COMPUTER, NETWORK, EMAIL AND INTERNET ACCESS – ACCEPTABLE USE POLICY (AUP)
The Moriah Central School District offers computer and Internet access for student and employee use. This policy contains information regarding the appropriate use of these items. The information contained within applies equally to students, faculty, and staff unless where specifically noted.
A. Educational Purposes
1. The district computer network has been established for educational purposes. The term “educational purpose” includes classroom activities, career development, and limited high-quality self-discovery activities.
2. Some examples of non-educational uses which are not permitted are: chatting and Instant Messaging, online gaming, audio and video streaming unrelated to course work, and downloading non-instructional software.
3. The district computer network has not been established as a public access service or a public forum. The district has the right to place reasonable restrictions on the material users access or post through the system. Users are expected to follow the rules set forth in student/faculty/staff handbooks and the law in the use of the district computer network.
4. Users may not use the district computer network for commercial purposes. This means that users may not offer, provide, or purchase products or services through the district computer network.
5. Users may not use the district computer network for political lobbying. However, users may use the system to communicate with elected representatives and to express opinions on political issues.
B. Internet and E-mail Access
1. Online services will be made available to students, faculty, and staff as resources permit.
2. All users will have access to Internet World Wide Web information resources through their classroom, library, school computer lab or office provided with their acceptance of this AUP.
3. All faculty, staff, and students may obtain a district e-mail account with their acceptance of this AUP for the purpose of intra and inter school communication as well as for other professional communication.
4. Faculty may create a class or club web page on the district computer network. Students may also create such pages under the supervision of a faculty member or club advisor. All material placed on such web pages must adhere to this AUP and other district policies.
C. Unacceptable Uses
The following uses of the district computer network are considered unacceptable:
1. Personal Safety
a. Students will not post personal contact information about oneself or others. Additionally, personal information will not be posted about students by faculty or staff members without the appropriate permissions being secured. Personal contact information includes addresses, telephone numbers, school addresses, work addresses, etc.
b. Students will not agree to meet in person with someone they met online.
c. Students will promptly disclose to teachers or other school employees any message received that is inappropriate or makes them feel uncomfortable.
2. Illegal Activities
a. Users will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the district computer network or to any other computer system through the district computer network or go beyond their authorized access. This includes attempting to log in through another person’s account or access another person’s files. These actions are illegal, even if only for the purposes of “browsing.”
b. Users will not make deliberate attempts to disrupt the computer system or destroy data by spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal.
c. Users will not use the district computer network to engage in any other illegal act, such as arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of others, etc.
3. System Security
a. A database of those who have signed the AUB is available in the Library Media Center and in the Technology Coordinator’s room if ever a question arises regarding authorized use.
b. Users are responsible for their individual accounts and must take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their accounts. Under no circumstances should users provide their password to another person.
c. Passwords must be changed on a regular basis to insure the integrity and security of the district computer network.
d. If users are away from their computer for any length of time, it is requested that they log off to prevent unwanted access to information available through the user’s account
e. Users must immediately notify the Technology Coordinator if they identify a possible security problem. Users must not go looking for problems, because this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.
f. Users must avoid the spread of computer viruses by following the district virus protection procedures when opening file attachments.
4. Inappropriate Language
a. Restrictions against inappropriate language apply to public messages, private messages, and material posted on Web pages.
b. Users will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language.
c. Users will not post information that could cause damage or a danger of disruption.
d. Users will not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
e. Users will not harass other people. Harassment is persistently acting in manner that distresses or annoys another person. If users are told by another person to stop sending them messages, they must stop.
f. Users will not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.
5. Respect for Privacy
a. Users will not re-post, forward, or otherwise distribute or make public any message that was sent to them privately without permission of the person who sent the message.
b. Users will not post private information about other people
6. Respecting Resource Limits
a. Students will use the system only for educational and career development activities and limited.
b. Users will not download or send large file attachments (greater than 5 megabytes) unless it is absolutely necessary. If necessary, users will download the file at a t time when the system is not being heavily used, and immediately remove the file from the school’s computer to their own storage device.
c. If users have a school e-mail account, they will check their e-mail frequently, delete unwanted messages promptly, and stay within their e-mail quotas.
d. Users will not post chain letters or engage in “spamming.” Spamming is sending an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people.
e. Users will only subscribe to high quality electronic forums that are relevant to their education or career development.
7. Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement
a. Users will not plagiarize works that they find on the Internet. Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were yours.
b. Users will respect the rights of copyright owners. Copyright infringement occurs when people inappropriately reproduce any work that is protected by a copyright (text, sound, images and other media). If work contains language that specifies appropriate use of that work, students should follow the expressed requirements. If users are unsure whether or not they can use a work, they should request permission from the copyright owner. Copyright law can be very confusing. If users have questions they should ask a teacher or library media specialist.
c. Users will only install software on district computers when they have a legitimate user license to do so. Copying software to machines when there is not an appropriate license for that software is not only illegal, but it also puts the district at risk.
8. Inappropriate Access to Material
a. Users will not use the online computer system to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature). A special exception may be made for hate literature if the purpose is to conduct research, and both the student’s teacher and parent have approved in writing.
b. If users mistakenly access inappropriate information, they must immediately tell their teacher or another district employee. This will protect them against a claim that they have intentionally violated this policy.
