Rights and Responsibilities of Students
Academic Freedom
The Yale School of Management is committed to the protection of free inquiry and expression in the classroom and throughout the school community. In this, the School reflects the University’s commitment, reaffirmed in its Policy on Freedom of Expression (1988), which states: “Nothing is more conducive to the advancement of knowledge and the search for truth, to individual growth and fulfillment, and to basic human liberties than a community, rare in history, where all shades of opinion can be voiced and all avenues of thought and research pursued.”
The Yale SOM Honor code
Guiding Principles
Honesty is fundamental to the profession and practice of management. It is therefore the bedrock premise of management education at Yale. To the community of students, faculty, and staff of the Yale School of Management, honesty and integrity build the trust essential to a free and lively exchange of ideas.
The Yale SOM Honor Code is intended to foster the School’s exceptional learning environment and to support conduct that will distinguish the faculty, staff, and students in their lives as managers, at school, at school-related functions, and in the larger management community. The Honor Code will be referred to as the “Code” hereafter.
The Honor Committee has jurisdiction over all Code violations including matters of academic dishonesty and egregious violations of the social and professional norms of behavior.
Academic Integrity
The Yale SOM community, including faculty, staff, and students, supports the highest standards of academic integrity. All academic work affords an unparalleled opportunity to put forward new and innovative ideas; at SOM, we aspire to always acknowledge the ideas upon which new solutions are based.
When working on any assignment with a team, students must clarify the expectations for each member of the team.
Faculty will provide clear guidelines for students on the parameters of any group work, as well as guidelines for proper citation.
A student will contact the professor for clarification if there is a question about the way in which the group work is to be completed.
Students are encouraged to consult print resources as well as online resources, available on the M.B.A. portal, concerning proper citation.
Community Standards
A hallmark of the Yale SOM community is its inclusive nature, which respects the diverse backgrounds and views of its members. SOM faculty, students, and alumni aspire to standards of conduct while at Yale, and as they function in the larger management community, that will further distinguish SOM as a center of integrity and fair dealing.
Students must uphold, among themselves, the highest standards of professional behavior.
Students must strictly adhere to ethical guidelines during the job search—with interviewers, prospective employers, and their student colleagues.
Students must remember that they represent the School as they take part in activities in the University, New Haven, and the larger management community.
Standards of individual responsibility in the job search, and in the use of School and University information technology resources, are detailed under Policies of the Career Development Office and Policies on the Use of Information Technology Facilities, below.
Procedures of the Honor Committee
Composition and Charge
The Honor Committee considers instances of academic infractions and other serious violations by Yale SOM students against the SOM and University communities and their guests. The committee is responsible for collecting facts pertaining to such infractions and violations, making judgments about them, and determining punishment where appropriate. In addition, the committee reviews and proposes revisions in SOM discipline policy and procedures where needed and communicates its policies and actions to the community at large.
Suspected cases of cheating or other violations of Code standards should be reported to the chair of the SOM Honor Committee or to the dean of students. A list of the members of the Honor Committee may be obtained from the Office of Student and Academic Services.
The committee is appointed by the dean. It consists of four faculty members (one of whom shall be designated chair), six SOM students (three from each class in residence), and the dean of students (who shall act as secretary to the committee and shall be nonvoting). The student members will typically serve for two academic years.
Process
The committee will collect the facts relevant to each complaint under consideration and make judgments on whether an infraction or violation has been committed and on its seriousness to the community. Based on these judgments, the committee will choose a punishment that it deems appropriate to the offense. It shall also inform the community of its actions in such a manner as to protect the identity of individuals who are the recipient of punishments.
Although deviations may be taken by the chair when appropriate to a given case, the following steps are customary:
- 1. The work of the committee normally begins when a member of the University community (faculty, student, or staff) brings a probable violation or infraction to the attention of the committee chair. The chair then requests a written statement and copies of any other relevant materials pertinent to the complaint.
- 2. Based on these materials, the chair will decide whether the offense, if the charge is true, would be of sufficient seriousness to warrant the attention of the committee. Should that be the case, the chair shall inform the student who is the subject of the complaint. At the same time, the student will be given a copy of the Committee Policies and Procedures to apprise the student of his/her rights: (a) to appear before the committee, (b) to be accompanied by any member of the University community to act as his/her adviser,* (c) to examine any and all written materials being provided to the committee as soon as possible, and ordinarily at least forty-eight hours in advance of the meeting, so that the student may have ample opportunity to question or refute them. At the beginning of a meeting with a student who is the subject of a complaint, the chair will review the Procedures of the Committee and the process to be followed in meetings with the committee.
