Policies and Procedures
Please note that this site is under development and policies are subject to change.
- Inappropriate Content
- Taking Down Content
- Inactive Sites
- Collecting Information and Forms
- Private Pages
Inappropriate Content
Bentley supports the free and open exchange of information and allows students and employees to make incidental use of its computing resources for personal purposes. It also expects members of the Bentley community to exercise judgment and to act respectfully and lawfully.
Students who choose to engage in Internet blogs, chat rooms, discussion groups, bulletin boards and other forms of social computing may inadvertently pose a threat to their own and others’ personal privacy and safety. Information made publicly available may be viewed by prospective employers, or by an individual intent on causing harm. Publishing personally-identifiable content (e.g., photos, addresses, phone numbers, banking information, health information) can lead to identity theft, stalking and other potentially dangerous outcomes.
Students who engage in activities that compromise the privacy of other students or employees are violating institutional policy. Such violations may result in sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Students are reminded there’s a thin line between freedom of expression and defamation. Students who engage in activities that adversely impact Bentley’s reputation/mission and interfere with advantageous business relations, defame either directly or through reasonable inference any member of the Bentley community (defined as student, employee, board member or alumni), or place a member of the Bentley community at risk in any way are violating institutional policy. Such violations may result in sanctions up to and including suspension or expulsion.
Provisions outlined in other sections of this document apply to blogging and to other forms of personal expression in public forums.
Bentley reminds students of their obligation to clearly state that opinions expressed are their own and not those of Bentley University.
Taking Down Content
Members of the Association of Bentley Activities (ABA) will be monitoring activity and content of student organization websites on a semesterly basis. Should questionable content be found on any recognized student organization website, the ABA member will report the specific violation to the Director of Student Activities or Program Coordinator.
Student organization webmasters are also responsible for monitoring any comments, postings or thoughts that others may include on their assigned website.
Students may also report violations as pertained to the above regulations directly to the Office of Student Activities by completing a form online, or speaking in person to the Director of Student Activities or Program Coordinator. You may schedule an appointment by calling 781.891.2700.
Upon receipt of the alleged violation, the Office of Student Activities reviews the content. Should a violation be found , the Office of Student Activities will contact the specific student organization’s webmaster to meet with the Director of Student Activities or Program Coordinator. If an agreed upon meeting time is not arranged within 24 hours of finding the violation, the website will be removed from the Bentley server. Content in question of violation must be removed in the interim while the case is being managed by the Office of Student Activities and the student organization’s webmaster. Failure to do so will result in the website being disabled as determined by the Office of Student Activities.
Appropriate sanctions for any found violations will be managed and decided upon by the Office of Student Activities, in conversation with the Office of Student Affairs for possible judicial recommendations.
Information that is reported remains confidential within the discretion of the Office of Student Activities.
Inactive Sites
Having a student organization website is not a condition for recognition at Bentley. However, if a recognized student organization desires a website, maintenance and content management must be a priority.
In the semesterly review by ABA members, if a student organization website is found to be inactive, the following will occur:
- A list of organizations in violation of inactivity will be given to the Director of Student Activities and Program Coordinator.
- Those said organizations will be notified by the Office of Student Activities to arrange a meeting with the webmaster.
- In this meeting, identifying the reason for inactivity should be a priority:
- If there is a lack of desire for maintaining a website, removal of that specific site will be managed.
- If there is a lack of a person to maintain the website (e.g., the former webmaster graduated without a replacement), the Office of Student Activities will work with the organization to find a student willing to maintain the website.
- If there is a student willing to maintain the website, but lacks the appropriate training, the Office of Student Activities and Client Services will coordinate support and training for students.
- The Program Coordinator will also serve as an initial resource to support training of students in website management. Should further assistance be needed, referral to Client Services and the Help Desk will be given.
Collecting Information and Forms
Student Organizations may collect information using forms, but may only request the name and other non-personal content. Email address, student ID number, Social Security number, credit card information and the like may not be requested.
Private Pages
Students may not enable any password protected, private pages on Bentley student organization websites. Information shared on the website should be public, and “members only” areas are not permitted.
