Lethbridge College has been checking over its school policies and updating them accordingly, including the information technology services.

Concerns about the use of college computers have been apparent after an incident involving former Lethbridge College vice-president Rick Buis.

Buis was recently sentenced to eight months in jail and two years probation for accessing and possessing child pornography in a case described by the Crown as “the high end of the spectrum.”

The videos were downloaded onto Buis’ college computers between July 2008 and March 2010. There were a total of 18 movies containing over two hours of footage.

Gwen Rosentreter, communications specialist at Lethbridge College, says that the policy was being looked over way before the Rick Buis incident. 

"We’re in the midst of a policy review and it’s been going on for a number of months already. The computer acceptable use policy plan is being reviewed again. There is an existing policy in place but it is in the process of being updated. We are hoping that we should have something new in the next month or two," says Rosentreter.

Students and faculty are able to access this and the other policies in their online portal.

According to the current policy, using a computer workstation for activities which may bring viruses or spyware into the college is not permitted. The use of college workstations are not provided for playing of games, viewing pornography, illegal sharing of files or other commercial use.

The display of sexually explicit or violent images in public spaces and/or the initiation of unsolicited communication with sexual content contravene the college’s Discrimination and Harassment policy.

"When you go onto our website you can see some of the policies have been updated already and some like information technology services have little stars beside it because it is in the process of being updated," said Rosentreter.

When the college upgrades policies, it either reviews what is standing or puts new ones in place.

Rosentreter says the college will frequently check and see what policies other schools have in place to ensure that the procedures are either at par or have a better placement than other institutions.