Fall 2004 MSIN/MSISTM INI Policies and Procedures Guide

The Policies and Procedures detailed on this page apply only to students entering the MSIN and MSISTM programs in Fall 2004. Students who entered the MSIN or MSISTM programs prior to Fall 2004, please refer to INI Policies and Procedures.

The information provided in this policy guide is intended to summarize the rules of the INI MSIN/ MSISTM graduate programs. These policies are subject to change and/or modifications and do not constitute a contract.

The following are partial requirements for the MSIN and MSISTM degrees. The full description of the requirements for both programs can be found on the INI web site at: Academic Programs.

A. MSIN Degree Requirements
Each MSIN candidate must complete 171 units of course work. These 171 units comprise:

B. MSISTM Degree Requirements
Each MSISTM candidate must complete 171 units of course work. These 171 units comprise:

C. Electives

1. Restricted Electives
Restricted electives form the area of a student's specialization. Students have an opportunity to pursue a wide range of electives in which they have a special interest. This portion of the curriculum is comprised of 48 units. Of the 48 required units, 12 units must be a course in ECE or CS that is numbered 300 or above. The remaining 36 units can be fulfilled by any course in the Heinz School or the Tepper School or any course in ECE or CS that is numbered 300 or above. Restricted electives may not be taken pass/fail.

2. Free Electives
Any Carnegie Mellon course (e.g., from the English Department) counts towards free elective credit. Free electives may be taken pass/fail.

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D. Graduate Project Alternatives
Information Networking Institute graduate students in the MSIN and the MSISTM degree programs will have three program options for successful completion of their degree. These options include an academic research-based or development-based project, a corporate internship/external project, or a course option.

1. Academic Research-Based or Development-Based Project
The primary feature of this option is that the student will undertake the traditional INI project involving a CMU faculty advisor and reader. The student may either work with faculty on their current research/projects or projects devised by the student with support of their advisor and reader. Requirements include:

• Attendance of the INI Research Seminars—held in the first fall and spring semesters of the program;
• Submission of a project proposal on the last day of the spring Research Seminar—approved by the project advisor and reader and must include a scope of work, timeline and deliverables;
• Project activity undertaken through the summer and fall of the student’s final year;
• Project presentation, attended by the student’s advisor and reader;
• Submission of final project technical report, approved by the student’s advisor and reader;
• Final grade submitted by the student’s faculty advisor before the graduation deadline;
• Department certification.

2. Industry Internship/External Research-Based or Development-Based Project (Work undertaken on these projects may be done on or off campus, depending on arrangements made with the INI)

The primary feature of this option will be the student’s work with an organization (company, research facility, or product development group) external to the university and the student’s department. The student will require an external supervisor who will serve as the student’s advisor guiding their work, and an internal faculty reader, who will follow the student’s progress, confer with the external supervisor/advisor, and, in agreement with the advisor, submit the student’s final grade. Requirements include:

• Attendance of the INI Research Seminars—held in the first fall and spring semesters of the program;
• Submission of a project proposal on the last day of the spring Research Seminar—approved by both the supervisor/advisor and faculty reader and must include a scope of work, timeline and deliverables;
• Project work undertaken through the summer and fall of the student’s final year. The project may be an industry internship, research, or product development;
• Progress report submitted at the end of the internship or other work (completed on-site at CMU or at an off-site facility);
• Project presentation, attended by the student’s advisor and faculty reader;
• Submission of final project technical report, approved by the student’s supervisor/advisor and faculty reader;
• Final grade submitted by the student’s faculty reader before the December graduation deadline;
• Department certification

3. Course-Option
For the course option, the student will be required to take courses equivalent to the project units required in their program of study. Courses should make up an area of specialization and can be selected from graduate-level courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE), the School of Computer Science (SCS), and core curricula of the Tepper School of Business, M.S. in Information Systems Management (MISM), and M.S. in Information Security Policy and Management (MSISPM). Students should not take 2 courses that cover the same material. This option is recommended for students who may already have work and/or research experience. The Course Option will entail:

• Attendance of the INI Research Seminars—held in the first fall and spring semesters of the program;
• Submission of a proposal stating there area of concentration by the last day of the Spring semester;
• No research or final project;
• Completion of required courses by the second fall of the student’s program;
• Final grades for all required course categories (i.e., core and electives);
• Department certification following successful completion (with satisfactory GPA) of all required courses.

