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Usage Regulations of the Hochschulrechenzentrum

42nd Edition, No. 5, February 8th, 2012

Published by: The Dean of the University of Bonn, Regina-Pacis-Weg 3, 53113 Bonn

 

Usage regulations for the University Computer Center (UCC) were published in the Official Announcements, 38th edition, No. 1, dated January 15, 2008. This issue of the Official Announcements contains the updated, standardized written representation of technical information technology terms, in the form of a new publication.

 

Usage regulations for the University Computer Center at the University of Bonn

In its meeting on December 10, 2007, the Dean’s Office established the following regulations for using the University Computer Center (UCC) at the University of Bonn, effective immediately:

 

§ 1 Scope

(1) These usage regulations apply to the use of information and communications-related infrastructure (ICT infrastructure) at the University of Bonn, consisting of data processing systems, communications systems and other equipment and services for computer-supported information processing that are operated by the University Computer Center (UCC).

(2) In order to ensure proper operation of the ICT infrastructure maintained by the UCC, and the related services, the UCC management can establish operating rules in addition to the present usage regulations. These operating rules can be found on the UCC website. Usage fees to participate in the costs of providing and using the ICT facilities and services are subject to a separate regulation.

(3) Any discussions and disputes arising from the application of these usage regulations will be evaluated and resolved by the UCC management.

 

§ 2 Usage authorization and approval for usage

(1) Fundamentally, members and affiliates of the University of Bonn and its institutes and institutions, as well as the Administration and University representatives, are permitted to use the central ICT facilities and services at the University of Bonn in order to fulfill their professional duties. The following additional persons can be granted access:

  1. Members and affiliates of other universities in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, or universities outside North Rhine-Westphalia based on separate agreements;
  2. Members and affiliates of cooperation partners and institutions that are linked through international relationships, e.g. partner universities, etc.;
  3. External employees in research associations;
  4. Participants in special degree programs, training courses or further education courses.

(2) Permission to use the central ICT facilities and services at the University of Bonn is provided exclusively for academic purposes involving research, teaching and studies, for university administration, for training and further education, and for fulfilling other tasks on behalf of the University of Bonn.

(3) In order to use the central ICT facilities and services at the University of Bonn, users will need a Uni ID. If a Uni ID is not generated and provided automatically, the user can request a Uni ID using the application form provided by the UCC.

(4) Usage permission is limited to the requested project, and can also be limited in terms of time and scope. In particular, in order to ensure proper and fault-free operation, usage permission can be limited to the available resources and associated with other usage-related conditions and requirements.

(5) Usage permission can be refused, withdrawn or retroactively limited, in full or in part, particularly if:

  1. a proper application has not been submitted, or if the information in the application is incorrect or is no longer correct;
  2. the requirements for proper usage of the central ICT facilities and services are not or are no longer fulfilled;
  3. the authorized user as per §4 has been blocked;
  4. the user’s planned project is incompatible with the tasks and objectives of the University of Bonn or the UCC;
  5. the available ICT resources are unsuitable for the requested usage, are reserved for specific purposes, or are inadequate for the planned usage due to existing usage levels;
  6. the required ICT components are connected to a network that must fulfill special data privacy requirements, and there is no clear material reason for the planned usage;
  7. the requested usage is expected to unreasonably impair other approved projects.
 
§ 3 Rights and obligations of users
(1) The persons with usage authorization (users) are entitled to use the UCC facilities, data processing systems, and information and communications systems within the scope of the authorization and according to these usage regulations, as well as in accordance with any rules established as per § 1 Para. 2. Any deviating usage requires separate approval.
(2) Users must
  1. follow the provisions of the usage regulations and any associated regulations, and observe the limits of the usage permission – particularly the intended usage as per §2 Para. 2;
  2. refrain from anything that disrupts proper operation of the ICT facilities and services at the University of Bonn;
  3. treat all data processing facilities, information and communications systems and other equipment carefully and gently;
  4. work exclusively with the Uni IDs they were assigned during the permission process;
  5. ensure that no other persons discover the user password, and take precautions to keep unauthorized persons from accessing the ICT resources of the University of Bonn. This also includes protecting access with a password. Passwords must be kept secret, must be appropriate, in other words not easy to guess, and must be changed on a regular basis;
  6. change new passwords as soon as these are assigned;
  7. not share or use another person’s Uni ID and password;
  8. not access other users’ information without permission, and must not share, use or modify information about other users that is obtained without permission;
  9. follow statutory requirements when using software, documentation and other data, particularly for copyright protection, and observe the licensing conditions under which software, documentation and data is provided by the UCC;
  10. not copy software, documentation or data provided by the UCC or share it with third parties unless this is explicitly allowed, nor use these for purposes other than those that have been approved;
  11. follow staff instructions within the UCC’s area of responsibility;
  12. provide proof of usage permission upon request;
  13. not personally rectify disruptions, damage or faults in ICT facilities or the Computer Center’s data carriers, but instead must report these to the UCC employees immediately;
  14. not interfere with the UCC’s hardware installations without explicit permission from the Computer Center, and must not change the configuration of the operating systems, system files, system-related user files or the network;
  15. upon request, in justified individual cases – particularly in the event of a justified suspicion of misuse and for the purpose of fault rectification – provide the UCC management with information about the programs and implemented methods, and must grant them access to the programs for monitoring purposes;
  16. coordinate any processing of personal data with the UCC and take the UCC’s proposed data privacy and data protection measures into account – regardless of the user’s own data privacy obligations – as well as complying with NRW’s Data Privacy Act
 
