HAWTHORNE CEDAR KNOLLS SCHOOL DISTRICT

Network Acceptable Use Policy for Faculty and Staff

The network is provided to ease communications among staff and to facilitate research within the school setting.  The District may rely upon this medium for its communications with all staff and therefore requires that you check and read email messages daily.  It is desirable that the faculty and staff employ the district’s electronic mail as a primary tool for communications.

Faculty must remain mindful that all materials accessed over the network should support and enrich the curriculum and take into account the varied instructional needs, learning styles, abilities, and developmental levels of the students.

Communications over the network and Internet are public in nature and not entirely secure.  Privacy cannot be assured.  As an employee, you are required to sign an Acceptable Use Policy, as well as a Protection of Confidential Information Agreement.  It is required by Law that all School Districts that receive eRate Funding must have an enforceable internet safety policy for students and staff that includes the following:

1:  An Acceptable Student and Employee User Policy. (AUP)

2:  Appropriate and effective filtering Software on the Network.

Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Union Free School District has complied with all of these requirements.  General rules and standards for acceptable behavior are demanded of those who use the District network.

The district utilizes an internet filtering software to filter and/or block certain sites and monitor use of the network by students and staff.  In addition to monitoring the network and emails, the District also monitors the telephones and cell phones.  The network, email, internet telephone and District Cellular Phone are for School District business only; use for personal business may result in loss of access, disciplinary charges and/or possible termination.  The Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Union Free School District e-mail is a tool for business and school communication.  Users are responsible for using this resource in an efficient, effective, ethical and lawful manner.  All e-mails should follow the same code of conduct expected in any other form of written communication or face-to-face business and school communication.  Please limit your e-mail to official school business.  Please also keep in mind that e-mail is not necessarily secure against third party interception.  Failure to follow these guidelines may result in the loss of access to Hawthorne Cedar Knolls Union Free School District e-mail accounts. The network, email, internet and telephone and district cell phone are for business use only.  Use for personal business may result in loss of access, disciplinary charges and possible termination.  Unauthorized use of the District resources may result in a chargeback to the employee for any fees incurred (ie:  telephone charges, text messaging fees, etc., etc.)

Faculty/Staff/Employees may not engage in the following behaviors on the District network:

v  Sharing of confidential information on students or employees.

v  The sending, displaying or storing inappropriate or pornographic materials, messages or pictures.

v  Access Chat Rooms, Instant Messaging, Blogs, Twitter, Facebook, dating and/or social networks, etc..

v  Destroy, modify, copy, damage, or abuse hardware and software on District computers in any way.

v  Install software that has not been purchased by the District.

v  Engage in practices that threaten the network (e.g., loading files that may contain a virus).

v  Change computer settings, screen savers, or the downloading of software off the Internet.

v  Violate copyright laws.

v  Obtain access to the files or communications of others without any authorization or with no legitimate District’s business purpose.

v  Constructing an electronic communication so it appears to be from someone else.

v  Employ the network for commercial purposes, for-profit purposes, for product advertisement, or for political lobbying, or for any charitable, religious, or not-for-profit activities not sponsored by the District.

v  Incur any financial obligations on behalf of the District through the use of District network or telecommunications except with the written consent of authorized District personnel.

v  Create any home pages or web pages except with the express written consent of authorized District personnel.

The Network Administrator or District Administration may review files and communications to maintain system integrity and to ensure that all staff and students are using the systems responsibly.

Users should not expect that files stored on the District’s servers, email communications or telephone calls are private.

USER AGREEMENT:

I have read, understand and agree to comply with all of the provisions set forth:

Name (Print):  _______________________________________

Signature:       _______________________________________

Date:               _______________________________________