E. Independent Study Courses
If there is a special topic that interests the student, and if there are no courses covering the topic in depth, the student may negotiate an "independent study" course with a faculty member. If the student can find a faculty member who agrees to supervise such a course, the student must submit a petition in the form of a proposal describing the independent study, including a paragraph justifying whether the independent study should count towards restricted electives, to the INI Graduate Programs Office. For project-oriented independent study, approval will be granted only for topics that are clearly and demonstrably different from a student’s master’s project topic. Each INI candidate can take up to 12 units of independent study units. An independent study course cannot be taken on a “pass/fail” basis. Students may not enroll in independent study courses without prior approval through formal petition and during any semester in which they are on probation.

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F. Internships
Some INI students may wish to participate in off-campus paid internships in off-campus research laboratories or companies during the summer months . The following rules for internships apply if the internship is not being used toward the curriculum:

• The student must register for the 3-unit INI internship course, which does not count towards degree requirements, in order for the internship to be documented on the student transcripts.
• The work for the internship must be appropriate to the goals of the program of study.
• The student must have the permission of his or her source(s) of funding for the academic year to participate in the internship.
• International students must clear the internship with Carnegie Mellon’s Office of International Education (OIE) to avoid complications with their visas. When CPT is required by OIE, internships are only permitted when the work involved is specifically related to part of the student’s project.

G. Academic Performance

1. Grade Point Average
In order to graduate, each INI candidate must have a "B or better" grade point average, or equivalently, a GPA of at least 3.0 in:

• all core required courses excluding the project and
• all courses taken.

2. Academic Probation
At the end of each semester after final grades have been posted, the academic performance of all students is reviewed. GPA for academic review is computed based on the above guidelines for graduation requirements.

Any INI student with a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0 at the time of academic performance review, or with a GPA of less than 3.0 in the most recent full semester completed, is automatically placed on academic probation.

Students on academic probation are required to seek approval from the INI Graduate Programs Office for all academic activities until they are removed from probation. Students on academic probation may be denied admission to certain courses, as determined by the INI Director.

Students on academic probation are not permitted to take "Pass/Fail" courses or independent study courses.

A student on academic probation will automatically be removed from probation during the next academic review if the student's cumulative GPA at that time is 3.0 or better.

If a student remains on academic probation after 2 consecutive semesters the student may be asked to leave the program unless he/she can demonstrate some extenuating circumstances through a formal petition to the INI Director.

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H. Degree Requirements Timeframe
The MSIN and MSISTM are 16-month programs and students are expected to finish all of their requirements by the end of the fall term of their second academic year at Carnegie Mellon. In some cases, a student may need more time to finish the project requirements. In such an instance, a student must submit a formal petition to the INI Graduate Programs Office and may be granted one semester of extension and allowed to register for units needed to fulfill program requirements, without any additional tuition.

Students who register for course credits after their second fall term in the program will be charged tuition for courses beyond what is required to satisfy the requirements of the degree.

I. Certification of Degree
In order to be certified for graduation, students must complete all residence and course requirements in their approved curriculum and be recommended for the INI degree by the INI Director.

No student may receive a degree until all financial obligations to the University have been met and all academic requirements have been completed.

The INI Graduate Programs Office will try to help students in every way possible to successfully complete their program of study. However, it is the student's responsibility to ensure that all of the program requirements have been fulfilled. Failure by the INI Graduate Programs Office to provide notice to the student that a requirement has not been met is not an acceptable excuse for not meeting the degree requirements.

J. Program Transfer
A student wishing to transfer from the MSIN to MSISTM Program or vice versa must submit a formal petition to the INI Graduate Programs Office stating the reasons for transfer. Such requests are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and are subject to the approval of and conditions set forth by the INI Director. MSIN and MSISTM Program transfer requests should be made early in order to fulfill the appropriate sequence of courses and satisfy degree requirements accordingly. Transfers occurring later in the program could result in a longer program duration and tuition ramifications.

K. Program Location Transfer
Admissions to the Pittsburgh and Athens program locations are handled independently of each other. A student wishing to transfer from one program location to another must formally apply to the other location. Program location transfers are not guaranteed and are reviewed on a case-by-case basis, subject to the admissions committee at each program location.

Financial aid and scholarships are awarded for a particular program location and cannot be transferred.

