Lake Arthur Municipal Schools

Instruction

 

Policy I9076:         Computer, E-mail, Internet, and Information

                                    Technology Acceptable Use Policy

 

I.  Definition

 

As used herein:

 

1. “User” means all persons who are granted access to the School District’s computer resources.
2. “Computer Resources” means all computer hardware, computer software, communication devices, facilities, equipment, networks, passwords, licensing and attendant policies, manuals, and guides.

 

II.  No Expectation of Privacy

 

A. No expectation of privacy.  The computers and accounts given to Users are to assist them in performance of their jobs.  Users do not have an expectation of privacy in anything they create, store, send, or receive on the computer system.  The computer system belongs to the School for business and/or education program purposes.

 

B. Waiver of privacy rights.  Users expressly waive any right of privacy in anything they create, store, send, or receive on the computer or through the Internet or any other computer network.  Users consent to allowing personnel of the School to access and review all materials Users create, store, send, or receive on the computer or through the Internet or any other computer network.  Users understand that the School may use human or automated means to monitor use of its computer resources.

 

III.  Prohibited Activities

 

A. Inappropriate or unlawful material.  Material that is fraudulent, harassing, embarrassing, lewd, sexually explicit, profane, obscene, intimidating, threatening or potentially violent, defamatory, racially offensively proselytizing inappropriate or otherwise unlawful, or in violation of School Board policy may not be sent by email or other forms of electronic communication (such as bulletin boards systems, newsgroups, chat groups) or displayed on or stored in computers.  Users encountering or receiving this kind of material are to immediately report the incident to their supervisors.

 

 

 

Page 1 of 6                                                                                                                                                                                          

Board Policy

 

Lake Arthur Municipal Schools

Instruction

 

Policy I9076:         Computer, E-mail, Internet, and Information

                                    Technology Acceptable Use Policy

 

B. Prohibited uses.  Without prior written permission from the District’s administration and/or technology coordinator, computer resources may not be used for dissemination or storage of commercial or personal advertisements, promotions, destructive programs (including but not limited to self-replicating codes or viruses), political or religious material, receipt or distribution of inappropriate or unlawful material as defined above, participation in or accessing chat lines, chat groups or chat sites (unless directly related to the school curriculum and such access has been authorized in advance by the building supervisor and/or district technology coordinator), accessing any site which displays or distributes inappropriate or unlawful material as defined above, or any use which is unauthorized or in violation of School Board policy.

 

C. Waste of computer resources.  Users may not deliberately perform acts that waste computer resources or unfairly monopolize resources to the exclusion of others.  These acts include, but are not limited to, sending or forwarding mass mailings or chain letters, spending excessive amounts of time on the Internet, playing games, sending or forwarding jokes, engaging in online chat groups, printing multiple copies of documents, or otherwise creating unnecessary network traffic.

 

D. Misuse of software.  Without prior written authorization from the administration and/or the district’s technology coordinator, Users may not do any of the following:  (1) copy software for use on their home computers; (2) provide copies of software to any third person; (3) install software on any School workstations or servers; (4) download any software or run executable files from the Internet, email or other online service to any School’s workstations or servers; (5) modify, revise, transform, recast, or adapt any software; or (6) reverse-engineer, disassemble, or decompile any software.  Users who become aware of any misuse of software or violation of copyright law must immediately report the incident to their supervisors.

 

E. Communication of trade secrets.  Unless expressly authorized by the administration or the district’s technology coordinator, sending, transmitting, or otherwise disseminating proprietary data, trade secrets, or other confidential information of the District and/or School is strictly prohibited.  Unauthorized dissemination of this information may result in substantial civil liability as well as severe criminal penalties under the Economic Espionage Act of 1996.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Page 2 of 6                                                                                                                                                                                          

Board Policy

 

Lake Arthur Municipal Schools

Instruction

 

Policy I9076:         Computer, E-mail, Internet, and Information

                                    Technology Acceptable Use Policy

 

IV.  Passwords

 

A. Responsibility for passwords.  Users are responsible for safe-guarding their passwords for access to the computer system.  Individual passwords should not be printed, stored online, or given to others.  Users are responsible for all transactions made using their passwords.  No User may access the computer with another User’s password or account.

 

B. Passwords do not imply privacy.  Use of passwords to gain access to the computer system or to encode particular files or messages does not imply that Users have an expectation of privacy in the material they create or receive on the computer system.  The District and/or School have global passwords that permit it access to all material stored in its computer system-regardless of whether that material has been encoded with a particular User’s password.

 

V.  Security

 

A. Accessing other User’s file.  Users may not alter or copy a file belonging to another User without first obtaining permission from the owner of the file.  Ability to read, alter, or copy a file belonging to another User does not imply permission to read, alter, or copy that file.  Users may not use the computer system to “snoop” or pry into the affairs of other Users or District and/or School operating systems by unnecessarily reviewing their files and e-mail without authority.

 

B. Accessing other computers and networks.  A User’s ability to connect to other computer systems through the network or by a modem does not imply a right to access to connect to those systems or to make use of those systems unless specifically authorized by the operators of those systems.

 

C.     Computer security.  Each User is responsible for ensuring that use of outside computers and networks, such as the Internet, does not compromise the security of the District and/or School computer resources.  This duty includes taking reasonable precautions to prevent intruders from accessing the District and/or School’s networks via Internet connections or by leaving systems on and logged into the network without authorization and to prevent the introduction and spread of replicating codes or viruses.

 

 

 

 

Page 3 of 6                                                                                                                                                                                          

Board Policy

 

Lake Arthur Municipal Schools

Instruction

 

Policy I9076:         Computer, E-mail, Internet, and Information

                                    Technology Acceptable Use Policy

 

VI. Viruses

 

A. Virus detection.  Viruses can cause substantial damage to computer systems.  Each User is responsible for taking reasonable precautions to ensure he or she does not introduce viruses into the District and/or School’s networks.  To that end, all material received on floppy disk or other magnetic or optical media and all material downloaded from the Internet or from computers or networks that do not belong to the District or School MUST be scanned for viruses and other destructive programs before being placed onto the computer system or network.  Users should understand that their home computers, laptops and other media storage or exchange devices may contain viruses.  All disks transferred from these computers to the District and/or School’s network MUST be scanned for viruses.