UNM does not monitor the viewing of Internet pornography on campus, mainly because it would infringe on academic freedom and free speech, CIRT officials say.
"We don't log what Web pages people look at or what e-mails they send," said Matt Carter, a technical support manager at Computer and Information Resources and Technology. "We can see when and from where, but not what."
CIRT manages and provides computer network services at UNM.
Pornography is a word the Supreme Court has not defined, Carter said. He pointed to University Business Policy 2500, which lists "using computing services for unlawful purposes including ... obscene communications" as an example of misusing University computers.
Obscene material, which is not protected by the First Amendment, is determined by three criteria.
The material must be found by a judge or jury to depict or describe sexually explicit conduct in a patently offensive way, appeal to lewd interests and lack serious literary, artistic, political or scientific value.
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Carter said CIRT doesn't have filters in place to keep pornography off University computers because many sites have the same encoded information, and such limitations would violate the First Amendment.
The only law restricting pornography applies to "child porn," which depicts subjects younger than 18.
If an instance of illegal computer use involving a student were reported to CIRT, Carter said, the case would be forwarded to the Dean of Students.
Dean of Students Randy Boeglin said he couldn't remember having dealt with any cases of Internet pornography at UNM.
"I'm sure it happens," Boeglin said. "I'm sure we're not that pristine and pure."
The majority of cases Boeglin could potentially review would occur only after CIRT had determined the University's computing services policy had been violated, he said.
Boeglin said, hypothetically, a violation of the Student Code of Conduct could take place if someone sent sexually explicit material via e-mail to someone else, and that person found it offensive.
"In that case, it would become a harassment issue," he said.
If the case involved child pornography, it would be shared with police, Boeglin said.
If a faculty or staff member were found viewing illegal Internet pornography, the case would go to Human Resources, Carter said.
Carter said not all Internet pornography on campus is business related.
"If someone has that content on their own account, it's not an issue. It's incidental use," he said.
Incidental use is probably most common in the dorms, rather than in CIRT computer pods, Carter said.
CIRT Pod Manager Joseph Quintero said for the most part, students police what sites other students view in the pods.
"I think morality has set in," Quintero said. "I haven't had any complaints in awhile."
CIRT does have an unofficial policy, which states that a user who is being offended in a pod should first confront the user, after which a student computer consultant may intervene.
Student employees are to ask the user who is viewing the offensive material to relocate to an area of the pod where only he or she can see the computer screen, Quintero said.