L. Deferral Policy
The INI does not allow admission deferrals. Each year applicants are reviewed and ranked with the current applicant pool. Students are accepted for admission into the program for a particular academic year and may not defer admission.

A. Registration
In the first fall semester, INI students take primarily core courses. Students are expected to register themselves for the required core and any electives. However, not all schedules for INI courses are final, so students should be prepared to drop restricted or free elective courses that conflict with core courses. Core courses may not be dropped in favor of a restricted or free elective. Students are required to complete their core courses within the time frame provided in the curriculum.

B. Course Load
There is a 54 unit, including research and seminar units (1 fall, 2 spring) maximum course load per semester. Students generally take 36-48 units per semester. All INI students must register for a minimum of 36 units each semester. Students can not register for project units without first submitting an approved project proposal. At 36 units per semester it is not possible to finish the program in 16 months.

Students are typically waitlisted for elective courses at the beginning of the semester, sometimes resulting in a course load greater than 54 units. Beginning with the third week of each semester, INI students are limited to a maximum course load of 54 units.

Students should attend a course for which they’ve been waitlisted until their final course schedule has been determined so that required work is not missed.

Students wishing to take fewer than 36 units or greater than 54 units in a semester must submit a petition to the INI Graduate Programs Office.

Students are expected to complete all the degree requirements by the end of the second fall semester in the program. Students may choose to extend their graduation date until the second spring semester in order to complete their project work. However, students who register from more course units than required for the degree will be charged additional tuition.

C. Special Considerations for Foreign Students
Federal Law requires each foreign student to maintain status as a "full-time student" which, at Carnegie Mellon, is defined as a student who carries at least 36 units in a (full) semester. The student visa (and, therefore, permit of stay) becomes null and void if a student is not registered for at least 36 units during a semester. The 36-unit minimum course load does not apply during the summer and during the final semester.

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D. Transfer of Credits
Up to 12 units of courses taken at another university, whether taken prior to or after entering the INI graduate program, may be transferred and count as electives providing:

a) they are graduate-level courses at the university where they were taken, and
b) they have not been used to fulfill requirement for any previously-earned degree.

A grade of “B” or better must be earned for the courses transferred. All transfer credits must be approved by the INI Graduate Programs Office, which will also determine if the transfer credits count as restricted or free electives.

E. Retaking of Courses
Credit is not granted for retaking a course. A student may, however, sit in the course for the purpose of gaining additional knowledge of the material.

The only exception to the above policy is if the student has not received a "3.0 gpa or better" in required core courses. Those students must retake the courses in which they received lower than “3.0”. Both the original grade and replacement grade will be included in the transcript and in the GPA computation for graduation requirements.

F. Auditing a Course
Auditing is presence in a classroom without receiving academic credit or a letter grade. The extent of your participation must be arranged and approved by the course instructor. A student wishing to audit a course is required to register for the course, get the permission of the instructor and the INI Graduate Programs Office, and complete and return the Course Audit Approval Form to The HUB prior to the tenth day of classes. The HUB form is available at: http://www.cmu.edu/hub/docs.html.

Once a student submits either a Course Audit Approval Form or a Pass/Fail Form to the HUB, a letter grade will not be assigned for the course.

The units of courses audited count toward the maximum course load of 54 units.

Auditors are expected to attend class as though they were regular class members. Formal auditors who do not attend regularly or who do not regularly prepare themselves for class will receive a failing grade (i.e., "D" or "R"). Otherwise, the student receives the grade of "O", indicating audit.

Any full-time student may audit a course. If a part-time student audits a course, he or she will be charged part-time tuition for the course.

G. Courses with Restricted Enrollment
The faculty member teaching a course may set a limit on the number of students permitted to enroll in the course. If the number of pre-registered students for a course exceeds the class size, as specified by the instructor of the course, all other students will be put on a waiting list.

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The University reserves the right to withdraw any announced course if the enrollment is too small to warrant its continuance. The University also reserves the right to make changes in the schedule of hours, units, or in instructional staff when such changes seem necessary or advisable. The dates for pre-registration and enrollment are listed in the official University calendar and in the Tepper calendar.

Each student must register for each course taken, whether it is for credit or not. Any student whose name is not on the class roster on the first day of class for that course may be denied admission to the classroom. The student is responsible for knowing the University deadlines for adding and dropping courses. These dates can be found on the online academic calendar at: http://www.cmu.edu/hub/calendar.html

The INI office will make an effort to post these dates at the beginning of every semester.