- 3. The committee will endeavor to conduct its business in such a way as to protect the privacy and personal integrity of all individuals who are involved with the case. In addition, it will seek to make its judgments as promptly as is consistent with the need to establish the facts of the case and to come to judgments based on these facts.
- 4. The committee will seek to make its decisions by consensus. When consensus is impossible, a majority vote will be taken. No decision shall be made without a quorum of committee members (defined as a majority of both faculty and students present and participating: at least two faculty members and three students).
- 5. If the committee finds an infraction or violation, it will then decide on an appropriate punishment. Among the possible punishments that can be meted out by the committee are reprimands, probation, suspensions for a specific time period, and, in serious cases, expulsion. A penalty of expulsion will appear on a student’s transcript. Correspondence related to any disciplinary penalty will remain in a student’s internal Yale SOM file and in the files of the Honor Committee. A penalty of a full-term suspension will be reported to an outside agency or individual when a student makes a written request for release of file information to that agency or individual. A penalty of a less than full-term suspension will be reported under the same circumstance but only for a period of two years following the expiration of the term of the suspension. A penalty of probation will be reported under the same circumstances for a period of time the student is enrolled and will not be released after the student has graduated. Information about warnings and reprimands will not be released. To provide for some consistency in reactions to offenses year by year, the committee chair shall study the files and inform the committee (ordinarily before the first case of the year is heard) of punishments meted out in certain classes of cases in prior years. Penalties should be set based upon the severity of the infraction, rather than the impact of such penalty on the student’s personal situation.
- 6. The committee chair will inform those against whom complaints have been made of committee decisions within twenty-four hours of the committee’s decision.
*Role of the adviser: In the SOM disciplinary process, the student’s adviser is not an advocate, but rather a source of support to the student. The adviser may help the student in preparing for the meeting with the Honor Committee and may accompany the student to the meeting. During the meeting, the adviser may quietly suggest questions or issues for the student to raise with the committee; the adviser does not participate directly in the meeting.
Review
- 1. At the beginning of the investigation, the chair will inform committee members of the individual(s) involved in a case. Committee members will be invited to excuse themselves from the case if there is a conflict of interest. If a committee member is excused, the chair will recommend to the dean a successor for temporary appointment to the committee for participation in the matter. At the beginning of the investigation, the chair will inform the student whose conduct is in question of the procedures that will be followed and will notify the student of the membership of the committee. Within one day after receiving that notification, the student may object that a member is prejudiced by stating in writing the basis for this objection. On receipt of this objection, the chair will rule on whether the member should be recused from taking part in the proceedings and, if this is done, will recommend to the dean a successor for temporary appointment to the committee for participation in the matter. A decision of the chair not to recuse the challenged member will be communicated to the student, who may within one day after receiving the notice appeal the decision to the dean. The dean’s decision to deny or grant the appeal of a conflict of interest will be final.
- 2. At the time the committee informs the student of its decision, it shall also inform the dean. The dean will determine whether the committee’s conclusion that a violation has occurred is supported by evidence. If the dean determines that the conclusion is not supported by the evidence, the dean will remand the decision to the committee for further fact-finding or deliberation. The dean’s decision that the conclusion is supported will be final.
- 3. Following the review of the record, the dean will offer any student against whom an infraction or violation is found the opportunity to meet with the dean, as promptly as the dean’s schedule may permit, to raise any objections to the proceedings on the grounds of procedural irregularity or prejudice. If objection is raised, the dean will investigate the objection and may remand the matter to the committee to correct the procedural irregularity or to re-deliberate after disqualifying the member or members found to be prejudiced. A decision of the dean that the proceedings were not irregular or that there is insufficient evidence of prejudice will be final.
