The Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008 (HEOA) sets forth a requirement for colleges and universities to address illegal peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted works by those using campus resources. Grays Harbor College is required to have a policy that informs students annually that they may be subject to criminal and civil penalties if they engage in illegal distribution of copyrighted materials, define sanctions for those who do not comply, certify to the Secretary of Education that GHC has plans to effectively combat unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material, and offers alternatives to illegal file sharing.
- Students are informed quarterly via email.
- When students are found to be in violation by IT staff or faculty, progressive discipline is utilized as spelled out in the student conduct code. The sanctions may include disabling access to the internet and/or the network.
- File sharing alternatives are provided to students.
- Infringement, even unwittingly-may cause the student to be subject to civil damages. The college assumes no liability for such actions.