A. Student IDs
Your Carnegie Mellon ID card serves to identify you as a member of the Carnegie Mellon community. The card is used for entrance to some Carnegie Mellon buildings, for admission to athletic events, it is used to gain access to facilities on campus, such as the gym and swimming pool, it is also used for admission to certain events sponsored by the Student Government, for student elections, etc. You will also receive a sticker twice a year that serves as a buss pass for the Allegheny County Port Authority.

Upon the request of any school official or security officer, the student should be willing to produce this card. Refusal to do so may be regarded as a basis for disciplinary action.

Student identification cards are made and distributed from the HUB, located in the basement of Warner Hall. There is a $15.00 fee to replace a lost ID card.

B. Registration and Enrollment
Registration for fall and summer semester courses is held in April and registration for spring semester courses is in November.

Enrollment is not complete until your bill is paid.

C. Adding/Dropping Courses
You may add and drop courses on-line at http://www.cmu.edu/hub. Click on “On-Line Registration” and enter your Andrew userid and password. All requests to add must be completed no later than the “Add” deadline given in the academic calendar. Check the academic calendar for the deadlines for dropping courses.

All section changes require "adding" the new section and "dropping" the old.

All decisions to add or drop courses that fulfill core course requirements must be approved by the INI Director.

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The INI shall not release any student records to any party not authorized. No grades will be released to any student over the telephone.

A. Course Marks

The student earns credit for a course only if the course is registered for and completed.

If the student fails to drop a course by the "Add/Drop" deadline, a grade of "R" will be given. It is the responsibility of the student to make sure that registration for all courses is complete. No course credit can be given and no grades can be processed if the student has not actually registered for the course, even if the course has been completed.

B. Incompletes
All students must complete the requirements for every course in time (i.e., by the end of the respective semester/mini-semester). Any exceptions are solely determined by the instructor in charge.

All "incomplete" courses, including independent study courses, must be completed within six weeks of the due date of the grades for that mini-semester/semester or at least two weeks before the due date of the grades for the following mini-semester/semester, whichever comes first.

If deadlines as described above are violated, the student will receive an “R” in the course by default.

If there are unusual circumstances (e.g., serious medical problems or death in the family), the Director of the INI program may grant permission to make exceptions to the above set of rules.

C. Transcripts
Official transcripts are issued only by HUB of Carnegie Mellon University. Such requests are typically processed in three days and there is a nominal fee.

D. Distribution of Grade Reports
The HUB of Carnegie Mellon University mails grade reports to the permanent addresses of all students at the end of each semester.

Class rankings are not released to anyone, including the student.

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A. Leave of Absence/Withdrawal
Students wishing to withdraw or take a leave of absence must complete an Application for Withdrawal or Leave of Absence, available from the HUB. Further information about the leave policies of the University can be found at the following website: http://www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/StLeave.html

A "Leave of Absence" means leaving the University temporarily, with the firm and stated intention to return.

A "Withdrawal" means leaving the University with no intention to return.

"Withdrawals" or "Leaves" taken while school is in session (through the last day of classes) result in "no academic penalty" for the student - i.e., no permanent grades are recorded for courses taken during that semester or session. Withdrawals or Leaves after the last day of classes of a semester result in the recording of permanent grades for that semester or session. Withdrawals or leaves before the last day of classes, but after the "Add/Drop" deadline, will receive the designation "W" (indicating "withdrawal") for the courses carried at the time.

A one-time leave of absence for up to two calendar years may be granted. The interested student must secure permission in writing from the INI Director.

1. Withdrawal/Tuition Refund Policy
Withdrawal from the INI program or from any course is initiated by filling out a form available at the INI Graduate Programs Office. Withdrawal from Tepper courses is possible only at the beginning of odd-numbered mini-semesters and tuition refund is governed by the Carnegie Mellon University policies.

2. Returning to Carnegie Mellon
When you plan to return to Carnegie Mellon after a leave, you must complete an Application for Return from a Leave of Absence (available from the HUB) and meet any conditions that were set by the INI at the time the Leave was granted.

