University Facilities

Information Technology

Computer and Information Systems Policy

Baptist University of Florida is a multi-campus, residential, and online Christian university. In this policy, “University” refers collectively to Baptist University of Florida (BUF) in Graceville, Florida; BUF Global in Orlando and Miami, Florida; the University’s online and remote programs and services; and other authorized University operations.

The University provides information and technology resources to support teaching, learning, library services, residential life, administration, ministry, communication, research, and University operations. These resources must be used securely, ethically, responsibly, and lawfully in a manner consistent with integrity, stewardship, respect, accountability, and the Christian mission of the University.

This policy applies to all students who access or use University information or technology resources, including students attending at University locations, residential students, and students participating through online or remote programs. Employees, vendors, contractors, visitors, and other users are governed by the University-wide Information Technology, Cybersecurity, and Acceptable Use Policy and other applicable requirements. Covered resources include University accounts, information, computers, mobile devices, networks, wireless systems, email, applications, databases, cloud and hosted services, library technology, shared computers, audiovisual systems, and personally owned devices used to access University resources.

Accounts, Authentication, Access, and Student Identity

Access to University systems is provided only for authorized academic, employment, administrative, ministry, service, research, residential, library, or contractual purposes. Access may be limited, changed, suspended, or removed when responsibilities change, access is no longer needed, security risk increases, or misuse is suspected.

• Users must use their own authorized accounts and may not share passwords, passphrases, authentication codes, recovery codes, security keys, or approval prompts.
• Multifactor authentication (MFA) is required for designated systems. Users must not approve an MFA request they did not initiate and must promptly report unexpected prompts.
• Users must protect credentials, provide accurate account-recovery information, and follow current password, identity-verification, and account-security requirements.
• Users may access only information and systems needed for a legitimate academic, business, legal, or contractual purpose. Technical access alone does not create authorization.

The University verifies that the student who registers for a course or program is the same student who participates, completes the academic work, and receives the associated credit or credential. Verification ordinarily uses a unique University account and secure credentials and may also include MFA, proctored examinations, presentation of identification, video or in-person verification, secure assessment tools, or other reasonable methods. Students may not share accounts, allow another person to participate or submit work under their identity, or act under another student’s identity.

Student identity-verification processes will be administered in a manner intended to protect privacy. Education records and personally identifiable student information will be handled in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), applicable law, and University policy. Any projected additional charge specifically associated with student identity verification in an online, distance, or correspondence course or program will be disclosed in writing at registration or enrollment.

Protection and Handling of University Information

University information must be protected according to its sensitivity, legal and contractual requirements, operational importance, and the harm that could result from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or destruction. Sensitive information includes student education records, applicant and employee information, financial-aid and financial information, health or accommodation information, Social Security numbers, payment information, passwords, authentication secrets, and security configurations.

• Users must access only the information needed for authorized responsibilities and verify recipients before sharing information.
• University records must be stored and shared through approved systems. Sensitive University information may not be placed in personal email, personal cloud storage, unapproved applications, public or unapproved artificial intelligence systems, or other unauthorized locations.
• Important University records must not exist only on a local device, removable drive, or personal service. Users must follow retention, legal-hold, backup, and secure-disposal instructions.

This policy does not determine ownership of faculty scholarship, student work, course materials, research, intellectual property, or third-party content. Ownership is governed by applicable law, agreements, and other University policies.

Devices, Software, Networks, and Remote Access

Devices used to access University systems must be reasonably secure, supported, and appropriate for the information being handled. University-owned technology may be inventoried, configured, updated, monitored, protected, repaired, backed up, restored, isolated, restricted, or remotely secured by authorized Information Technology personnel when reasonably necessary.