- 4. Unless remanded by the dean after review, the committee’s finding of an infraction or violation is final. The committee’s decision on an appropriate punishment may be appealed to the Faculty Review Board. The Faculty Review Board, chaired by the dean, consists of the dean and two senior Yale SOM faculty members. The student must provide the dean with a written request of appeal and any supporting materials within five business days after the student is notified of the committee’s decision. General dissatisfaction with the committee’s decision does not constitute substantial merit. The committee chair may submit a written or oral explanation of the committee’s decision to the Faculty Review Board. The student’s written request and supporting materials will be made available to the Review Board, but the student will not be permitted to attend the Review Board meeting. The Review Board’s role in the appeal will be to judge the appropriateness of the punishment assessed by the committee, assuming the correctness of the committee’s finding of a violation. The Review Board’s decision concerning punishment is final.
Records and Files
Minutes of committee meetings about particular cases and committee deliberations about policy and procedures will be kept by the dean of students, who will act as secretary to the committee. These records will be kept in a confidential, locked file. Only the dean, the dean of students, and the current chair of the Honor Committee shall have access to them. The dean and the chair will be responsible for passing committee files to the dean of students to ensure the completeness of the committee files kept in the office of the dean of students.
For each term, the secretary to the committee shall prepare a document entitled “Actions of the Honor Committee Academic Year: 20__ to 20__,” summarizing each case in which the committee saw fit to assess any form of punishment. Each summary should include a description of the offense and the punishment assessed. These summaries should not identify the students involved and so far as possible should avoid contextual information that would reveal or encourage speculation about the identity of individual students. Honor Committee reports will be posted at the end of the academic year and at the beginning of the fall and spring terms.
Policies of the Office of Student and Academic Services
The Office of Student and Academic Services supports academic, cocurricular, and extracurricular programs at Yale SOM. The Office of Student and Academic Services is responsible for the logistical aspects of the International Experience courses, International Exchange, orientation, and other student programs. The Office of Student and Academic Services works closely with student government and student clubs to enhance and enrich the student experience at SOM. The Office of Student and Academic Services includes the Registrar and Financial Aid offices and is the liaison with the Yale University Resource Office on Disabilities.
Student Records
A permanent file is created for each student upon admission to Yale SOM. This file contains the student’s application materials, acceptance letter, and registration forms, as well as copies of any additional correspondence with the student. Access to this file is governed by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). When a student graduates, his/her file is transferred to the Yale University Archives for permanent storage. A $15 fee will be charged if an alumnus/a requests student record retrieval from permanent storage.
Access to Records
Official student records for currently enrolled students are housed in the Office of Student and Academic Services. Under FERPA, student records are accessible to faculty members, deans, and staff members who have a legitimate educational interest in reviewing the records. Students have automatic access to all parts of their own records except confidential recommendations submitted as part of the application for admission.
The following personal information may be released to the public unless a student requests otherwise: name, address, telephone number, dates of attendance, and degrees received. Any student may request that this information be treated confidentially.
Transcripts
Student transcripts are maintained permanently in the Office of Student and Academic Services. From time to time, students may need to supply a potential employer with an official transcript from the M.B.A. program. An official copy of a Yale SOM transcript will be released on written request (with a signature) from the student or alumnus/a. To have a transcript issued, a student must complete a Transcript Request form, available from the Office of Student and Academic Services or on the Yale Web site. Enrolled students may obtain transcripts free of charge. The fee for an alumnus/a is $7 for the initial transcript and $3 for each additional transcript requested at the same time.
As a matter of policy, grade records are not released to potential employers or others outside the School, with the exception of the grade of Distinction.
International Experience
The International Experience course is an integral part of the core M.B.A. curriculum. All Yale SOM students are expected to complete the International Experience during their first year of study. Students with extraordinary and insurmountable visa issues, serious health concerns, or a family emergency that will force them to delay participation in the course should contact the dean of students for advance approval to postpone the requirement to the following academic year. All requests will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If a student, for any reason, is unable to fulfill the International Experience trip requirement during the first year, he/she must complete an International Experience trip during the second year; completion of the course is required for graduation.
Students who must withdraw from scheduled participation in an International Experience course because of exceptional circumstances will be responsible for assuming any associated nonrecoverable costs incurred by SOM. Since requests to delay the International Experience are individual in nature, all requests for modification to these cancellation charges will be reviewed by the dean of students on a case-by-case basis.
If a student is unable to fulfill a scheduled International Experience course or needs to change destinations because of visa issues, a health emergency, or other unforeseen circumstances, SOM will not reimburse the student for the cost of any expenses incurred in canceling flights or other travel arrangements.
