General Academic Information

Non-Academic Grades (no grade points)
AU Audit
An administrative transcript notation for students auditing a course. Students not wishing credit may audit a course. This status will allow them to participate in class activities without being required to meet the examination requirements of the course. Students may ask to have papers critiqued, but faculty members are not required to grade an auditor's course work. Full tuition and fees are charged for courses audited. A student who wishes to change from credit to audit status must request this within the first four weeks of the course, using such forms and procedures as the college may prescribe. Students auditing a course may not change to credit status.

I Incomplete
A temporary grade assigned by the faculty member when course work is missing and the student agrees to complete the requirements. The student and instructor both must sign a contract to permit an "incomplete" grade. The contract will denote what must be completed to resolve the "I" grade. The "I" must be resolved by the end of the 10th week of the next academic semester (except summer) or it automatically converts to an "F" or "NC" for incomplete (remedial) courses.

N No Grade
An administrative transcript notation for any situation where there is no grade reported at the end of the traditional semester (i.e., no grade received from a faculty member, courses in progress, or no basis for a grade). The "N" grade can only be awarded by the Registrar.

P Pass
An administrative transcript notation for successful completion of courses taken on a pass/fail basis. Pass ("P") is a final grade awarded to a student who elects the P/F Option prior to the end of the 10th week of the fall or spring semester or prior to the completion of two-thirds of a summer session or module course. The "P" is not figured in the Grade Point Average, but it does count as a course attempted. The "F" is figured in the Grade Point Average. The Pass/Fail Option is not available for use on courses to be applied toward a technology degree or for courses in the Nursing Program. The P/F option is irrevocable.

TR Transfer
An administrative transcript notation in lieu of a grade for courses accepted for credit completed at all institutions within the Connecticut state system of higher education and at all other regionally accredited collegiate institutions in accordance with policy adopted by the Board of Trustees of Community-Technical Colleges.

W Withdrawal
An administrative transcript notation used to indicate that a student is withdrawn from a course in accordance with the procedures prescribed by the college. Students may withdraw, in writing or verbally at the Registrar's Office, for any reason until the end of the 13th week of classes. Financial aid students and International students withdrawing from all courses must notify respectively the Financial Aid Office and the International Student advisor through the end of the semester.

Grades For Developmental Courses
Developmental courses do not carry grade points, and the credits assigned to these courses do not count towards the required credits necessary for graduation.

Developmental courses are graded A#, A-#, B+#, B#, B-#, C+#, C#, C-#, D+#, D#, D-#, and F# are not calculated in the Grade Point Average.

Grades received and credits earned or not earned in developmental courses do not affect graduation honors in any way, positively or negatively. Credits received in developmental courses do not count towards graduation and consequently cannot be applied towards the 25% minimum residency requirement.

Grades For Credit-Free Courses
CS Completed satisfactorily, eligible for CEU as assigned.
CU Completed unsatisfactorily, not eligible for CEU award.
CX Course not completed by student.
CN Indicates no grade assigned by instructor.

Repeated Courses
Effective Fall 2002, the repeat policy is: No course may be repeated more than twice. The highest grade received will be used in calculating the student's academic average. This does not apply to those courses that are designed to be repeated for additional credit.

From Fall 1995 through Summer 2001, the repeat policy was: a student may repeat any course, regardless of the grade received. In every instance, the last grade received will become the valid grade for computation of the Grade Point Average (GPA). All grades still appear on the transcript, with the annotation "E" for excluded after the first attempted course grade. The meaning of "E" is that the grade points associated with the grade have been excluded from the GPA calculation. Credit for any given course is awarded only once.

For the benefit of all students who repeated courses during the period of Fall 1993 through Summer 1995, the earlier restriction on repeating courses graded "C" or better has been removed. The revised policy of unrestricted repeats introduced with the Fall 1995 semester has been applied retroactively to those students who received an unauthorized repeat symbol instead of an earned grade for the repeated course. Affected students will now receive the last earned grade for the course and the associated grade points will be used in the calculation of the cumulative GPA. Any students negatively impacted by the retroactive change in policy may petition the Academic Dean for individual review of their academic record.

