INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Regulation 6320

Library, Media, and Technology Services

Internet Usage

Personal Responsibility

Ac= cess to electronic research requires students and employees to maintain consistently high levels of personal responsibility.&nb= sp; The existing rules found in the District's Behavioral Expectations policy (Board Policy/Regulation 2610) as well as employee handbooks clearly apply to students and employees conducting electronic research or communication.

One fundamental need for acceptable student and employee use of District electr= onic resources is respect for, and protection of, password/account code security= , as well as restricted databases files, and information banks. Personal passwords/account codes m= ay be created to protect students and employees utilizing electronic resources to conduct research or complete work.

Th= ese passwords/account codes shall not be shared with others; nor shall students= or employees use another party's password except in the authorized maintenance= and monitoring of the network. The maintenance of strict control of passwords/account codes protects employees= and students from wrongful accusation of misuse of electronic resources or violation of District policy, state or federal law. Students or employees who misuse electronic resources or who violate laws will be disciplined at a level appropriate to the seriousness of the misuse.

Acceptable Use

Th= e use of the District technology and electronic resources is a privilege, which may = be revoked at any time. Staff and students are only allowed to conduct electro= nic network-based activities which are classroom or workplace related. Behaviors which shall result in revocation of access shall include, but will not be limited to: damage to or theft of system hardware or software; alteration of system hardware or software; placement of unlawful information, computer viruses or harmful programs on, or through the computer system; entry into restricted information on systems or network files in violation of password= /account code restrictions; violation of other users' rights to privacy; unauthorized disclosure, use or dissemination of personal information regarding minors; using another person's name/password/account to send or receive messages on= the network; sending or receiving personal messages on the network; and use of = the network for personal gain, commercial purposes, or to engage in political activity.

St= udents and employees may not claim personal copyright privileges over files, data = or materials developed in the scope of their employment, nor may students or employees use copyrighted materials without the permission of the copyright holder. The Internet allows a= ccess to a wide variety of media. E= ven though it is possible to download most of these materials, students and

st= aff shall not create or maintain archival copies of these materials unless the source indicates that the materials are in the public domain.

Ac= cess to electronic mail (E-mail) is a privilege and designed to assist students and employees in the acquisition of knowledge and in efficiently communicating = with others. The District E-mail s= ystem is designed solely for educational and work related purposes. E-mail files are subject to review by District and school personnel.&nbs= p; Chain letters, "chat rooms" or Multiple User Dimensions (M= UDs) are not allowed, with the exception of those bulletin boards or "chat" groups that are created by teachers for specific instructi= onal purposes or employees for specific work related communication.

St= udents or employees who engage in "hacking" are subject to loss of privileges and District discipline, as well as the enforcement of any Distr= ict policy, state and/or federal laws that may have been violated. Hacking may be described as the unauthorized review, duplication, dissemination, removal, damage, or altera= tion of files, passwords, computer systems, or programs, or other property of the District, a business, or any other governmental agency obtained through unauthorized means.

To= the maximum extent permitted by law, students and employees are not permitted to obtain, download, view or otherwise gain access to "inappropriate matter" which includes materials that= may be deemed inappropriate to minors, unlawful, abusive, obscene, pornographic, descriptive of destructive devices, or otherwise objectionable under current District policy or legal definitions.

The District and school administration reserve the right to remove files, limit= or deny access, and refer staff or students violating the Board policy to appr= opriate authorities or for other disciplinary action.

Privileges

Th= e use of District technology and electronic resources is a privilege, not a right, a= nd inappropriate use will result in the cancellation of those privileges. All staff members and students who receive a password/account code will participate in an orientation or train= ing course regarding proper behavior and use of the network. The password/account code may be suspended or closed upon the finding of user misuse of the technology syste= m or its resources.

Network Etiquette and Privacy

St= udents and employees are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of electronic network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1= . = System users are expected to be polite. They may not send abusive, insulting, harassing, or threatening messages to othe= rs.

2= . = System users are expected to use appropriate language; language that uses vulgarit= ies or obscenities, libels others, or uses other inappropriate references is prohibited.

3= . = System users may not reveal their personal addresses, their telephone numbers or t= he addresses or telephone numbers of students, employees, or other individuals during E-mail transmissions.

4= . = System users may not use the District's electronic network in such a manner that w= ould damage, disrupt, or prohibit the use of the network by other users.

5= . = System users should assume that all communications and information is public when transmitted via the network and may be viewed by other users. The system administrators may acce= ss and read E-mail on a random basis.

6= . = Use of the District's electronic network for unlawful purposes will not be tolerated and is prohibited.

Services

Wh= ile the District is providing access to electronic resources, it makes no warrantie= s, whether expressed or implied, for these services.&= nbsp; The District may not be held responsible for any damages including l= oss of data as a result of delays, non-delivery or service interruptions caused= by the information system or the user's errors or omissions. The use or distribution of any information that is obtained through the information system is at the user's own risk. The District specif= ically denies any responsibility for the accuracy of information obtained through Internet services.

Security

Th= e Board recognizes that security on the District's electronic network is an extreme= ly high priority. Security poses challenges for collective and individual users. Any intrusion into secure areas by= those not permitted such privileges creates a risk for all users of the informati= on system.

The account codes/passwords provided to each user are intended for the exclusive use of that person. Any probl= ems, which arise from the user sharing his/her account code/password, are the responsibility of the account holder. Any misuse may result in the suspension or revocation of account privileges. The use of an acc= ount by someone other than the registered holder will be grounds for loss of acc= ess privileges to the information system.

Us= ers are required to report immediately any abnormality in the system as soon as they observe it. Abnormalities sho= uld be reported to the classroom teacher or system administrator.

The District shall use filtering, blocking or other technology to protect stude= nts and staff from accessing internet sites that contain visual depictions that= are obscene, child pornography or harmful to minors. The District shall comply with the applicable provisions of the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and= the Neighborhood Internet Protection Act (NCIPA).

Vandalism of the Electronic Network or Technology System

Va= ndalism is defined as any malicious attempt to alter, harm, or destroy equipment or data of another user, the District information service, or the other networ= ks that are connected to the Internet. This includes, but is not limited to the uploading or the creation of computer viruses, the alteration of data, or the theft of restricted information. Any vandalism of= the District electronic network or technology system will result in the immedia= te loss of computer service, disciplinary action and, if appropriate, referral= to law enforcement officials.

Consequences

The consequences for violating the District's Acceptable Use Policy include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following:

1= . = Suspension of District Network privileges;

2= . = Revocation of Network privileges;

3= . = Suspension of Internet access;

4= . = Revocation of Internet access;

5= . = Suspension of computer access;

6= . = Revocation of computer access;

7= . = School suspension;

8= . = Expulsion; or

9= . = Employee disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.