How much freedom should an educational institution give its students to use cyberspace? Should the institution have a say in what students, faculty and staff post on the World Wide Web? If a student uses university e-mail to harass or defame someone, is the university legally liable? When everyone is connected to everyone else, how do you protect an individual's privacy?
All too often computer-use policies are developed in response to crises resulting from the misuse of computer and networking resources. To help educators prepare in advance to deal with such issues, Cornell's Office of Continuing Education will offer a workshop on "Computer Policy and Law" July 9-11 in Statler Hall on the Cornell campus. Participants will examine the legal implications of extensive campus networking and explore frameworks for limiting personal and institutional exposure to liability, while at the same time preserving free speech and academic freedom. The conference is intended for technology administrators, legal counsel, judicial administrators, public relations directors, risk managers, auditors and affirmative action officers at colleges and universities.
Presenters will include administrators and technology specialists from Cornell, the University of Maryland, Ohio State University and the U.S. Department of Justice, along with attorneys specializing in these issues. This is the second annual presentation of the program. New features this year include a discussion of public-key cryptography and an expanded discussion of copyright issues.
Further details on the program are available at http://www.sce.cornell.edu/Exec/CPL.html.