• Required updates, endpoint protection, screen locks, encryption, firewalls, filtering, device-management software, and other safeguards must remain enabled and current.
• Users may not disable, remove, bypass, or interfere with University security, monitoring, filtering, backup, encryption, endpoint-management, or compliance controls.
• Only authorized and properly licensed software, applications, browser extensions, devices, cloud services, and integrations may be used for University business or University information.
• The University may restrict a personally owned device’s access to University systems when the device creates a security or operational risk. When University-approved device-management tools are used, the University may remove University-managed accounts or University information when access ends or security requires it. The University will not intentionally erase unrelated personal content.
• Remote access must use approved methods and required MFA. Users must protect devices and information when learning or working from home, traveling, or using public networks.
• Unauthorized routers, wireless access points, switches, bridges, extenders, servers, or network-monitoring equipment may not be connected to University networks. Server rooms, network closets, telecommunications spaces, and other restricted technology areas may be entered only by authorized personnel.

Residential, Library, Shared, and Guest Technology Use

Students living in University housing may use University-provided networks for legitimate academic, personal, communication, and recreational purposes, subject to this policy, housing requirements, copyright law, and reasonable security and performance limits. Devices that create a security risk, interfere with network performance, consume unreasonable resources, or disrupt service may be restricted, isolated, or disconnected.

Computers, printers, scanners, wireless services, databases, and other technology provided through University libraries or shared facilities must be used according to applicable rules, license agreements, and access restrictions. Users of shared computers must sign out when finished, must not save credentials or sensitive information on the device, and may not install software or change configurations without authorization.

Guest and visitor access is a privilege and may be limited, monitored, suspended, or withdrawn. University credentials may not be shared with guests or visitors.

Email, Communications, Cloud Services, Vendors, and Artificial Intelligence

University accounts and approved systems should be used for official University business. Users must exercise care when sending messages, sharing files, creating collaboration links, hosting online meetings, or communicating with external recipients.

• Unexpected requests involving money, banking information, gift cards, credentials, records, account changes, or other sensitive actions must be independently verified through a trusted method.
• Suspected phishing, impersonation, malicious links or attachments, and unauthorized account activity must be reported promptly. Users may not intentionally bypass email-security or filtering controls.
• Automatic forwarding of University email to personal accounts, misleading sender identities, unauthorized bulk messaging, and transmission of sensitive information through unapproved methods are prohibited.
• New software, cloud services, integrations, and vendor systems used for University business or information require appropriate University review and approval. Vendor access must be authorized, limited, and removed when no longer needed.
• Sensitive University information may not be entered into public or unapproved AI systems. AI-generated material must be reviewed for accuracy, privacy, bias, copyright, and appropriateness. Academic use of AI remains subject to faculty direction and academic-integrity requirements.

Monitoring Privacy and Security Incident Reporting

The University respects appropriate privacy while retaining responsibility to operate, secure, maintain, support, investigate, and comply with legal obligations involving University systems. Users should not expect activity conducted through University systems, University networks, or University-owned devices to be completely private.

Authorized personnel may access, review, preserve, disclose, or monitor accounts, devices, communications, files, logs, network traffic, and system activity when reasonably necessary for cybersecurity, system administration, support, fraud prevention, backup, recovery, continuity, records management, audit, legal compliance, authorized investigations, or protection of people, property, and University operations. Access and monitoring must be limited to legitimate University purposes and information must be shared only with persons who have a legitimate need to know.

Actual or suspected security incidents must be reported promptly to helpdesk@buf.edu or through another method published by the Information Technology Department. Report unexpected MFA prompts, suspected password theft, phishing, malware, unauthorized access, accidental disclosure, lost or stolen devices containing University information, outages, equipment damage, and unusual conditions affecting campus infrastructure. Users must preserve relevant information and cooperate with authorized responders.

The University may immediately reset credentials, revoke sessions, disable accounts, isolate devices, block traffic, preserve records, restrict access, or temporarily interrupt services when reasonably necessary to protect people, information, evidence, systems, or University operations.