3. Required Withdrawal
The INI or the University may require a student with serious health problems, including mental health problems, or students whose use of drugs is potentially self-destructive in the psychiatric sense, to withdraw from the University until the problems have been resolved through appropriate treatment. Such a withdrawal will be required only after a thorough case review by a committee consisting of the Dean of Student Affairs, the INI Director, and such medical, psychological, or psychiatric consultation as is necessary.

B. Withdrawal of a Degree
The University reserves the right to withdraw a degree, even though it has been granted, should it be discovered that the work upon which it was based or the academic records in support of it were falsified. In such a case, the degree will be withdrawn immediately.

C. Cheating and Plagiarism
Students at Carnegie Mellon are engaged in preparation for professional activity of the highest standards. Each profession constrains its members with both ethical responsibilities and disciplinary limits. To assure the validity of their learning experience, a university establishes clear standards for student work. In any presentation, creative, artistic, or research, it is the ethical responsibility of each student to identify the conceptual sources of the work submitted. Failure to do so is dishonest and is the basis for a charge of cheating or plagiarism that is subject to disciplinary action.

Cheating includes but is not necessarily limited to:

1. Plagiarism, explained below.
2. Submission of work that is not the student's own for papers, assignments, or exams.
3. Submission or use of falsified data.
4. Theft or unauthorized access to an exam.
5. Use of an alternate, stand-in, or proxy during an examination.
6. Use of unauthorized material including textbooks, notes, or computer programs in the preparation of an assignment or during an examination.
7. Supplying or communicating, in any way, unauthorized information to another student for the preparation of an assignment or during an examination.
8. Collaboration in the preparation of an assignment. Unless specifically permitted or required by the instructor, collaboration will usually be viewed by the University as cheating. Each student, therefore, is responsible for understanding the policies of the department offering any course as they refer to the amount of help and collaboration permitted in preparation of assignments.
9. Submission of the same work for credit in two courses without obtaining the permission of the instructors beforehand.

Plagiarism includes (but is not limited to) failure to indicate the source with quotation marks or footnotes, where appropriate, if any of the following are reproduced in the work submitted by a student:

• A phrase, written or musical
• A graphic element
• A proof
• Specific language
• An idea derived from the work, published or unpublished, of another person.

1. Penalties for Cheating and Plagiarism
In cases of cheating or plagiarism, the instructor has the option of assigning an appropriate penalty. The instructor may consult the INI Director to determine whether to refer the case directly to the University Committee on Discipline. Serious cases should always be referred to the University Committee on Discipline. Whenever a faculty member or a departmental committee imposes a penalty for cheating or plagiarism, the facts of the case and the penalty must be reported to the Dean of Student Affairs; in such cases the University Committee on Discipline may review and change the penalty in the event of an appeal by the student or a record of prior offenses. This reporting procedure assures that repeated offenders will be identified and treated severely.

The ordinary penalty for cheating or plagiarism is failure in the course; lesser penalties may be assigned for minor offenses. In cases referred to the University Committee on Discipline, no grade will be recorded until the Committee has come to a decision. Upon the Committee's action, particularly serious offenses may be punished by suspension or expulsion from the University.

A student found guilty of cheating or plagiarism may also be placed on disciplinary probation for a period to be determined by the University Committee on Discipline.

In the event that a student on probation from a prior finding of cheating or plagiarism is again guilty of academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.), the student will be expelled from the University.

Unless otherwise clearly stated by the professor, all assignments required in any given course are to be done individually. (Group projects are common, of course, and most productive. Such assignments are defined clearly as "group work".)

D. Dismissal and the Appeal Process
If an INI student has a GPA lower than 3.0 at the end of two consecutive full semesters, the student may be expelled from the INI program, subject to the decision of the INI Director.

A student dismissed at any time for unsatisfactory academic standing or infraction of regulations is not entitled to a refund of tuition or student fees.

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A. Full-time Students
The MSIN and MSISTM are 16-month programs and students are expected to finish all of their requirements by the end of the fall term of their second academic year at Carnegie Mellon. In some cases, a student may need more time to finish the project requirements. In such an instance, a student will be granted one semester of extension and allowed to register for project credits only, without any additional tuition. Students who register for course credits after their second fall term in the program will be charged tuition for courses beyond what is required to satisfy the requirements of the degree.

B. Part-time Students
A part-time student will pay per unit but will not pay less than the full tuition rate at the time they entered the program. Arranging to pay per unit is a convenience and not intended to reduce the overall tuition rate of the program.