The Grade Point Average (GPA)
The GPA is used to determine a student's standing in his or her class and in the College generally. Total grade points for a semester are calculated by multiplying the grade points allocated to each letter grade times the number of credits (in semester hours) assigned to each course attempted. The GPA is calculated by dividing the total number of grade points by the total number of credits earned, either in one semester or over the student's entire college career.
For example:

Points				Per
Course	Grade	Credits		Credit
MAT* K137	B	3	X	3.0	=	9.0
ENG* K101	A-	3	X	3.7	=	11.1
PSY* K111	C	3	X	2.0	=	6.0
BIO* K121	A	4	X	4.0	=	16.0
------------	-----	------	-	-----	-	-----
		13				42.1

This student's GPA would be 3.24 (42.1 divided by 13).

Standards of Progress
Academic Progress Standard #1 -
Academic Standing (ASTD)
Beginning with Fall 2004, academic standing is calculated based on cumulative GPA hours (rather than attempted hours) and the student’s overall GPA. Courses with the # and ^ sign and N, W, I, AU (Audit), and P (Pass) are excluded from the calculation.

Cumulative GPA Hours	Overall GPA	Academic Standing
0.5 – 11.99	1.5 – 4.0	Good Standing
0.5 – 11.99	0.0 - 1.49	Written Warning
12 - 30.99	1.7 - 4.0	Good Standing
12 - 30.99	0.0 - 1.69	Academic Probation
31 - 999.99	2.0 - 4.0	Good Standing
31 - 999.99	0.0 - 1.99	Academic Probation

The progress evaluation percentage is calculated as follows:

(Total cumulative credits minus credits that have been graded as non-completions) divided by total cumulative credits

For example, if a NEW student takes four three-credit courses this fall and receives grades of C, B, F and W, then the calculation will be: (12-6) divided by 12 = ½ or 50%. The student will be in good standing because they have successfully completed a minimum of 50% of total credits.

Combined Academic Standing
Effective with Fall 2004 grading, the combined academic standing will determine whether a student can continue taking courses for the next term with no restrictions (Good Standing), with a limited credit load (Written Warning or Probation) or if the student is suspended from taking any classes for the minimum of one term. The
possible permutations of Academic Standing and Progress Evaluation descriptions and the resultant combined academic standing are shown below.

Academic Standing + Progress Evaluation = Combined Academic Standing

Academic Standing	Progress Evaluation	Combined Academic
Good Standing	Good Standing	Good Standing
Good Standing	Probation	Progress Probation
Written Warning	Good Standing	GPA Written Warning
Written Warning	Probation	Warning & Progress Probation
Academic Probation	Good Standing	GPA Probation
Academic Probation	Probation	GPA & Progress Probation
Academic Suspension	Good Standing	GPA Suspension
Academic Suspension	Probation	Progress Probation & GPA Suspension

Students who fail to regain satisfactory academic progress at the conclusion of the GPA Probation semester will be subject to GPA Suspension. Suspension can result in ineligibility to return to the college for a minimum of one semester.

Students placed on academic probation or suspension who believe extenuating circumstances affected their performance, including financial aid recipients who have
their funding suspended due to unsatisfactory academic progress, may submit a written letter of appeal to the Academic Dean.

Academic Warning, Probation and Suspension Policy
• Satisfactory academic progress will be evaluated by the College when a student is registered at Three Rivers (including all registered credits at the former Mohegan Community College and Thames Valley State Technical College).

• Students who have completed 11 or fewer credits whose Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) falls below 1.5 will be given a Written Warning.

• Students who have completed between 12 and 30 credits inclusive whose CGPA falls below 1.7 and those who have completed 31 or more credits whose CGPA falls below 1.9, will be given a written notice that they are placed on Academic Probation. Students will receive written notification of the academic probation status and will be required to reduce their registered course load for the next enrollment period. Financial Aid recipients placed on academic probation will also have their funding suspended until they regain satisfactory academic progress.

• Students who fail to regain satisfactory academic progress at the conclusion of the Academic Probation Semester will be subject to Academic Suspension from the College for a minimum of one semester.