International Exchange
The International Exchange allows students to spend one term studying abroad as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the M.B.A. degree. Specifically, Yale SOM students are permitted to spend the fall term of the second year studying at an approved academic institution. A list of exchange partners and details about the application process are available from the Office of Student and Academic Services or on the M.B.A. portal.
While abroad, students will be evaluated on the exchange partner’s grading scale. Courses completed successfully will appear on the SOM transcript with an indication that the credits were completed abroad. Students will not be assigned grades based on the SOM grading scale. Students are required to speak with the SOM registrar regarding their specific course schedule and course load while abroad to ensure they meet all SOM requirements.
Students selected to participate in the exchange program are expected to attend the exchange program in its entirety and participate fully. If a student withdraws from the International Exchange program after he/she has accepted a place in it, he/she will be charged a $500 program fee to his/her student account.
Exchange participants are expected to be ambassadors for SOM and to represent the School well. While abroad, students are expected to uphold the highest standards of professional behavior. Student conduct while abroad remains subject to the SOM Honor Code.
Academic Tutoring and Support
The Office of Student and Academic Services is committed to providing a variety of resources to help students who are experiencing academic difficulty achieve the highest possible standard of academic excellence. To that end, tutoring is available for the quantitative components of the first-year core curriculum. In addition, the School’s Professional Communications Center is available to assist with written and/or oral communication skills. Information about the center and its services can be found on the M.B.A. portal.
To access tutoring assistance, students should contact the senior associate director of student and academic services and inform the senior associate director of the subject for which the student is seeking tutoring. This request must be made in writing via e-mail at the earliest opportunity once the student determines a need for assistance. It may not be possible to honor requests for tutoring made after the fourth week of the term; the Office of Student and Academic Services will make every effort to accommodate such requests.
If a student who requests tutoring assistance fails to contact an assigned tutor within one week, omits to inform the Office of Student and Academic Services that he/she no longer needs a tutor, or cancels two consecutive appointments with the tutor, the student will forfeit the right to participate in the tutoring program for the remainder of the academic year. If a student cancels a tutoring appointment with less than twenty-four hours’ advance notice, a $25 late cancellation fee will be assessed to the student.
Students should report any issues or concerns with the tutoring program to the dean of students.
Student Workers
Students who are employed by any Yale SOM department are “student workers” and subject to this policy. Student workers include teaching assistants, research assistants, tutors, second-year advisers, CDO coaches, admissions interviewers, and International Experience course assistants, among others. No student may serve as a teaching assistant for any course in which he/she is enrolled for credit.
Student workers are permitted to work up to twenty hours per week during an academic term in which they are registered in only four courses. Student workers registered for more than four courses in a term are permitted to work no more than ten hours per week. These weekly maximums apply to total hours worked in any combination of student worker roles and positions at Yale and are suspended during academic recess periods. First-year students are discouraged from working while completing the core curriculum. First-year students in academic difficulty who have been seen by the Academic Standards Committee are not eligible to be employed by SOM during the first year of study.
Course Recording
If the observance of a major religious holiday will prevent a student from attending class, the student should inform the instructor in advance. In the case of an involuntary hospitalization, the student should inform the instructor in advance if possible. Students missing class for these reasons may request to have classes recorded. Classes missed for other reasons, including illness, job interviews, or other personal or professionsl commitments, will not be recorded. Courses will be recorded only if the instructor is willing to grant permission for video- or audiotaping. Extracurricular events cannot be recorded at student request.
Requests for recording should be made to the senior associate director of student and academic services at least two weeks before a scheduled holiday, or as soon as feasible after an involuntary hospitalization. The senior associate director of student and academic services will review the request to decide if the course should be recorded, contact the course instructor to obtain permission for recording, and arrange for the recording. In reviewing the request, the senior associate director of student and academic services will determine if the course should be videotaped or audiotaped. Core courses are eligible to be videotaped; elective courses or events that affect a small number of students are eligible to be audiotaped only.
The Office of Student and Academic Services may not be able to accommodate requests that are not received with at least two weeks’ advance notice. Students missing class for the observance of a major religious holiday or involuntary hospitalization are responsible for obtaining notes or handouts from a classmate and for checking the course Web site for any relevant postings.
Alcohol
Yale SOM is a community of adults, and the responsible consumption of alcohol has a place within School- and student-organized events. The following guidelines apply whenever alcohol is purchased with School funds and/or served or consumed on School property; a detailed statement of the School’s policies and procedures governing the service of alcohol is available from the Office of Student and Academic Services.