§ 4 Exclusion from usage
(1) Users can be temporarily or permanently restricted in their use of the central ICT resources or excluded from such use if
  1. they culpably violate these usage regulations, particularly the obligations listed in §3, or
  2. they misuse the ICT resources of the University of Bonn for criminal activities, or
  3. the University of Bonn is harmed by other illegal user activities.
(2) The person in question will be given 4 weeks to provide a statement and back up his or her data.
(3) Temporary usage restrictions will be lifted as soon as proper usage is once again guaranteed.
(4) In the event of serious or repeated violations in the sense of Para. 1, permanent usage restrictions or complete exclusion of the user from further usage will be considered. Potential claims by the University of Bonn arising from the usage relationship shall remain unaffected hereby.
 
§ 5 Rights and obligation of the UCC
(1) The UCC will administer all data recorded in conjunction with the granted usage authorizations.
(2) Where necessary in order to rectify faults, for system administration and expansion, or for the sake of system security and to protect user data, the UCC can temporarily restrict usage of its resources and can temporarily block individual Uni IDs or services, or prohibit access to ICT facilities. If possible, the affected users and representatives must be informed of this in advance.
(3) If there is clear evidence that a user is keeping illegal content for use on the Computer Center’s servers, the Computer Center can suspend further usage until the legal situation has been satisfactorily resolved.
(4) The UCC is entitled to document and analyze individual users’ usage of the ICT facilities and services according to the statutory provisions, particularly where this is necessary in order to
  1. ensure proper system operation,
  2. allocate resources and administer the system,
  3. protect other users’ personal data,
  4. settle accounts,
  5. identify and rectify faults
(5) Under the conditions of Paragraph 4, the Computer Center is also entitled, where necessary, to review any user files that are not considered personal information or telecommunications content subject to special protection, in order to rectify current faults. However, messaging and email accounts can only be accessed if this is essential in order to rectify current faults in the messaging service. In any case, such access must be documented, and the affected user must be notified as soon as the intended purpose has been achieved. The rights of law enforcement agencies will remain unaffected.
(6) According to the statutory provisions, the Computer Center is obligated to protect telecommunications and data privacy, and to comply with the Data Privacy Act of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
 
§ 6 Liability of the user
(1) The user is liable for all harm suffered by the University of Bonn due to misuse or illegal use of the ICT resources and the usage authorization, or due to the user’s culpable failure to fulfill the obligations as per these usage regulations.
(2) The user is also liable for damages caused by third-party use based on the user’s access and usage rights if the user is responsible for this third-party use, particularly if the user’s Uni ID is shared with third parties. In this case, the University may request reimbursement of lost usage fees, contributions or compensation for the third-party use.
(3) The user must release the University from all claims if third parties assert claims against the University of Bonn for damage compensation, default or other claims resulting from the user’s misuse or illegal activities. The University of Bonn will inform the user if a third party takes legal action against the Computer Center or the University with regard to the user.
 
§ 7 Liability of the University of Bonn
(1) The University of Bonn does not guarantee that the ICT systems and services will be fault-free and operate without interruption at all times. However, the goal is to provide a high level of availability given the available options. The possibility of data loss resulting from technical faults, as well as unauthorized third-party access to confidential data, cannot be excluded.
(2) The University of Bonn is not responsible for ensuring that the provided programs and facilities are fault-free. In addition, the University of Bonn is not liable for content, particularly the accuracy, completeness or up-to-date nature of information that is accessed through the UCC.
(3) For the rest, the UCC is liable only for intent or gross negligence by its employees, unless significant cardinal obligations have been culpably violated. In this case, the UCC’s liability is limited to the typical damages that were foreseeable at the time when the usage relationship was established, as long as no intentional or grossly negligent activities have occurred.
(4) Potential government liability claims against the University remain unaffected by the above provisions.
 
§ 8 Final provision
These usage regulations replace the “Usage regulations for the University Computer Center at the University of Bonn,” dated January 7, 2008, and published in the Official Announcements of the University of Bonn, 38th edition, No. 1, dated January 15, 2008.
 

Bonn, January 31, 2012
J. Fohrmann
Dean of the University of Bonn
University Professor Dr. Jürgen Fohrmann

 

This translation is intended to clarify the rights and obligations of people who use the University Computer Center’s IT services.

The German usage regulations apply, as published in the official announcements (31.01.2012):

Benutzungsregelung (PDF-Datei, Größe 78 KB)

 

 

 

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