• Students placed on Academic Probation or Suspension who believe extenuating circumstances affected their performance, including financial aid recipients who have their funding suspended due to unsatisfactory academic progress, may submit a written letter of appeal to the Academic Dean.

Reinstatement of Suspended Students
Suspended students who are reinstated to the College must satisfactorily complete all course work and achieve a minimum semester grade point average of 1.7 or higher each semester following their reinstatement until they regain satisfactory academic standing. Students who do not meet these criteria shall again be subject to suspension from the College. Subsequent reinstatement requests must be submitted to the Academic Dean.

Academic Honors
At the conclusion of each fall and spring semester, Three Rivers publishes a Dean's List recognizing students who earned three (3) credits or more in that semester and demonstrated exceptional academic performance.

Dean's List
Students who earn a 3.40 or higher semester GPA will be awarded Dean's List Honors.

Students are ineligible for academic honors consideration in a given semester if they have:
1) a grade of "I" (Incomplete)
2) a grade of "W" (Withdrawal)
Courses with grades of "P" (Pass), "AU" (Audit) and all earned credit for developmental courses are not counted in honors calculation.

Graduation Honors
Required cumulative grade point averages:

• For Cum Laude (honors),
  3.4 - 3.699 cumulative GPA
• For Magna Cum Laude (high honors),
  3.7 - 3.89 cumulative GPA
• For Summa Cum Laude (highest honors),
  3.9 - 4.0 cumulative GPA

Graduation Honors for Associate Degree
Summa Cum Laude
To graduate with highest honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 25% of the AS degree requirements with earned credits at Three Rivers Community College, and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher.

Magna Cum Laude
To graduate with high honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 25% of the AS degree requirements with earned credits at Three Rivers Community-Technical College, and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.70 - 3.89.

Cum Laude
To graduate with honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 25% of the AS degree requirements with earned credits at Three Rivers Community College, and achieved at least a cumulative GPA of 3.4.

An incomplete grade for any class during the semester will make the student ineligible for honors at the graduation ceremony.

Graduation Honors for Certificate
Summa Cum Laude
To graduate with highest honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 50% of the certificate requirements with earned credits at Three Rivers Community College, and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher.

Magna Cum Laude
To graduate with high honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 50% of the certificate requirements with earned credits at Three Rivers Community-Technical College, and achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.70 - 3.89.

Cum Laude
To graduate with honors, a student must have completed a minimum of 50% of the certificate requirements with earned credits at Three Rivers Community College, and achieved at least a cumulative GPA of 3.4.

An incomplete grade for any class during the semester will make the student ineligible for honors at the graduation ceremony.

Fresh Start
Click Here for Fresh Start Application

The Fresh Start Option permits a fresh start for students who have been away from the College for two (2) or more years, who would return on probation or have been suspended, and who have a GPA (Grade Point Average) of less than 2.00.

If approved, the student will receive credit for the courses with a grade of “C-” or a above (> = 1.7), including “P” (Pass). Courses with a grade less than a “C-” will not retain credit. All courses and grades remain on the student’s academic record with an additional notation of when the Fresh Start Option is in effect but grades are not incorporated in the GPA.

• Fresh Start Option may be used only once.
• Fresh Start Option does not apply to any completed degree or certificates.
• Fresh Start must be applied to ALL courses taken during the time span under consideration, even if completed satisfactorily.
• A student must complete a minimum of 15 credits after returning to college under the Fresh Start Option to be eligible for a degree or certificate, and for graduation honors.

Academic Integrity Policy
The effective operation of any organization is dependent on the honesty and goodwill of its members. In an organization devoted to the pursuit of knowledge, acting with integrity is essential to effective teaching and learning. Furthermore, academic dishonesty erodes the legitimacy of every degree awarded by the College. To emphasize the importance of academic integrity, Three Rivers Community College adheres to the following policy in addition to the Student Discipline Policy, sections 2:10 and 3:1-10, as provided by the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Community Colleges. Since collaboration is central to the learning community, Three Rivers wishes to emphasize that this policy is not intended to discourage collaboration when appropriate, approved, and disclosed.