Alcohol may be served or consumed only in the context of School-sponsored or officially recognized club-sponsored events. School funds may not be used to support private parties.
In accordance with Connecticut state law, alcoholic beverages may be dispensed only to individuals who are twenty-one or more years old and may not be dispensed to any intoxicated person.
Alcohol that is purchased with School funds and/or served on the SOM campus must be served by a bartender who (1) is certified by TIPS or a similar organization, (2) is not an SOM student, and (3) remains on duty for the entire time that alcohol is served. “School funds” are any monies in or disbursed from Yale University accounts.
Beer and wine are the only alcoholic beverages that may be served. Whenever alcohol is served, appropriate quantities of nonalcoholic beverages and food must be available at the same location.
Any exceptions to this policy must be approved in writing by the dean of students.
Violations of any of the School of Management alcohol policies and procedures may be referred to the Honor Committee for disciplinary action.
Purchasing Card Use Policy
When a student who is not a club budget officer uses a Student and Academic Services purchasing card (p-card), the student must present an authorization form signed by the appropriate club budget officer. Authorization must include event name and date, name of vendor, items/services to be purchased via p-card, business purpose for purchase, and estimated amount of purchase.
Appropriate original, itemized receipts for p-card purchases should be submitted to the Office of Student and Academic Services by the end of the next business day after the p-card is used. If appropriate receipts are not submitted within five (5) business days, the amount of the purchase may be billed to the student’s bursar account and/or the club may lose p-card privileges for the remainder of the academic year.
Reimbursement Policy
Appropriate original, itemized receipts for purchases and expenses must be submitted to the Office of Student and Academic Services within ten (10) business days from the date the expense was incurred. Receipts must be accompanied by the student reimbursement form, accurately and completely prepared. When the reimbursement is for a club-related expense, the form must include the appropriate club budget officer’s signature of authorization.
No student reimbursements will be processed if submitted more than thirty (30) business days after the expense was incurred or the last day of classes for that term, whichever occurs sooner.
Fundraising Guidelines
Solicitation of alumni, faculty, or staff is not permitted without approval from the Office of Development and Alumni Relations. Guidelines are available in the Office of Student and Academic Services.
Firearms and Weapons
The possession of explosives, guns, ammunition, air rifles, paintball and pellet guns, BB guns, Tasers, knives, or other weapons on the Yale SOM campus is prohibited.
Grievance Procedures
In any community of diverse individuals, unanticipated conflicts or problems may arise. Students who are experiencing or who encounter problems of a personal nature, or who wish to discuss an issue affecting the entire community, should consult the dean of students. Cases involving possible cheating or plagiarism by students may be brought before the standing student-faculty Honor Committee. These matters should be brought to the attention of the dean of students, who is an ex officio member of the Honor Committee.
Yale is committed to providing an atmosphere that is free of discrimination and sexual harassment. Complaints of discrimination brought by a student against a member of the faculty or staff on such bases as race, sex, religion, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation, or handicap are addressed through the Yale School of Management Dean’s Procedure for Student Complaints. This procedure also may be used for informal complaints of sexual harassment brought by students against a member of the faculty or administration. Formal complaints of sexual misconduct, including sexual assault and sexual harassment, must be brought to the University-Wide Committee on Sexual Harassment, which may also address informal complaints; see Resources on Sexual Misconduct in the chapter Yale University Resources and Services.
The SOM Dean’s Procedure is posted on the M.B.A. portal. The University-Wide Procedure for Complaints of Sexual Misconduct can be found at http://provost.yale.edu/uwc.
Policies and Guidelines of the Career Development Office (CDO)
All questions regarding student or employer recruiting policies should be directed to som.cdo@yale.edu.
CDO Advising Appointments
Advising appointments are made via the CDO Recruiting System. In the event that a student needs to cancel an advising appointment, he/she must do so via the CDO Recruiting System as far in advance as is feasible. For pressing issues that arise between advising sessions, students are encouraged to take advantage of CDO open office hours and relationship manager “Quick Questions” sessions. For “just-in-time” needs, call or stop by the CDO.
CDO Workshops
The CDO offers a series of development workshops during the academic year; the schedule for this curriculum is listed on the M.B.A. portal. For those sessions that require an RSVP, please be respectful of your peers and SOM staff by canceling in advance if you have a change in plans. Doing so will enable other students to attend in your place.
