director of Computing at least two weeks before its intended use. Software packages that can be submitted must be of the following types:
- Programs included with the computer's operating system or from Microsoft.
- Any supported software listed on the CIS website
- Any software deemed necessary for teaching that has been Windows 2000 certified or has been tested in a lab environment. Software requiring administrative or power user privileges will not be considered for installation.
You should not, under any circumstances, download games, email stationary, custom desktop icons, web toolbars, search engines, or install any peer-to-peer file sharing software on any computer. Examples of peer-to-peer software include Kazaa, Limewire, Morpheus, iMesh and eDonkey. These programs open up portions of your computer to the Internet, increasing the chance of exposing confidential information and making your computer more susceptible to viruses, worms, and other Internet-based attacks. In addition to the security & privacy concerns, using these programs or any other means to download music or movie files can be a violation of both Brown Computing Policy and federal copyright laws. See CIS's Copyright Infringement Policy for details.
This software policy is not intended to regulate how you use the computers, rather to decrease the risk of exposing private or confidential information, and to reduce the number of computer problems caused by unnecessary and unstable software. Any users in violation of these computer policies will have their privileges revoked and will need to schedule an appointment with the Dean of Engineering for possible reinstatement. Please do not hesitate to contact Jim Scheuerman, Director of Computing, with any questions you may have. Thank you for doing your part to help keep the Division of Engineering's computing environment secure and trouble free.
