SKIP to: User Groups, Site Search, Page content, Quick Links, Contact Information

EQUIPMENT USE POLICY
(RCTC Policy 5.22.2)

Part 1. Minnesota State Policy:

Employee Responsibility: In accordance with Minnesota State Policy (in effective June 26, 2006), executive branch employees are responsible for appropriate use of electronic tools, including telephones, cellular telephones, computers, facsimile machines, pagers, e-mail and internet access. They are expected to adhere to the highest ethical standards when conducting State business and to follow the Code of Ethics and related State statutes applicable to executive branch employees. For Example:

Minn. Stat., section 43A.38, Subd. 4 provides “Use of state property”:

a. An employee shall not use or allow the use of state time, supplies, or state-owned or leased property and equipment for the employee’s private interest or any other use not in the interest of the state, except as provided by law.

b. Reasonable use of state-owned cellular phones is limited to “essential personal use.” Essential personal calls is defined as calls of minimum duration and frequency that are urgent in nature and cannot be made at another time or from a different telephone.

c. Exceptions provided by law is in Subd. 4(b) and (c) specifically allows employees to use state electronic resources for limited personal use provided the use, including the value of time spent, results in no incremental cost to the state, i.e. limited personal local phone calls on a State land line phone. This exception is further defined in System Procedure 5.22.1.

Part 2. RCTC Equipment and Property Use:
Ownership of all RCTC property shall reside with the institution. The custody, control and usage are the responsibility of each department in accordance with RCTC policy and State policy. Department/unit heads are responsible for the proper use, maintenance and protection of all property.

In general, faculty and staff are to use the RCTC facilities and services for RCTC business only. However, RCTC has traditionally been open to its communities, and to the extent that this tradition can be maintained without conflicting with the normal work of the institution and State policy, cooperation should be encouraged. It should be clear though, that RCTC equipment cannot be used for purposes unrelated to its educational programs, and that RCTC is not competing with commercial facilities and services.

The department/unit loaning equipment to employees or students is responsible for approving, documenting, and maintaining the appropriate records for the authorized removal of any piece of RCTC property from RCTC premises and then only for RCTC-related activities. RCTC property cannot be taken off campus for personal use, private use, or any other use incompatible with the RCTC's mission.

Directors/Supervisors must ensure that employees take adequate measures for the security of all equipment assigned to their units.

Date of Implementation: Immediate
Date of Adoption: 1/23/07