D. User Rights
1. Free Speech
Users’ rights to free speech applies also to communication on the Internet. The district computer network is considered a limited forum, similar to a school newspaper, and therefore the district may restrict user speech for valid educational reasons. The district will not restrict user speech on the basis of a disagreement with the opinions users express.
2. Search and Seizure
a. Users should expect only limited privacy in the contents of their personal files on the district computer system. The situation is similar to the rights users have in the privacy of their lockers, desks, or file cabinets.
b. Routing maintenance and monitoring of the district computer network may lead to discovery that users have violated this policy, the student/faculty/staff handbook, or the law.
c. An individual search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that a user has violated this policy, the faculty handbook, or the law. The investigation will be reasonable and related to the suspected violation.
3. Due Process
a. In the event that a user violates the provisions of this policy, their network privileges may be revoked by the district at the discretion of a building administrator or the Superintendent of Schools.
b. The district will cooperate fully with local, state or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through the district computer network.
c. In the event that there is a claim that users have violated this policy or the student/faculty/staff handbook in their use of the district computer network, they will be provided with a written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to present an explanation before the building administrator.
d. If the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the student/faculty/staff handbook, it will be handled in a manner described in that handbook. Additional restrictions may be placed on that user’s use of the Internet account.
E. Limitation of Liability
The district makes no guarantee that the functions or the services provided by or through the district system will be error-free or without defect. The district will not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. The district is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. The district will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.
F. Personal Responsibility
When you are using the district computer network, it may feel like you can more easily break a rule and not get caught. This is not really true because whenever you do something on a network you leave “electronic footprints,” so the odds of getting caught are really about the same as they are in the real world. In order to comply with the Children’s Internet Protection
Act, the district has installed filtering and monitoring software. It is important that user realize this and recognize their responsibility to act appropriately while using the district computer network.
But the fact that you can do something or think you can do something without being caught does not make it right to do so. Even if you don’t get caught, there is always one person who will know whether you have done wrong – and that person is you. Your use of the Internet can be a mirror that will show what kind of person you are.
MORIAH CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT
Moriah Central School District
Acceptable Use Policy for Student E-mail
It is the policy of the Moriah Central School District that student e-mail will be used in a responsible, legal and ethical manner. Failure to do so will result in the termination of e-mail privileges for the user.
Users of the student e-mail system are responsible for their use of the e-mail. The use of the e-mail must be in support of education and research and must be consistent with academic actions of the Moriah Central School District and will be under the supervision of school faculty and administration at the school. Use of the e-mail for any illegal or commercial activities is prohibited.
A responsible e-mail user will:
• Use language that is considered appropriate.
• Be polite.
• Send information that other users will NOT find offensive.
• NEVER reveal personal information about any user such as address, telephone number, credit card numbers, social security number, etc.
• Report any unusual activities such as “spam” communications, obscene email, attempts by adults to lure them into dangerous behaviors, and the like to the office.
• NOT forward chain letters or jokes.
• NOT identify their home telephone numbers, or home addresses in any email correspondence.
A responsible e-mail user must be aware that:
• Use of the e-mail is a PRIVILEGE, not a RIGHT.
• E-mail is not guaranteed to be private.
• Violation of this policy will result in the possible loss of e-mail privileges.
• Persons issued an account are responsible for its use at all times.
• Students will be removed from the system after graduation or leaving the school district.
• The primary purpose of the student electronic mail system is for students to communicate with school staff, outside resources related school assignments, and fellow students to collaborate on school activities. Account user names and passwords may be provided to parents if needed so those parents can monitor the account and communicate with teachers. Use of the district’s email system is a privilege.
• Use of the email system will align with the school’s code of conduct and the code will be used for discipline purposes. Communication through the district’s email system will exhibit common sense and civility. It will abide by the community’s mode of acceptable behavior. Students are responsible for messages sent from their accounts. Students should not share their passwords.
• Electronic mail sent or received by this system is not confidential. Although the Board of Education does not make a practice of monitoring electronic mail, the administration reserves the right to retrieve the contents of user mailboxes for legitimate reasons, such as to find lost messages, to conduct internal investigations, to comply with investigations of wrongful acts or to recover from system failure.
• If necessary, the Board of Education, at its discretion, may close the accounts at any time. Any updates or changes to this electronic mail agreement by the Board of Education or administration will be in effect
COMPUTER, NETWORK, EMAIL & INTERNET ACCESS
Student Account Agreement
Student Name ____________________________________________
Grade _____________________
School _________________________________________________
I have read the district’s Computer, Network, Email & Internet Access Acceptable Use Policy. I agree to follow the rules contained in this policy. I understand that if I violate the rules, additional restrictions may also be placed on my account including termination of the account.
Student Signature_____________________________________
Date ______________________
Parent Section
I have read the district’s Computer, Network, Email & Internet Access Acceptable Use Policy. I hereby release the district, its personnel, and any institutions with which it is affiliated, from any and all claims and damages of any nature arising from use of, or inability to use, the district’s system, including, but not limited to claims that may arise from the unauthorized use of the system to purchase products or service.
I will provide instructions regarding any restrictions against accessing material that are in addition to the restrictions set for the in the district’s Computer, Network, Email & Internet Access Acceptable Use Policy. I will emphasize the importance of following the rules for personal safety.
I give permission to issue an account and certify that the information contained in this form is correct.
Parent Signature ________________________________________
Date ___________________
Parent Name __________________________________________ _______________________
Home Address _________________________________________ Phone __________________
This agreement remains in effect until you exit
Moriah Central School District
Adopted July 7, 2009