CDO Résumé Database/Résumé Review Process
The CDO organizes an annual class Résumé Database for employers. To ensure consistency and ease of use by all potential Yale SOM employers, students are required to submit résumés written and formatted according to the SOM résumé template; résumés not meeting the SOM template format will be excluded from the Résumé Database. Students who wish to opt out of the SOM M.B.A. Résumé Database must inform the CDO by e-mail by the résumé deadline (to be announced).
Employer Events and Interactions
Students will interact with employers throughout their experience at Yale SOM. Whether in educational or recruiting contexts, students are expected to represent themselves and the School well by conducting themselves professionally. Professional conduct includes asking relevant and appropriate questions during Q&A sessions and appropriately managing attendance (“no showing,” arriving late, leaving early, etc., are examples of poor professional conduct). For student clubs organizing company visits, relevant “trek preparation” material that further discusses various aspects of professionalism is available.
Class Attendance
Students may not miss class for interviews, recruiting events, or travel related to these or other recruiting activities. Employers may not require a student, as a condition of his or her employment candidacy, to interview or attend an event at a time that conflicts with his or her individual academic schedule. To allow students to avoid class conflicts, the CDO expects that all interviews, other than on-campus interviews scheduled through the CDO, take place on non-class days.
Recruiting Period for Internships
In order to give employers equal access to qualified candidates, to give students sufficient time to explore relevant internship opportunities, and to allow students to have the benefit of the School’s career management preparatory curriculum, first-year recruiting events should not be held before the internship recruiting period begins on September 27, 2012. Yale SOM asks that firms recruiting both on and off campus begin interviewing students on or after the first day of on-campus recruiting, Wednesday, January 2, 2013.
Interviewing
Students are expected to act in good faith when applying to positions and interviewing. Upon verbal or written acceptance of an employment offer, a student must cease interviewing with other firms and cancel all scheduled interviews. Sending a note of explanation/apology for canceling upcoming interviews is an expected professional courtesy and an important part of long-term relationship management. Cancellations for any reason that occur less than two days before a scheduled interview require that students copy the appropriate relationship manager on the e-mail to the firm.
Offer Timelines and Acceptance Policy
Offer timelines, for both internship and full-time offers, should not preempt a student’s ability to participate in the on-campus recruiting process. For internship offers, Yale SOM recommends a decision period of three to four weeks. Full-time offers extended on or after the start date of full-time on-campus interviewing (October 9, 2012) should permit students four weeks to make a decision. For full-time offers extended at the completion of a summer internship, SOM recommends that the student work with employers to agree on a deadline that allows the student to continue to participate in on-campus recruiting if he or she wishes to do so.
In general, SOM asks that students work with employers to identify mutually agreeable offer response deadlines. A student who feels that the amount of time permitted to make a decision is not reasonable should communicate to the firm how much time is required and why the time is needed. Students who are unable to secure a reasonable decision period should contact the CDO to discuss next steps.
After accepting an offer, students must complete the M.B.A. Employment Survey in the CDO Recruiting System.
Policies on the Use of Information Technology Facilities
All members of the Yale SOM community are expected to be aware of and comply with the following policies and procedures, which are intended to ensure the reliable and secure delivery of information technology services in support of the academic and administrative mission of the School.
University Policies
Information technology at Yale University is governed by a set of policies, procedures, and guidelines (www.yale.edu/its/policy). All users of Yale SOM computing and network services, including those provided by the University, are expected to read and abide by the Information Technology Appropriate Use policy, as well as any other applicable policies. In the following summary of the Appropriate Use policy, “IT Systems” refers to systems, networks, and facilities owned, managed, or maintained by any entity of Yale University, including SOM, as well as privately owned computers used for University business activities.
- • Appropriate use IT Systems exists to support the research, education, and administrative work of the School and University. No other use is authorized without explicit permission.
- • Authorized use Users are entitled to access only those elements of IT Systems that are consistent with their authorization.
- • Prohibited use The following categories of use are prohibited: use that impedes, interferes with, impairs, or otherwise causes harm to the activities of others; use that is inconsistent with Yale’s nonprofit status; use of IT Systems in a way that suggests University or SOM endorsement of any political candidate or ballot initiative; harassing or threatening use; use damaging the integrity of University, SOM, or other IT Systems; use in violation of the law; use in violation of University contracts; use in violation of University policy; and use in violation of external data network policies.
