Council touches on computer integrity

University Council members discussed matters of integrity and honesty as they relate to academics and computer networking at yesterday's Council meeting. The Council's time was taken up by matters of bureaucracy as the body created a Commmittee on Pluralism and dealt with the future implementation of a policy on "ethical behavior with respect to the electronic information environment," following a 30-minute presentation on the University's computer system and its future. "It's better to have an outline on ethical behavior than to make it ad hoc as you go along," Undergraduate Assembly Vice Chairperson Kirsten Bartok said. The policy states that members of the University community who intentionally act unethically in the electronic network are subject to existing disciplinary measures dealing with general misconduct. Associate Vice Provost for Data Communications and Computing Services Dan Updegrove gave a presentation to Council on the University's electronic network, whose PennNet system, he said, currently holds "a leadership position among research universities." Updegrove said that a goal for the future of PennNet is to wire residence halls for high speed ethernet electronic networks over the next five years, and thus double the current size of PennNet by September 1997. Updegrove said that one result of this endeavor would be to "make the residence halls more academic in character," an idea which he said will work in conjunction with the residential living plan of Vice Provost for University Life Kim Morrisson. And with the increasing presence of electronic mail on campus, Council members voiced the need to deal with the ethics involved in the use of this and other computer functions. "The principle is respect for the rights and works of others," Faculty Senate Chairperson-Elect Gerald Porter said. "Problems are going to arise, eventually," Undergraduate Assembly member Raj George said. "It's good that we're already starting to establish guidelines." President Sheldon Hackney called for a moment of silence at the beginning of the meeting to honor the late Emeritus Microbiology Professor Robert Davies, whose conspicuous absence was noted by several Council members. Davies, who died March 7 while on a trip to Scotland, had been a faculty leader and determined presence at Council meetings.