Acceptable Use and Prohibited Conduct

University technology resources are primarily provided for authorized University purposes. Reasonable personal and recreational use is permitted when it does not interfere with responsibilities or operations, create material cost or risk, consume excessive resources, expose University information, violate law or policy, or involve unauthorized commercial activity.

Users may not use University information or technology resources to:

• Access, alter, disclose, copy, intercept, monitor, capture, or destroy information or systems without authorization.
• Share accounts, impersonate another person, forge communications, misrepresent authority, commit fraud, or conceal identity for an improper purpose.
• Create, introduce, distribute, or assist malware; disrupt systems or networks; evade safeguards; or interfere with another person’s access, academic work, or responsibilities.
• Perform vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, packet capture, network discovery, password testing, port scanning, or similar security activity without written authorization from the Director of Information Technology or an authorized designee.
• Evade authorized charges, licensing restrictions, quotas, access limits, or other controls.
• Harass, threaten, discriminate, exploit, stalk, defame, abuse, or distribute unlawful, obscene, pornographic, sexually exploitative, or otherwise prohibited material, except when specifically authorized for a legitimate academic, legal, security, or administrative purpose.
• Infringe copyright, software licenses, intellectual-property rights, privacy rights, library-resource terms, contractual restrictions, or applicable export-control requirements.
• Send spam, chain letters, pyramid schemes, unauthorized mass messages, or repeated unwanted communications.
• Use University technology for unauthorized commercial activity, private business, unauthorized fundraising, gambling, cryptomining, or partisan political campaign activity conducted on behalf of the University without authorization. This provision does not prohibit lawful personal expression that complies with other University policies and does not imply University endorsement.
• Remove, move, damage, tamper with, or obstruct University-owned computer, network, audiovisual, communications, or security equipment without authorization.
• Use technology in a manner inconsistent with the University’s Christian mission, applicable handbooks, academic-integrity requirements, student conduct standards, or law.

Copyright, Illegal File Sharing, and Peer-to-Peer Activity

Students must comply with copyright law, software and database licenses, library-resource terms, course-material restrictions, and the intellectual-property rights of others. Unauthorized downloading, uploading, copying, streaming, sharing, reproduction, or distribution of copyrighted material is prohibited. This includes unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing and using University technology to make copyrighted material available to others without permission or other lawful authority.

Violations may result in loss of technology or network privileges, University disciplinary action, and civil or criminal liability. Under federal law, civil statutory damages generally range from $750 to $30,000 for each work infringed and may reach $150,000 for each work when infringement is willful. Criminal penalties may include fines and imprisonment. Federal law controls, and the consequences applicable to a particular matter depend on the facts and law in effect at the time.

The University will maintain measures required by applicable law to address unauthorized distribution of copyrighted material and will make information about University copyright policies, sanctions, federal penalties, and lawful alternatives available to students. Lawful alternatives may include University-licensed library databases, authorized stores and subscription services, open educational resources, Creative Commons materials used according to their licenses, public-domain works, and works used with permission. Enrolled students will receive required copyright information and notices at least annually.

Student Violations, Protective Actions, and Sanctions

Suspected student violations may be referred to the Provost or an authorized designee and may be handled as an academic, student-conduct, housing, or other disciplinary matter. Information Technology may take immediate technical action before a disciplinary determination when reasonably necessary to protect people, information, evidence, systems, networks, or University operations. Final disciplinary decisions will be made through the applicable University process.

Depending on the circumstances, actions or sanctions may include:

• Credential resets, session revocation, temporary account suspension, device isolation, access restrictions, or preservation of relevant records and evidence.
• A warning, educational conference, required cybersecurity or copyright training, or other corrective instruction.
• Restitution, replacement, repair, or reimbursement for loss, damage, unauthorized charges, or recovery costs when permitted by University policy and law.
• Temporary or permanent restriction, suspension, or revocation of technology, network, residence-hall network, library, device, or account privileges.
• Academic consequences when conduct involves identity misrepresentation, unauthorized assistance, academic dishonesty, or interference with an academic activity.
• Student-conduct sanctions, including probation, suspension, dismissal, or other sanctions authorized by the Student Handbook.
• Referral to legal counsel, law enforcement, a service provider, a rights holder, or another appropriate authority when required or warranted, subject to FERPA and other applicable privacy requirements.