For students who have negotiated part-time study, part-time tuition of $345 per unit will be charged during any semester in which the student is carrying fewer than 36 units. Students studying part-time will be charged the part-time rate under which they entered the program (i.e., $345 for AY 2004-5 incoming students) for a period of 24 months from their first semesterr. After that time, they will be charged at the new designated part-time tuition rate.

C. Tuition Payments
In most cases, tuition is billed in three equal payments. These payment are due prior to the fall, spring and summer semesters. Tuition payments are due by the date posted on the tuition invoice, one week before the start of classes. If a student does not pay tuition when it is due, a $150 late fee will be posted to the student account and a 1.25% late fee will be added at the end of every month that the bill is outstanding.

D. Students with Delinquent Accounts
The following is the Carnegie Mellon policy regarding students with outstanding tuition balances:

“If you do not pay your account balance in full, you will not be permitted to register for future semesters. In addition, you will not receive grades, transcripts, or diplomas. Your account balance consists of everything that appears on your bill, including tuition and fees, housing and dining charges, housing security deposit, library and parking fines, emergency loans, and so on.”

E. Carnegie Mellon’s Tuition Refund Policy
Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence before completing 60% of the semester will be charged tuition based upon the number of days completed within the semester. This includes all calendar days, class and non-class days, from the first day of classes to the last day of final exams. Breaks which last five days or longer, including the prior and subsequent weekends, are not counted. Thanksgiving and Spring Break are not counted. There is no tuition adjustment after 60% of the semester is completed. Please see http://www.cmu.edu/hub/tuit_adj.html for specific tuition adjustment dates.

The student activity fee of $72 is not refundable and there is an administrative fee on all non-100% tuition and fees refunds.

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INI students are expected to understand and obey the rules that apply to all Carnegie Mellon students. All INI students will be expected to sign a statement acknowledging an understanding of, and planned adherence to, these policies.

All university policies are available at: http://www.cmu.edu/policies/

A. University Grievance Procedures and Contacts
Graduate students are encouraged to discuss any concerns or grievances informally within their academic department. If the student is not satisfied with the results of informal discussion or formal appeal at the departmental level, he or she may follow the guidelines set forth in the Graduate Student Guidebook. Students are likewise encouraged to speak directly to their graduate student representatives and to the president of the Graduate Student Association (GSA).
If a student wishes to file a formal grievance, more information about grievance procedures is available at http://www.cmu.edu/adm/gpo/concerns/procedure.html.

B. Policy on Student Privacy Rights
Under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), you have the right to:

• inspect and review your education records;
• request an amendment to your education records if you believe they are inaccurate or misleading;
• request a hearing if your request for an amendment is not resolved to your satisfaction;
• consent to disclosure of personally identifiable information from your education records, except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without your consent;
• file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education Family Policy Compliance Office if you believe your rights under FERPA have been violated.

The full policy on student privacy rights is available at:
http://www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/StPrivacy.html

C. Intellectual Property
Carnegie Mellon’s policy on intellectual property is described at length at: http://www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/IntellProp.html.

D. Computing Policies
Unauthorized use of a computer to copy or use software, text and data; tampering in any way with software, text or data; disruptive or other inappropriate uses of computers; using the computing resources for personal gain (e.g., non-university related business or resale of software) are against federal statute and university rules and policies. Abuses of computing privileges will be referred to the INI Director, and if necessary, to the legal authorities.

Carnegie Mellon’s policy on computing is described at length at: http://www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/Computing.htm.

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A. INI Systems Policies

In general, you should address all requests, problems, or questions regarding the INI’s computing environment to ini-help@andrew.cmu.edu, an email interface to INI’s Request Tracker system. You will receive an automated confirmation from ini-help@andrew, and your email will be placed in a queue actively monitored by staff. Using ini-help@andrew ensures that your request will get a timely and effective response. Only if the situation is especially dire or has an impact on the general community should you resort to visiting support staff directly.

The goal of INI’s computing policies is to provide you with a complete, safe, robust, and reliable computing environment. There are necessary trade-offs between convenience for individual users and the availability and safety of resources for the entire INI community, and the protection of shared resources takes precedence over individual needs. In general, it is assumed that you are aware of your actions and their impact on shared resources; if any software or hardware you use negatively affects the network or other devices, you will be denied use of INI resources.