- • Free inquiry and expression Users of IT Systems may exercise rights of free inquiry and expression consistent with the principles of the 1975 Report of the Committee on Freedom of Expression at Yale and the limits of the law.
- • Personal account responsibility Users are responsible for maintaining the security of their IT Systems accounts and passwords.
- • Encryption of data Users are encouraged to encrypt files, documents, and messages for protection against inadvertent or unauthorized disclosure while in storage or in transit over data networks.
- • Responsibility for content Individual offices publishing official University information in electronic form are responsible for that content. All other content published on or over IT Systems shall be treated as the private speech of an individual user.
- • Personal identification Upon request by a systems administrator or other University authority, users must produce valid University identification.
- • Conditions of University access Notwithstanding the high value the University places on privacy, there are circumstances in which the University may determine that University access to IT Systems is warranted without the consent of the user and after following carefully prescribed processes.
- • Enforcement procedures An individual who believes he/she may have been harmed by an alleged violation of this policy or who has observed or been made aware of a violation may make a report to the director of the SOM Information Technology Group or to the University Information Security Office. Alleged violations will be pursued in accordance with the appropriate disciplinary procedures for faculty, staff, and students. Individuals found to have violated these policies may face IT-specific penalties, including the temporary or permanent reduction or elimination of some or all IT privileges and penalties provided for in other University policies. They may also be subject to criminal prosecution, civil liability, or both for unlawful use of any IT System. When appropriate, violations will be forwarded to the SOM Honor Committee for review.
SOM-IT Guidelines
SOM-IT Systems users are expected to be familiar with and follow these guidelines.
- • Student hardware All first-year Yale SOM students receive a standard-issue laptop computer upon arrival at orientation. This computer, which is the personal property of the student, is preloaded with the necessary software applications and configured to operate on the Yale SOM network. The SOM-IT Help Desk will fully support students in using their SOM laptop computers. Replacement or repair of an SOM-issued laptop that is lost, stolen, or damaged beyond the warranty is the student’s responsibility. A replacement laptop may be purchased at the SOM-IT Help Desk.
- • Password security Maintain confidentiality of your passwords at all times. University and SOM-IT personnel will never ask for passwords via e-mail. SOM-IT personnel may ask for your password in order to install software or repair your student hardware. You have the right to know how the password will be used and change it before and after SOM-IT has worked on your computer.
- • Phishing and other attacks Question any attempt to gather personal information such as passwords, user names, and other personal information via e-mail or other electronic means. Contact the SOM-IT Help Desk if you are concerned about a specific request.
- • Data security The University and SOM-IT have deployed an extensive array of information security services in order to safeguard University and personal data. These methods are effective, but information being transmitted over data networks or stored in some environments cannot be perfectly secure. Users may choose to encrypt files, e-mail, and other data for a higher level of protection. More information can be found on the Yale ITS site Secure Computing at Yale (www.yale.edu/its/secure-computing). Users encrypting their data should take special precaution to safely store the keys. Without them, SOM-IT will not be able to recover the data.
- • Data backup Your computer comes with a preconfigured data backup program and service. Become familiar with its operation and ensure that your information is properly being protected by periodically reviewing the history log.
- • Classroom technology SOM classrooms are equipped with digital projectors, audio systems, and other technology useful in teaching and learning. Please contact the SOM-IT Help Desk if you require any assistance in the proper use of these systems.
- • Problem resolution If your student computer is not working properly or if you experience difficulty in using any SOM or Yale IT System, please contact the SOM-IT Help Desk at 203.432.7777 or somit@yale.edu for assistance.
Policy on the Use of the University and School Names and Logos
The Yale University and Yale School of Management names, logotypes, and seals (in all formats) are protected by copyright law. Further, it is of great importance that faculty, students, and staff representing Yale SOM use the School’s established graphic standards. Any use of the name or logotype in the title or caption of a publication or organization, any use of the above-mentioned on stationery or business cards, or their use on any item or product to be distributed or sold by an individual or an organization must be approved by the SOM Office of Communications and is subject to the requirements and restrictions of the Office of the Secretary of Yale University. For further information, contact the Yale School of Management Office of Communications (121 Whitney Avenue) at 203.432.6009 or som.extra@yale.edu.