Sanctions are not required to follow a particular sequence and may be combined according to the nature, intent, impact, prior conduct, cooperation, and risk involved. University action does not prevent separate civil or criminal liability.

Online Services and Privacy

Students using University websites, applications, and third-party services are subject to the applicable University privacy notices and service terms. Student education records are handled in accordance with FERPA and University policy. Questions concerning student education records should be directed to the Office of the Registrar, and suspected technology-security issues should be reported to helpdesk@buf.edu.

Distribution, Acknowledgment, and Administration

The University will publish and distribute this policy through appropriate University media. Students are responsible for complying with this policy, applicable handbooks, housing and library rules, academic-integrity requirements, and other requirements applicable to their access. The University may require electronic or written acknowledgment and appropriate security or privacy training.

The Director of Information Technology, or an authorized designee, administers this policy and may issue supporting standards, procedures, technical requirements, and user guidance. Exceptions must be documented, supported by a legitimate academic or business need, reviewed for risk, limited in scope and duration, and approved by the Director of Information Technology together with the appropriate University authority or data owner.

The University may revise this policy through its established review and approval processes when legal, accreditation, operational, campus, technology, or cybersecurity requirements change. Material changes will be communicated through appropriate University channels. The most current formally approved and published version controls. This policy should be reviewed at least annually and after significant changes.

Graceville Campus Facilities

Library

The Ida J. McMillan Library, located in Carlton Hall, is the resource center which provides educational materials and services for faculty and students. The Director of Library Services and the library staff are available to offer assistance to students in locating materials and providing other library services. 

Library Hours

Fall and Spring Schedule

Monday                                   8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Tuesday                                  8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Wednesday                             8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Thursday                                 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Friday                                      12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. (1st and 3rd Fridays)

Saturday and Sunday            Closed

*Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays during the chapel hour.

Rules for the Use of the Library

Students are encouraged to utilize the library and its resources. If students have overdue books or fines, they may not check out other materials. Overdue and fine notices will be emailed to your student account. Please be courteous of others who may be studying in the library.

Administrative Offices

The main campus of the university occupies a beautiful, approximately 200-acre campus in Graceville, a town located in the Florida panhandle. All campus buildings are grouped together and are within a five-minute walk of each other. Students with disabilities have easy access to campus facilities.

Graceville Hall is home to the Registrar’s Office, Baptist Collegiate Ministry (BCM) Office, as well as some faculty offices. General Education faculty are in the Kinchen Center, Solomon Hall, and Graceville Hall. The Teacher Education faculty are in the Kinchen Center. The Library and the Music and Worship Division faculty are in Carlton Hall; and the Theology faculty are located in Graceville Hall and R. C. Mills Center. The Campus Safety Office is in the McRae Morrow Building, and the IT Lab is in the Library. Athletics is housed in the Wellness Center and McRae Morrow.

Coffee Shop and Bistro

The King’s Cup Coffee Shop & Bistro is located in the Student Center.

Campus Housing

Single students, under 21 years of age, not commuting from home where they reside with their parent(s) or legal guardian, must live in an on-campus residence hall for the first four semesters (not counting summers) of attendance at BUF.

Campus housing for students includes: Lakeview apartments for married couples and families and residence halls for single students are Lakeside Hall, Smith Hall, Brackin-Chandler Hall, Napier Hall, the POD, Courtyard Plaza (Conrad, Courtyard, and Ogletree dorms) and Ezell Apartments.

Chapel

The Robert G. Lee Chapel, built in 1958 and named for the former pastor of Bellevue Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, is the worship center of the university where special programs and spiritual emphases are held.