Definitions of Academic Dishonesty

General Definition
(Student Discipline Policy, section 2:10, Board of Trustees of Connecticut Community Colleges)
Academic Dishonesty shall in general mean conduct which has as its intent or effect the false representation of a student’s academic performance, including but not limited to (a) cheating on an examination, (b) collaborating with others in work to be presented, contrary to the stated rules of the course, (c) plagiarizing, including the submission of others’ ideas or papers (whether purchased, borrowed, or otherwise obtained) as one’s own, (d) stealing or having unauthorized access to examination or course materials, (e) falsifying records of laboratory or other data, (f) submitting, if contrary to the rules of a course, work previously presented in another course, and (g) knowingly and intentionally assisting another student in any of the above, including assistance in an arrangement whereby any work, classroom performance, examination or other activity is submitted or performed by a person other than the student under whose name the work is submitted or performed.

Academic Dishonesty in a Service Learning, Practicum, Internship, Co-operative, or Fieldwork Environment
Conduct in community settings entered by a student as part of coursework must be equally characterized by integrity and honesty. Dishonest conduct proscribed under this policy includes but is not limited to (a) making false statements to community partners about the student’s skills, credentials and accomplishments, (b) making false statements to community partners or the instructor about progress in the work the student has agreed to do in the community, including supplying false documentation of work, (c) failing to abide by the rules and policies of the community partners that the student agreed to accept as a condition of entrance into the community setting, (d) failing to return materials belonging to the community partner or instructor (e) violating the ethical principles common to professional researchers, including violation of confidentiality or anonymity agreements with research subjects, deceiving or harming research subjects, or coercing participation in research.

Process for Faculty to follow if they suspect Academic Dishonesty
1) The faculty member will meet with the student and discuss the incident in question. If the faculty member is not comfortable with meeting the student privately, the Academic Dean or designee may be invited to attend the meeting. A faculty member may instead refer a suspected incident of academic dishonesty to the Dean's office.

2) During the course of the meeting, the faculty member should explain why he or she suspects academic dishonesty.

3) The student should be given a full opportunity to respond to the faculty member’s concerns.

4) a) If, at the end of the meeting, the faculty member is convinced that no academic dishonesty has in fact occurred, the incident is considered resolved.
b) If, at the end of the meeting, the faculty member is not certain that an incident of academic dishonesty has occurred, the faculty member may warn the student that the assignment is questionable and that future assignments will be scrutinized carefully. The incident is then considered resolved.
c) If, at the end of the meeting, the faculty member feels strongly that an incidence of academic dishonesty has occurred, he or she may assign a grade of F or of 0 for the assignment in question, or the faculty member may require that the student complete a make-up assignment or a corrected revision in lieu of the questionable assignment. In a situation where the incident of academic dishonesty does not involve a gradable assignment, the faculty member may require the student to complete some other form of correction. (e.g. returning materials taken from a community partner).

5) a) If the student accepts the penalty assigned in Step 4, the faculty member is encouraged to report the student’s name, date, assignment type, type of academic dishonesty and any disciplinary measures taken to the Academic Dean’s office for confidential tracking of repeat offenders, and the incident is considered resolved.
b) If the student refuses to accept the penalty assigned in Step 4, the faculty member will report the student’s name, date, assignment type, type of academic dishonesty and any recommended disciplinary measures to the Academic Dean’s office for confidential tracking of repeat offenders. Furthermore, the faculty member will initiate the Discipline Procedures as defined by the Board of Trustees of Connecticut Community Colleges, in the Student Discipline Policy, section 3:1-10 by submitting a statement of possible violation with the Academic Dean.

Promoting Academic Integrity at Three Rivers
Faculty are encouraged to distribute and discuss this document in their classes.

Faculty are encouraged to include the following statement in their syllabi:
Academic integrity is essential to a useful education. Failure to act with academic integrity severely limits a person’s ability to succeed in the classroom and beyond. Furthermore, academic dishonesty erodes the legitimacy of every degree awarded by the College. In this class and in the course of your academic career, present only your own best work; clearly document the sources of the material you use from others; and act at all times with honor.

