BENTON COMMUNITY SCHOOL CORPORATION TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AGREEMENT
Revised June 2010
The Benton Community School Corporation is actively pursuing making advanced technology and increased opportunities available to our students and staff. We recognize that safeguards have to be established to ensure that our investment in both hardware and software is achieving the benefits of technology and inhibiting negative side effects. The goal in providing these services is to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation and communication. This policy is established not only for proper acquisition of technology but also to ensure that staff and students are making appropriate and ethical use of the computers and other equipment as well as any networks that may be established. Students and employees who do not abide by this agreement may suffer disciplinary action, and be subject to denial of privileges and/or repair or replacement costs.
Acceptable Use
- The use of the Internet is to facilitate communications and exploration in support of research and education by providing access to unique resources and an opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your account should be in support of and consistent with the education objectives of the corporation. Access to the Internet is made possible through money from the corporation with support from state and federal grants. All users of the Internet shall comply with existing rules and this Technology Acceptable Use Agreement.
- Users are responsible for their behavior and communication on the Internet.
- Users may only access the Internet by using their assigned network user account. Use of another person’s account/address/password is prohibited. Users may not allow others to use their accounts.
- Users may not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files, data, or passwords belonging to other users, or misrepresent other users on the network.
- Users may not use the Internet to engage in “hacking” or other unlawful activities.
- Transmission of any material in violation of any State or Federal law or regulation, or Board policy is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secrets.
- Use for commercial activities is generally not acceptable. Any use of the Internet for product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited.
- Use of the Internet to access, process, distribute, display, or print child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate, or harmful to minors is prohibited. As such, the following material is prohibited: material that appeals to a prurient interest in nudity, sex, and excretion; material that depicts, describes, or represents in a patently offensive way with respect to what is suitable for minors an actual or simulated normal or perverted sexual acts, or any material that lacks serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value as to minors. Offensive messages and pictures, inappropriate text files, or files dangerous to the integrity of the Corporation’s computers/network (e.g., viruses) are also prohibited.
- Mass storage devices (CD, DVD, USB, virtual drives) may be used for personal and professional purposes. However, they are never to be used for storage, transfer, or use of materials that are inappropriate, illegal, or in violation of copyright laws. The users creating or in possession of mass storage devices containing such material will be responsible for it.
- Accessing websites or running applications for the purpose of bypassing the Internet content filter is prohibited.
- Users are not to load a program or piece of code on a computer or network for the purpose of disrupting operations. This includes but is not limited to viruses, worms, adware, and keyloggers.
Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
The Corporation recognizes its responsibility to educate students regarding appropriate behavior on social networking and chat room sites about cyber bullying. Therefore, students shall be provided instruction about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms and cyberbullying awareness and response.
Students shall be provided with age-appropriate instruction regarding safe and appropriate behavior on social networking sites, chat rooms, and other Internet services. Such instruction shall include, but not be limited to, the dangers of posting personal information online, misrepresentation by online predators, how to report inappropriate or offensive content or threats, behaviors that constitute cyberbullying, and how to respond when subjected to cyberbullying.
Electronic Mail (E-mail)
- Electronic mail (e-mail) is available to most school employees. E-mail is not private and can be examined by the Network Administration when necessary. E-mail relating to or in support of illegal activities shall be reported to the authorities.
- Forgery or attempted forgery of e-mail messages is illegal and prohibited.
- Unauthorized attempts to read, delete, copy, or modify email of other users are prohibited.
- Users are prohibited from sending unsolicited mass emails unless the communication is an employment-related function or an authorized publication. The district’s technology resources are not a public forum for expression of any kind and are to be considered a closed forum to the extent allowed by law.
- All users shall adhere to the same standards for communicating online that are expected in the classroom, and consistent with corporation policies, regulations, and procedures.
Encounter of Controversial Material
Users may encounter material that is controversial and which users, parents, teachers, or administrators may consider inappropriate or offensive. However, on a global network, it is impossible to effectively control all data content. It is the user’s responsibility not to initiate access to such material. If a user encounters such material, they shall immediately leave that site and report the incident to the system administrator or his/her designee.
Network Etiquette
Users are expected to abide by the following generally accepted rules of network etiquette:
- Be polite, courteous, and respectful in your messages to others. Use language appropriate to school situations in any communications made through the Corporation’s computers/network. Do not use obscene, profane, vulgar, sexually explicit, defamatory, or abusive language in your messages.
- Never reveal names, addresses, phone numbers, or passwords of yourself or other users, family members, teachers, administrators, or other staff members while communicating on the Internet.
