7540.03 - STUDENT NETWORK AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY

Hartford Union High School District

Administrative Guidelines

7540.03 - STUDENT NETWORK AND INTERNET ACCEPTABLE USE AND SAFETY

Students are encouraged to use the Board's computers/network and Internet connection for educational purposes. Use of such resources is a privilege, not a right. Students must conduct themselves in a responsible, efficient, ethical, and legal manner. Unauthorized or inappropriate use, including any violation of these guidelines, may result in cancellation of the privilege, disciplinary action consistent with the Student Handbook, and/or civil or criminal liability (see Sec. 943.70, Wis. Stat. (Computer Crimes) and Sec. 947.0125, Wis. Stat. (Unlawful Use of Computerized Communication Systems)). Prior to accessing the Internet at school, students must sign the Student Network and Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Agreement. A minor student must also have the permission of his/her parent or guardian before accessing the Internet at school.

Smooth operation of the Board's Network relies upon users adhering to the following guidelines. The guidelines outlined below are provided so that users are aware of their responsibilities.

	A.	Students are responsible for their behavior and communication on the Internet.
	B.	Students may only access the Internet by using their assigned Internet/E-mail account. Use of another person's account/address/password is prohibited. Students may not allow other users to utilize their passwords.
	C.	Students 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.
	D.	Students may not use the Internet to engage in "hacking" or other unlawful activities.
	E.	Transmission of any material in violation of any State or Federal law or regulation, or Board policy is prohibited.
	F.	Any use of the Internet for commercial purposes, advertising, or political lobbying is prohibited.
	G.	Students are expected to abide by the following generally-accepted rules of network etiquette:

		1.	Be polite, courteous, and respectful in your messages to others. Use language appropriate to school situations in any communications made through the Board's computers/network. Do not use obscene, profane, vulgar, sexually explicit, defamatory, or abusive language in your messages.
		2.	Never reveal names, addresses, phone numbers, or passwords of yourself or other students, family members, teachers, administrators, or other staff members while communicating on the Internet.
		3.	Do not transmit pictures or other information that could be used to establish your identity without prior approval of a teacher and unless expressly authorized by your parent or guardian on the "Student Network and Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Agreement Form."
		4.	Never agree to get together with someone you "meet" on-line without prior parent approval.
		5.	Diligently delete old mail on a regular basis from the personal mail directory to avoid excessive use of the electronic mail disk space.

Use of the Internet to access, process, distribute, display, or print child pornography and other material that is obscene, objectionable, inappropriate, and/or harmful to minors is prohibited.

To ensure that the Board's computer resources are not used for inappropriate purposes and consistent with the Children's Internet Protection Act, the Board has implemented technology protection measures on all computers with access to the Internet and World Wide Web that protect against access to visual depictions that are obscene, child pornography, and/or harmful to minors. These measures are operating at all times, and enable the Board to monitor and protect against access to the aforementioned visual depictions. We have additional and extensive systems and security mechanisms in place to ensure the security, integrity, and appropriateness of the data on our networks. We also rely on and respect each family's right to decide whether to allow their children access to the Internet and World Wide Web.

	I.	Malicious use of the Board's computers/network to develop programs that harass other users or infiltrate a computer or computer system and/or damage the software components of a computer or computing system is prohibited. Students may not use the Board's computers/network in such a way that would disrupt their use by others. Students must avoid intentionally wasting limited resources.
	J.	All communications and information accessible via the Internet should be assumed to be private property (i.e. copyrighted and/or trademarked). All copyright issues regarding software, information, and attributions of authorship must be respected.
	K.	Downloading of information onto the Board's hard drives is prohibited. If a student transfers a file or software program that infects the Network with a virus and causes damage, the student will be liable for any and all repair costs to make the Network once again fully operational.
	L.	Students must secure prior approval from a teacher or Supervisor of Technical Services before joining a Listserv (electronic mailing lists) and should not post personal messages on bulletin boards or "Listservs."
	M.	Students are prohibited from accessing or participating in on-line "chat rooms" or other forms of direct electronic communication (other than e-mail) without prior approval from a teacher or Supervisor of Technical Services. All such authorized communications must comply with these guidelines.
	N.	The Board has software and systems in place that monitor and record all Internet, World Wide Web, and computer usage. The Board wants users to be aware that security systems are capable of recording, for each and every user, each World Wide Web site visit, the amount of time spent actively using the World Wide Web, each chat, news group access, e-mail message, and every file transfer into and out of our internal networks to the Internet. No District student or employee should have any expectation of privacy as to his/her Internet or World Wide Web usage, or the privacy of any electronic mail message, file, download, note, or other data stored on or transmitted or received through any Board computing facility. The Board reserves the right to review computing activity and analyze usage patterns, and may choose to publicize this data to assure that the Board's computing resources are devoted to maintaining the highest standards of educational benefit and employee productivity. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities will be reported to the appropriate authorities. The use of passwords does not guarantee confidentiality, and the Board retains the right to access information in spite of a password.
	O.	Use of the Internet and any information procured from the Internet is at the student's own risk. The Board is not responsible for any damage a user suffers, including loss of data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions. The Board is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services. Information (including text, graphics, audio, video, etc.) from Internet sources used in student papers, reports, and projects should be cited the same as references to printed materials.
	P.	Disclosure, use, and/or dissemination of personal identification information of minors via the Internet is prohibited, except as expressly authorized by the minor student's parent/guardian on the "Student Network and Internet Acceptable Use and Safety Agreement Form."
	Q.	Proprietary rights in the design of web sites hosted on the Board's servers remains at all times with the Board.

943.70, Wis. Stats.
947.0125, Wis. Stats.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, as amended

H.R. 4577, P.L. 106-554, Children's Internet Protection Act of 2000
47 U.S.C. 254(h), (1), Communications Act of 1934, as amended
20 U.S.C. 6801 et seq., Part F, Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965,
as amended
18 U.S.C. 2256
18 U.S.C. 1460
18 U.S.C. 2246