Faculty are encouraged to have students write and sign Honor Statements for assignments where they would be appropriate.
For Example:
“I have not given nor received any unauthorized assistance in completing this assignment.”
Or:
“I assert that the work presented in this assignment is my own original effort.”

These assertions are intended to confirm the understanding between faculty and students that academic integrity is essential and not to imply a lack on integrity on the part of any student. Faculty should specify the consequences of failure or refusal to sign and may consider alternative means of affirming academic integrity.

Appeal of Grades
A student who wishes to appeal an awarded grade should first confer with the faculty member concerned within 15 days of becoming aware of the grade. If the student is not satisfied with the outcome of that conference, the student should see the program coordinator and/or department chair and then, if not satisfied, may submit a written appeal to the Academic Dean, who will consult with the faculty member and the appropriate department chair. The appeals process is described in detail on the Review of Academic Standing section of the Institutional Policies page.

Course Substitutions for Students with Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (1992) addresses the substitution of courses required for a degree. In certain situations, provided the college has adequate documentation of the student's disability, a substitution of a course requirement for another appropriate course is possible. Students are encouraged to contact a disabilities advisor for the specific policy and procedures to follow.

Graduation
Three Rivers awards the Associate in Applied Science (AAS), Associate in Arts (AA) and the Associate in Science (AS) degrees and certificates to qualified candidates as authorized by the General Assembly of the State of Connecticut.

Graduation is not automatic. Potential candidates for graduation must apply for graduation certification and pay a $37.00 non-refundable fee. Three Rivers accepts applications and certifies student eligibility for graduation three times each year following the fall and spring semesters and at the end of the summer session. All graduates are invited to attend the annual commencement ceremony held in the spring.

Application for graduation and payment of the required graduation fee must be made according to the following schedule:

• Candidates planning to complete program requirements in the fall semester must apply by June 15 (Fall completers).
• Candidates planning to complete program requirements in the Spring Semester must apply by November 15 (Spring completers).
• Candidates planning to complete program requirements in the Summer Session (Summer completers) and participate in the Commencement, must apply by November 15.
• Candidates planning to complete program requirements in the Summer Session and NOT participate in the Commencement must apply by April 15.

Students are encouraged to apply early.

Students who do not qualify for graduation in the semester for which they apply will be required to reapply. A second graduation fee will not be required when reapplication occurs in the same academic year or from spring semester to summer session of the same calendar year.

Program Requirements for Graduation
The Plan of Study used to determine graduation eligibility will be that under which the candidate first enrolled, except as noted in the following:

1. If the candidate was readmitted to the College, after an absence of two years or more, the Plan of Study used shall be that under which the candidate was readmitted.

2. If the candidate changed his/her program one or more times during attendance, the Plan of Study used shall be that which was in effect at the time of the last change of program.

3. If the courses required within a program have been significantly changed since the time of enrolled readmission or change of program, or if other unusual circumstances exist as determined by the Registrar, the catalog in effect at the time of graduation may be used. If the candidate disagrees with the selection of catalog, he/she may seek written permission from the program coordinator and/or department chair to be evaluated under another catalog.

4. In no case will a student be permitted to use requirements from more than one catalog, or from a combination of catalogs, to meet graduation requirements.

Graduation Requirements:
1. Official enrollment in a Three Rivers Community College certificate or degree program.

2. Satisfactory completion of all courses required in the certificate or degree program with a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.0 and no more than 12 credits carrying a grade of P.

3. A minimum of 25% (15 credits for career programs and 17 credits for technology programs) of the graduation credit requirements must be granted by Three Rivers.

4. Completion of a basic computer literacy requirement, if required in the specific degree program.

5. Successful completion of at least 50% of all courses attempted at Three Rivers.

6. Prompt and timely completion of the Application for Graduation and payment of the graduation fee.

7. Fulfillment of all financial obligations to the College.

As a courtesy, students planning to graduate in August are permitted to participate in the June commencement held before the date of their August graduation provided they apply by the appropriate deadline.