- Do not transmit pictures or other information that may be used to establish your identity without prior approval of a teacher.
- Never agree to get together with someone you ‘meet’ online without prior parent approval.
- Never respond to unsolicited online contacts or advertisements.
- Any speech transmitted by the use of a school computer does not constitute speech in a “Public Forum” and is subject to regulation by the administration.
Privileges
The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right. Inappropriate use, including violation of the conditions and rules, may result in cancellation of the privilege. The system administrators will deem what is inappropriate use and their decision is final. The Benton Community Schools, under this agreement, is delegated the authority to determine appropriate us and may deny, evoke, suspend, or close any user account at any time based upon its determination of inappropriate use by a user or account holder. The individual user accepts the responsibility for the ramifications and consequences of any inappropriate use of the account.
Procedures for Use
- Staff members shall properly sign-up/register their class before use of the network in a lab. This procedure will vary from school to school.
- All users have the same right to use the equipment. Therefore, users shall not use computer resources for non-academic activities when other users require the system for academic purposes.
- Users may not waste or take supplies, such as paper, printer ink, and diskettes that are provided by the corporation.
Security
- Security on any computer system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. Users shall never allow others to use their passwords. Users shall also protect their password to ensure system security and their own ability to continue to use the system.
- If you feel you can identify a security problem on the Internet or Local Area Network (LAN), you shall notify the system administrators. Do not demonstrate the problem to others.
- Attempts to log on to the network or the Internet as a system administrator will result in the cancellation of user privileges.
- Any user identified as a security risk for any reason may be denied access to the Internet and/or the LAN.
- Protection of student information is important in any school. Staff members should not allow students to use a computer while the staff member is still logged onto the network.
- The corporation will operate a technology protection measure (filtering/blocking device) on all computers with Internet access, as required by law.
Software
- BCSC Technology Department shall be notified and grant permission prior to the loading of programs onto school owned computers. The system administrator will install any software onto school owned computers. Software documentation shall be accessible at the time of the installation. BCSC is not responsible for programs not approved by the system administrators or any problems caused by or related to such programs. The system administrators reserve the right to delete any programs or files.
- Unless otherwise stated in the software’s license agreement, users cannot legally load software on more than one computer or onto the network.
- The Technology Director shall be informed of and approve all potential software purchases intended for any BCSC workstation or network installation.
Terms and Conditions
All computers, telephone systems, electronic systems, e-mail and voicemail systems are the property of Benton Community School Corporation. On occasion, the system administrators may need to require school owned equipment to remain on school grounds for the purposes of maintenance and/or repair. BCSC retains the right to access and review all components of these systems. A user does not have a legal expectation of privacy in the user’s electronic mail or other activities involving the corporation’s network and technology resources. A user ID is provided to users of this corporation’s network and technology resources only on condition that the user consents to interception or access to all communications accessed, sent, received, or stored using corporation technology. Review of any systems will only be done in the ordinary course of business for a legitimate reason. Searching for inappropriate use is a legitimate reason to review logs, technologies, systems, computers, e-mail or voicemails. Administrators and supervisory staff authorized by the Superintendent have the authority to search and access information electronically.
The system administrators will maintain the corporation’s technology in a manner that will protect the corporation from liability and will protect confidential student and employee information retained or accessible through corporation technology resources. Trained personnel shall establish a retention schedule for the regular archival or deletion of data stored on corporation technology resources. Administrators of computer resources may suspend access to and/or availability of the corporation’s technology resources to diagnose and investigate network problems or potential violations of the law or district policies, regulations and procedures, and to load or delete new programs or information, install new equipment, and upgrade any system by removing, changing, or exchanging hardware between building, classrooms, employees, or students at any time.
The Corporation is not responsible for unauthorized financial obligations resulting from corporation provided internet access.
Vandalism
- Vandalism and harassment will result in cancellation of user privileges, other disciplinary action and/or repair or replacement costs.
- Vandalism is defined as any attempt to harm, modify, and/or destroy data, Internet, equipment, or other networks that are connected through the LAN, WAN, or Internet backbone. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creating of computer viruses.
- Harassment is defined as the persistent annoyance of another user or the interference of another user’s work. Harassment includes, but is not limited to, the sending of unwanted email, instant messages, or files.
Warranties
BCSC makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the services, products, or access it provides. The district is not responsible for any damages suffered for any reason, including loss of data for any reason. Use of any information obtained via the network is at the user’s own risk. The corporation does not guarantee the accuracy or quality of information obtained from the Internet, or use of its technology resources.
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