Classrooms

The Ed Solomon Hall, McRae-Morrow Hall, Kinchen Center, the R. C. Mills Center for Evangelism and Missions, and Carlton Hall are all used for classrooms on campus.

Daniel Plaza

Daniel Plaza is a beautiful gazebo area in the center of the university campus. It provides a unique place for prayer, fellowship, meetings, and special gatherings and events such as musical concerts. Built in 1994, it is dedicated to the J. Nixon Daniel family who served faithfully on the University Board of Trustees for many years.

Recreation Facilities

The BUF Wellness Center houses a full-sized basketball/volleyball court and our Talon Training Facility (fitness room). There is a pool table, and other games upstairs near the indoor walking track. Lake Albert is open for fishing within the guidelines of state regulations and university policy, but swimming and boating are prohibited.

Rules for Use of the BUF Wellness Center 

• Only currently enrolled students, staff, faculty, and administrators of the Baptist University of Florida and their dependents may use the facility.
• Children 18 and under cannot use the facility without a parent accompanying them. PARENTS MUST SUPERVISE THEIR CHILDREN.
• Authorized personnel are permitted to bring one guest. There is no charge for bringing a guest, but each person is responsible for his or her guest, and the guest must obey all the rules of the Wellness Center. The intent of this is that out-of- town guests may use the facility with the authorized user. It is not for the purpose of allowing local persons who are not authorized users to have access to facility.  NOTE: Chapel speakers, trustees, and other authorized campus guests may also use the facility.
• NO food or beverages (other than water) are allowed on the Wellness Center basketball/volleyball court.
• The basketball/volleyball court, Talon Training Facility, and restrooms are accessible during the hours the Wellness Center is open.
• It is recommended that those using free weights have a spotter with them in the Talon Training Facility. The Talon Training Facility equipment is for use at your own risk.
• There should be no throwing of footballs, baseballs, softballs, or frisbees in the Wellness Center. (BUF Intramural sports would be an exception for utilizing outdoor equipment inside the Wellness Center.)
• Only the approved staff is permitted to set up or move the bleachers, basketball goals, and volleyball nets. Permission to help may be given by approved staff only.

Wellness Center/Intramural Field Dress Code

Students are expected to be modestly and appropriately dressed at all times. Clothing with obscene pictures or messages and clothing with advertisements for products not in keeping with BUF’s philosophy are not appropriate. Responsibility for dress is placed upon each student.

Note: The Wellness Center dress code is not campus-wide.

• ONLY athletic footwear is allowed in the recreation areas of the Wellness Center. This includes the Talon Training Facility and basketball/volleyball court.
• ABSOLUTELY NO bare feet, socks, flip flops, dress shoes, boots, or casual shoes allowed in the recreation areas.
• Tops must be worn at all times. True tank tops and sleeveless shirts are allowed (sports bras must be worn underneath, for women). NO crop tops, spaghetti straps, inappropriately tight-fitting or overly revealing clothing (compression leggings or shorts must have loose clothing over them).

Rules for Use of Lake Albert

Student Center

The Farris Student Center is home to Admissions, Student Life, the Kings Cup Café & Bistro, the Campus Store, the President’s Conference Room, and the Student Mailboxes.

Use of University Facilities

All events that require the use of campus facilities must be reserved and recorded on the official school calendar. Those who are planning special events (club meetings, recitals, banquets, etc.) should submit a request through CourseDog Events a minimum of 3 weeks before an event for approval.

Use of 2-4 GHZ Electronic Devices on Campus

WiFi and 802.11b/g devices may be used to access the campus wireless internet service. Use of other 2.4 GHz electronic devices is prohibited on campus. Prohibited devices include 2.4 GHz cordless phones, unauthorized access points, 2.4 GHz radios, and other devices operating on 2.4 GHz.

Intellectual Property

Definitions

Certain terms are used in this policy with specific meanings, as defined in this section. These definitions do not necessarily conform to customary usage.

