Internet Access & Chargeout Policy

Please note that this policy has not yet been revised or converted to the new format .

Preamble

University-wide Internet access comes at a significant cost. Monash University incurs these costs based upon the volume of data that is downloaded from the Internet. Internet access should thus be viewed like other expenses such as student printing or staff telephone costs and as such it is important that the cost of the use of this resource is charged to the appropriate cost centre. Previous charging regimes were based upon IP address. This means the billing was done on WHERE the user accessed the network. This has led to the situation where one faculty pays for other faculties' students to use the Internet when they use the first faculty's computer lab. There is also the circumstance where staff are accessing the Internet directly thus reducing the economies delivered by the WWW Proxy facility. It is thus desirable and necessary to have Internet access managed on the basis of WHO is using the Internet.

Purpose

To ensure that Internet usage is recorded by user name and that the costs are charged to the responsible cost centre.

Responsible Officer

Executive Director, Information Technology Services.

Approving Body

UNITAC.

Policy

1. Information Technology Services (ITS) is to be the only group responsible for the installation, operation and maintenance of the centrally managed WWW proxyserver.
   
2. All users will need to login to the centrally managed WWW Proxy facility to access Web and related services.
   
3. ITS shall bill University cost centres for Internet usage and publish the usage information.

Regulations

1. The scope of this policy includes all persons authorised to use the University's web services.
   
2. ITS shall cause all Web and related services to be accessed via proxy servers with named user login. Specific exceptions to this policy will be considered upon application to the Director -IT Facilities, IT Services.
   

Procedure

1. Applications for exemptions from this policy may be made by email to ITS Service Desk with a note in the title "WWW Proxy Exemption Request - Attn: Web & Internet Facilities".  ITS is to publicise this process.

Amendment History