Responsible Internet Citizenship: Safety, Security, and Scholarship

Abstract

This presentation was provided as the closing keynote address for the 14th Annual Conference of the Association of Faculty for Advancement of Community College Teaching at the College of Southern Maryland on January 9, 2004. The Internet has become a popular, if not essential, mode of communication. Technologies from email, instant messaging, electronic databases, online courses, and online library resources have transformed teaching and learning. The use of the Internet, however, also presents many challenges for faculty from electronic cheating to copyright compliance. Institutional policies, ranging from intellectual property policies to codes of conduct, are being rewritten to cope with the new landscape. Institutions of higher education must also attend to cyber security - the protection of information assets and critical infrastructures. Politicians, both in Annapolis and Washington, D.C., are crafting new laws and regulations to govern cyberspace. What are the implications for teaching and learning? What is the impact upon faculty and students? Why should institutions of higher education care? This presentation will address legal, policy, and ethical considerations for responsible Internet citizenship.