1. Intellectual property includes any patentable invention, any copyrightable subject matter or trade secret. It also includes works of art and inventions or creations that might normally be developed on a proprietary basis.
2. Creator means any person who creates an item of intellectual property.
3. Substantial use of university facilities means the use of facilities, equipment, personnel and other resources, to a greater extent than that which occurs in the regular course of one’s undertaking to perform the task for which one has been employed, or which is greater than the use afforded to students in the course of their duties. The use of these facilities must be important to the creation of the intellectual property; merely incidental use of a facility does not constitute substantial use, nor does the use of a facility commonly available to all faculty or professional staff and students (such as libraries and offices). (This provision is not intended to override any other department or university policy concerning reimbursement for or facilities usage.)

Policy Provisions

This section states the policies concerning ownership of intellectual property created at the university.

• Externally Sponsored Work. Intellectual property created as a result of work conducted under an agreement between an external sponsor and the university that specifies the ownership of such intellectual property shall be owned as specified in said agreement.

• Internally Sponsored Work. When the university provides funds or facilities for a particular project to the extent of substantial use, it may also choose to declare itself the owner of intellectual property resulting from said work. In such cases, the university must specify in advance the disposition of any intellectual property rights arising from the project. Such notice is to be in writing, and the university may require written acknowledgement of such provisions by any person working on internally sponsored projects. If the university fails to notify a creator, effectively and in advance, of limitations imposed on his intellectual property rights by internal university sponsorship, the creator is entitled to receive from the university 50% (fifty percent) of the net proceeds to the university resulting from intellectual property.

• Individual agreements. Intellectual property which is the subject of a specific agreement between the university and the creator(s) thereof shall be owned as provided in said agreement. Such agreements by the university and the faculty are especially encouraged.

• Intellectual Property Created Within the Scope of Employment. Intellectual property created by university employees who were employed specifically to produce a particular intellectual property shall be owned by the university if said intellectual property was created within the normal scope of their employment. Faculty are presumed not to be hired to produce a particular intellectual property. On the other hand, computer programs written on the job by staff computer programmers fall under this provision.

• Other Intellectual Property. Intellectual property created by university employees and students not within the scope of employment, not by agreement, and not externally or internally sponsored, shall be owned by the university if the creation involved substantial use of university facilities; if the creator did not involve substantial use of university facilities the creation shall be owned by the creator. This provision is designed to prevent unauthorized use of university facilities and to promote agreements as described above.

• Consulting Agreements. Work done by individuals as consultants to outside firms is not to involve substantial use of university facilities, and the rights to intellectual property created under consulting agreements are retained by the outside firms or the individual as specified by the terms of the consulting agreement. Any member of the university community who is engaged in consulting work or in business is responsible for ensuring that the work and the provisions in this agreement are not in conflict with the university’s policies regarding other employment and university facility usage, are not in conflict with the university’s values and mission, and do not prevent the employee of the university from fulfilling his employment duties to the university. Each creator of intellectual property should make his obligation to the university clear to those with whom he makes such agreements and should ensure that they are provided with a current statement of the university’s intellectual property policy.

General Procedures

The creator of any intellectual property that is or might be owned by the university under this policy is required to make reasonably prompt written disclosure of the work to the university President, and to execute any document deemed necessary to perfect legal rights in the university and enable the university to file patent applications and applications for copyright registration when appropriate. This disclosure to the President should be made at the time when legal protection for the creation is contemplated, and it must be made before the intellectual property is sold, used for profit, or disclosed to the public. Whenever legal protection for intellectual property is anticipated all persons engaged in such creative activity are encouraged to keep regular notebooks and records. The university’s share of any proceeds under this policy will be used to reimburse the university for its expenses for commercial development of intellectual property. Any additional returns to the university will be used to further develop the academic purposes of all the disciplines of the entire university.

The Deese Center

The campus dining facility is in the Deese Center. Hours are posted on the website each semester.