Summary
In support of the mission of Bethel University and Seminary and the Covenant for Life Together, in the Fall of 1999, the faculty voted to block access to web pages involving pornography and gambling. This article outlines how appropriately-blocked web pages can be unblocked for academic purposes and how inappropriately-blocked pages can be unblocked.
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Requesting Access to Blocked Web Pages for Academic Purposes
Occasionally and usually for a short time, access to appropriately-blocked sites is required for academic purposes. In that event, here are the steps to go through for unblocking that site
2. Ask that the department chair send the ITS Vice President an email request to unblock the page(s). The request should include
b. The time frame (likely for a specified period of time such as a week or a semester) during which it should be unblocked)
c. A rationale for this action
Requesting Access to an Inappropriately-Blocked Web Page
Occasionally, a web page will be inappropriately blocked by Bethel's web filter. If you identify a page as being inappropriately blocked, please follow the following procedure. For their own protection, those who manage this procedure will not look at pages to make judgments on whether the page should be blocked. They will respond to your request only if they are confident, based upon both your description and the URL, that the page is inappropriately blocked.
2. Provide the url and a description of the content and purpose of the page(s) to be unblocked.
3. Approved requests will be directed to the appropriate ITS personnel to unblock the page(s).
Additional Information on The Procedure to Request Access to Inappropriately-Blocked Pages
Anyone who requests a page be unblocked that is subsequently found to involve pornographic or gambling material will be referred to the appropriate university office for disciplinary purposes.
. Information Technology Services updated this to include websites that contain security risks. Bethel uses Cisco to filter webpages. The following article explains the process for reclassifying a web page or gaining temporary access to a blocked site.
Misclassified Website
The content filter will sometimes misidentify a website and it will be inappropriately blocked. You can request that a website be reevaluated by filling out the BrightCloud Self Service Form. BrightCloud will process the new URL category request and update the Cisco filer. You will need the following information to fill out the service form:
- The website's URL
- Description of the sites actual content
- Need / reason for accessing the site
Blocked Website
If access to a blocked website is time sensitive, a request can be submitted to the IT Help Desk asking to whitelist a certain website. The IT Help Desk will forward this request to be discussed by IT Leadership and may involve other Bethel community members, such as the Provost or VP of Student Life. You will need the following information included:
- The website's URL
- Description of the sites actual content
- Need / reason for accessing the site
- Reason for urgency of the request