TECHNOLOGY ACCEPTABLE USE AGREEMENT - STUDENT
LIVING WATERS CATHOLIC SCHOOLS
Living Waters Catholic Schools recognizes the value of computer and other electronic resources to improve student learning and enhance the administration and operation of its schools. Living Waters also recognizes the importance of upholding all Catholic moral imperatives, especially with respect to people being treated with dignity and respect. To this end Living Waters Catholic Schools encourages the responsible use of computers; computer networks, including the Internet; and other electronic resources in support of the mission and goals of Living Waters Catholic Schools.
Because the Internet is an unregulated, worldwide vehicle for communication, information available to staff and students is impossible to control. Therefore, Living Waters Catholic Schools adopts this agreement governing the voluntary use of electronic resources and the Internet in order to provide guidance to individuals and groups obtaining access to these resources on jurisdiction-owned equipment.
Living Waters Catholic Schools Rights and Responsibilities
It is the policy of Living Waters Catholic Schools to maintain an environment that promotes ethical and responsible conduct in all online network activities by staff and students. It shall be a violation of this agreement for any employee, student, or other individual to engage in any activity that does not conform to the established purpose and general rules and policies of the network. Within this general agreement, Living Waters Catholic Schools recognizes its legal and ethical obligation to protect the well-being of students in its charge. To this end, Living Waters Catholic Schools retains the following rights and recognizes the following obligations:
1. To log network use and to monitor file server space utilization by users, and assume no responsibility or liability for files deleted due to violation of file server space allotments.
2. To remove a user account on the network – including an email account.
3. Living Waters maintains the right to monitor the use of its equipment, software, and user activity to ensure that network maintenance and performance monitoring maintains compliance with applicable laws and policies.
4. To monitor the use of online activities. This may include real-time monitoring of network activity and/or maintaining a log of Internet activity for later review.
5. To provide internal and external controls as appropriate and feasible. Such controls shall include the right to determine who will have access to jurisdiction-owned equipment and, specifically, to exclude those who do not abide by the Living Waters Catholic Schools’ acceptable use agreement or other policies governing the use of school facilities, equipment, and materials. Living Waters Catholic Schools reserves the right to restrict online destinations through software or other means.
6. To provide guidelines and make reasonable efforts to train staff and students in acceptable use and policies governing online communications
Staff Responsibilities
1. Staff members who supervise students, control electronic equipment, or otherwise have occasion to observe student use of said equipment online shall make reasonable efforts to monitor the use of this equipment to assure that it conforms to the mission and goals of the Living Waters Catholic Schools.
2. Staff should make reasonable efforts to become familiar with the Internet and its use so that effective monitoring, instruction, and assistance may be achieved.
User Responsibilities
1. Use of the electronic media provided by Living Waters Catholic Schools is a privilege that offers a wealth of information and resources for research and learning. Where it is available, this resource is offered to staff, students, and other patrons at no cost. In order to maintain the privilege, users agree to learn and comply with all of the provisions of this agreement.
2. It is understood that using personal or division assigned technology in Living Waters buildings or in the course of duties, results in diminished privacy rights.
Acceptable Use
1. All use of the Internet must be in support of educational and research objectives consistent with the mission and objectives of Living Waters Catholic Schools.
2. Proper codes of conduct in electronic communication must be used. In newsgroups, giving out personal information is inappropriate. When using e-mail, extreme caution must always be taken in revealing any information of a personal nature.
3. Network accounts are to be used only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose.
4. All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private property.
5. Subscriptions to mailing lists and bulletin boards must be reported to the system administrator. Prior approval for such subscriptions is required for students and staff.
6. Mailing list subscriptions will be monitored and maintained, and files will be deleted from the personal mail directories to avoid excessive use of file server hard-disk space.
7. Exhibit exemplary behavior on the network as a representative of your school and community. Be polite!
8. Living Waters Catholic Schools will make determinations on whether specific uses of the network are consistent with the acceptable use practice.
Unacceptable Use
1. Giving out personal information about another person, including home address and phone number, is strictly prohibited.
2. Any use of the network for commercial or for-profit purposes is prohibited.
3. Excessive use of the network for personal business shall be cause for disciplinary action.
4. Any use of the network for product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited.
5. Users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies of, or modify files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users, or misrepresent other users on the network.
6. No use of the network shall serve to disrupt the use of the network by others. Hardware and/or software shall not be destroyed, modified, or abused in any way.
7. Malicious use of the network to develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a computer or computing system and/or damage the software components of a computer or computing system is prohibited.
8. Hate mail, chain letters, harassment, discriminatory remarks, and other antisocial behaviors are prohibited on the network.
9. The unauthorized installation of any software, including shareware and freeware, for use on jurisdiction owned computers is prohibited.
10. Use of the network to access or process pornographic material, inappropriate text files (as determined by the system administrator or building administrator), or files dangerous to the integrity of the local area network is prohibited.
11. Living Waters Catholic Schools’ network may not be used for downloading entertainment software or other files not related to the mission and objectives of Living Waters Catholic Schools for transfer to a user's home computer, personal computer, or other media. This prohibition pertains to freeware, shareware, copyrighted commercial and non-commercial software, and all other forms of software and files not directly related to the instructional and administrative purposes of Living Waters Catholic Schools.
12. Downloading, copying, otherwise duplicating, and/or distributing copyrighted materials without the specific written permission of the copyright owner is prohibited, except that duplication and/or distribution of materials for educational purposes is permitted when such duplication and/or distribution would fall within the Fair Use Copyright Law.
13. Use of the network for any unlawful purpose is prohibited.
14. Use of profanity, obscenity, racist terms, or other language that may be offensive to another user is prohibited.
15. Playing games is prohibited unless specifically authorized by a teacher for instructional purposes.
16. Establishing network or Internet connections to live communications, including voice and/or video (relay chat), is prohibited unless specifically authorized by the system administrator.
17. The use of personal or jurisdictional electronic devices to record audio, video, and/or photos of a staff member(s) or student(s) without their express permission is prohibited. Living Waters staff may access student(s) personal or division
18. issued digital devices if there is reasonable grounds to believe that there has been a breach of school rules or policies and that a search of the device would reveal evidence of that breach. This includes, but not limited to audio and video recordings, and photos taken on Living Waters property that violated the privacy of others or is related to bullying.
19. The use of any proxy avoidance software, web sites or hardware devices whose intent is to circumvent the division firewall and filter systems is prohibited.
20. Connecting to the wired networks with personal devices.
21. Peer-to-peer software use is prohibited on the jurisdictions wireless network.
22. Student owned devices are to be used only with the permission of the school staff and in accordance with the school’s conduct policy.
Definitions:
Network - to be defined as any method of electronic information access either through wired, wireless or cellular connection while either in a division building or utilizing division owned hardware.
File server space - to be defined as any data or file storage resource made available to students or staff. This includes site file servers and cloud resources obtained through the division.
Disclaimer
1. Living Waters Catholic Schools cannot be held accountable for the information that is retrieved via the network.
2. Living Waters Catholic Schools will not be responsible for any damages you may suffer, including loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by our own negligence or your errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained is at your own risk.
3. Living Waters Catholic Schools makes no warranties (expressed or implied) with respect to: the content of any advice or information received by a user, or any costs or charges incurred as a result of seeing or accepting any information; and any costs, liability, or damages caused by the way the user chooses to use his or her access to the network.
4. Living Waters Catholic Schools reserves the right to change its policies and rules at any time.
5. Living Waters Catholic Schools is not responsible for the loss, theft, or damage of any personal devices. Responsibility for personally owned devices remains with the owner of the device at all times.