Please note that the preliminary honors announcement at the June graduation ceremony is based on the student’s academic record effective at the end of the prior Fall semester. Official honors determination is made based on the student’s complete record, which includes the Spring semester prior to graduation. For this reason, the official honors recognition may differ from that announced at graduation.

Instructions for Obtaining the Application for Graduation Form
Open and complete the form.  (Click on the icon below to open the form.  Note:  You must have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your computer to open the form.  Click on the icon below to download Acrobat Reader.)

                       

As a courtesy, students planning to graduate in August are permitted to participate in the June commencement held before the date of their August graduation provided they apply by the appropriate deadline.

Please note that the preliminary honors announcement at the June graduation ceremony is based on the student's academic record effective at the end of the prior Fall semester.  Official honors determination is made based on the student's complete record, which includes the Spring semester prior to graduation.  For this reason, the official honors recognition may differ from that announced at graduation.

Board of Trustees Medallion for Academic Excellence
The Board of Trustees Medallion for Academic Excellence is awarded in recognition of outstanding academic accomplishments of associate degree graduates of the community colleges and is presented at commencement.

Annually, each community college shall determine the students eligible to receive the medallion in accordance with the following criteria:

• Recipients must be graduating students who have earned a cumulative quality point ratio of 4.000;
• Recipients must have completed the degree requirements of an approved associate degree program and must have completed at least 50% of the degree requirements in residence at the community college awarding the degree;
• Graduates shall not be disqualified from receiving the award on the basis of having a "W" or other similar transcript notation of official course withdrawal(s).

This policy shall be implemented in recognition of the existence and intent of "fresh start" policies of community colleges.

Earning Multiple Degrees
A student who already holds an academic degree may earn a second degree in a different curriculum at Three Rivers. Such a student is treated similarly to a transfer student with respect to the minimum number of credits he/she must take for the second degree. This will require that a student complete all program requirements and in no case less than 25% of the total credits required in the new curriculum as additional hours of credit at the college through which the second degree is to be conferred.

A student may earn two degrees simultaneously at Three Rivers by fulfilling all requirements stated in the above paragraph. Requests for additional degrees beyond the second require prior approval from the Academic Dean. Completion of requirements of an additional program option does not constitute a different degree. A student wishing to earn a certificate and degree in the same program must complete the requirements of the certificate prior to earning the degree.

Computer Literacy Requirement
A basic computer skill is required of all degree-seeking students who commenced their education on or after 1990. The requirement must be met by the time of graduation from the institution. However, since the value of computer literacy is to provide students additional tools to enhance their education, it is highly recommended that the computer literacy requirement be fulfilled by the end of the first semester.

Certification of literacy will be based on the accomplishment of one of the following criteria:

1. An acceptable score on CLEP or DANTES exams in computer science and applications. Passage of either of these tests also results in college credit.

2. Successful completion of a computer applications or computer science course from another regionally accredited college or university.

3. Successful completion of any course, 3 credits or more, with the following prefix: CSC, CSA*, CSC*, CST* or CAD.

4. Successful completion of one of the following courses:

ACC* K125 Accounting Computer Applications 1;
BBG* K115 Business Software Applications;
BOT* K111 Keyboarding for Information Processing;
BOT* K137 Word Processing Applications I;
BOT* K215 Word Processing Applications II;
BOT* K219 Integrated Office;
COM* K121 Journalism;
ENG   K231 Presentations Using the Computer;
GRA* K140 Desktop Publishing;
GRA* K155 Advertising from the Desktop;
LIB* K201 Electronic Resources in Libraries.

5. Successful completion of a Criminal Justice degree or Nursing degree program.

6. Successful completion of three of the following one-credit modules:

BOT* K150 / CSA* K101 (Windows, The Internet, and E-mail);
BOT* K135 / CSA* K121A (Word Processing I );
CSA* K121B (Word Processing II Microsoft Word);
BOT* K116   (Spreadsheets I );
CSA* K131A (Spreadsheets I );
BOT* K117   (Spreadsheets II );
CSA* K131B (Spreadsheets II );
BOT* K191 / CSA* K150 (Presentation Graphics Microsoft PowerPoint);
CSA* K141A (Database Applications 1);
CSA* K170   (Brief Introduction to Visual Basic).