The university maintains a set of computing policies separately applicable to the INI computing environment. Visit http://www.cmu.edu/ computing/ documentation/ index_policies.html for the details. You are expected to understand the campus-wide computing policies in addition to the INI policies.

Two rules to keep in mind: Exceptions to policies must be requested, not assumed; technical possibility does not imply policy compliance.

Facilities and Guidelines

1. Student Desktop PCs
The INI provides each student with a desktop PC for use in coursework and projects. Each PC is deployed with software licensed for use by INI students only, and each is managed and supported by the INI’s computing facilities staff.

Inventory

Policies

• Where software and hardware installation or removal requires administrator or root privileges, the installation/removal must be coordinated with computing facilities staff via ini-help@andrew.
• INI-supplied PCs and software are only to be used for coursework and CMU-related research.
• Alternative, non-INI supported operating systems should be installed using PC virtualization software where usage permits. INI currently provides MS Virtual PC on all Windows desktops by default and VMware Workstation for Windows or Linux by request. Where virtualization is not acceptable, a request must be submitted to ini-help@andrew for guidance.
• INI-supplied PCs belong to the university and are not to be moved, swapped, borrowed, or shared unless coordinated through ini-help@andrew.

2. Servers
The INI provides a variety of servers for shared use by students for file storage, web, database, source control, cycles, etc. Server operating systems include Windows Server 2003, SuSE Linux 9.1, and Solaris 8.

Campus provides Linux and Solaris servers in public clusters and via ssh to unix.andrew.cmu.edu.

Inventory

Policies

• Desktop PCs on the production network or VLAN are not ‘servers’ and are not to run server software (anything providing a network service) unless configured by INI staff or arranged through ini-help@andrew.
• Server software run without support from INI staff is entirely the student’s responsibility. If a network service leads to violation of policy or interferes with shared resources, it is considered network abuse and the student will be denied computing resources.

3. Cluster
The INI provides students a computing cluster to support course labs, general coursework, and student projects, and access to cluster resources is granted in that order.

Inventory

All PCs are equipped wiht CDRW drives.

Policies

• Cluster hardware and documentation is to remain in the cluster with the assigned PC; do not move, remove, or disconnect anything in the cluster.
• Do not ‘lock’ a cluster PC for more than 30 minutes. If another student is prevented necessary access to a cluster PC because you have it locked for longer than 30 minutes, you will be logged out without regard for running processes or open files.
• Classes have precedence for cluster use. If you are asked to leave the cluster by a class TA, staff, or faculty, please do so.

4. Printers
The INI provides black and white laser as well as color inkjet printers for student use. Each student is monitored using a monthly quota system for pages printed, and excessive printer usage will be addressed. In general, students should not print large documents on shared printers (e.g. ARM manuals).

Policies

• All users, including students, are expected to refill empty paper trays. Supplies are available from ini-help@andrew or from the front reception desk.
• If a printer is low on toner, please request more from ini-help@andrew. Staff check toner regularly.
• Staff printers are strictly off limits to students without prior arrangement through ini-help@andrew.
• Printer support for student-installed software is best-effort only. Printers are configured to work in conjunction with a Windows print server.
• Altering printer settings in any way that interferes with community use will be treated as network abuse.

5. Software
The INI provides students software licensed both through the university and specifically to the INI program. Licensing restrictions require in many cases that the software be distributed and installed by staff rather than students and prohibit software from being used for any purpose other than coursework or CMU-related research.

Most available licensed software is preinstalled on desktop Windows PCs and cluster Windows PCs. Additional installation requests can be sent to ini-help@andrew.cmu.edu.

The Microsoft MSDN Academic Alliance software is distributed from http://msdn06.e-academy.com/cmu_ini as well as through request to ini-help.

Policies

• Licensed software is for use strictly by INI students for coursework or CMU-related research unless otherwise arranged through ini-help@andrew.
• All new software licensing requests should be directed to ini-help@andrew.

6. Network
INI provides switched Ethernet networking to all Henry Street offices in conjunction with the ECE department. The network is for shared use by the entire INI community and thus must support diverse production and experimental traffic with varying reliability and privacy requirements. Non-production VLANs exist to allow research and experimentation while minimizing interference with production network traffic.

The university provides 802.11b wireless networking to INI through a separate infrastructure for use by the entire university community. The wireless network is separate from the wired and is not directly managed or supported by INI.

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