Completion of one of the above criteria may be used to satisfy another degree requirement. Fulfillment of the Computer Literacy requirement does not increase the total number of credits needed to finish a degree.

Transfer students should investigate whether the universities to which they intend to transfer have a computer requirement and which of the courses listed above will satisfy it.

Computer Resources Policy
The Community College System offers computing service to faculty, staff, and students for instructional and administrative use through the system data center and local campus computer centers. The availability and use of these resources carry with it a set of responsibilities for all the users of these resources. All accounts for the usage of these resources are allocated on the condition that their use is governed by the following policy. Colleges shall post the policy in all student computer laboratories and other areas that contain computer resources, (e.g., libraries) and shall include the policy in either their catalogs or student handbooks. Further, this policy statement shall be distributed to all faculty and staff involved with college computing resources and be reviewed in all pertinent classes at the first meeting of each semester.

Conduct and Ethics for Use of Computer Resources
Every individual with access to computer resources and facilities at Three Rivers is bound by these policies. Any individual who breaks, or is suspected of breaking these rules, may have their authorization to use or access the computer resources immediately withdrawn. In this regard, the College reserves the right to access all accounts and/or media being used on Three Rivers' computer resources for management and security purposes.

All computer related resources and facilities at Three Rivers are under the jurisdiction of the Information Technology Division. They will be used solely for legitimate and authorized academic and/or administrative purposes required in the performance of assigned duties/academic endeavors at Three Rivers. They shall not be used for personal (private or non-profit) work not specifically authorized by the College, without the written approval of the Dean of Information Technology. Any unauthorized or illegitimate use of the computer system resources and/or facilities may necessitate disciplinary and/or legal action against the violators. Legal action or violation of 53a-250 et seq. of the State General Statutes may lead to a felony conviction. Items covered include, but are not limited to:
- Unauthorized access to Computer Systems/ Information.
- Theft of Computer Services.
- Unauthorized disruption of Computer Services.
- Unauthorized disclosure, use, alteration, or destruction of information.
- Damage to, destruction of, or tampering with computer equipment or software.
- Unauthorized installation and/or use of non-college software on Three Rivers equipment.

Any allocation by the Information Technology Division is made with the understanding that the allocation and/or account(s) are (1) to be used solely for the purpose indicated and required by Three Rivers, (2) to be used only by the person to whom they have been allocated, and (3) to be used only while they are active members of the staff or currently registered student body.

Any person who has been authorized to use computing resources at Three Rivers, shall be expected to regard all copyrighted account(s) or proprietary information, which may become available as confidential. It may not be copied, modified, or otherwise used for other than the intended use unless prior written permission from the owner/ licensee has been obtained and a copy of this authorization provided to the Division of Information Technology. Unless otherwise legitimately noted as "Public Domain ", all software used by Three Rivers shall be considered copyrighted unless cleared by the Three Rivers Information Technology Division.

Any non-State employee who uses State Computer Resources while engaged in a software development project intended for State use shall, prior to starting the project, make written arrangements with Three Rivers for payment, or sign an agreement to ensure that the product belongs to the State. All software developed by State employees using State resources is the property of the State.

No one shall attempt to disassemble, modify, repair, change configuration or relocate any computer-related equipment unless expressly authorized to do so by the Information Technology Division.

Internet access is provided at various levels. Transmission or receipt of data from the network is permitted as long as it falls within the law; complies with the restrictions imposed by our access vendor; supports College activities to enhance educational and research activities; does not contain threatening, obscene, or harassing materials; and does not contaminate or overload site resources. Applicable laws include laws of the country, states, counties and cities, etc. through which the traffic flows. Legal non-executable file formats are permitted and may be used on the system. Compressed files (.zip,.tar,.z, etc.) can be downloaded, but NOT used (not even an executed one) on College equipment and must be removed from all College systems immediately. Executable and self-extracting files can only be downloaded to College equipment if they are converted to a compressed format prior to receipt and the procedures for compressed files are followed.