ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION AND DATA MANAGEMENT

The Superintendent or designee shall implement, monitor, and evaluate electronic media resources for instructional and administrative purposes.

Availability of Access

Access to the District's Electronic Communications System is a privilege, not a right.  All users shall be required to acknowledge receipt and understanding of all administrative regulations governing use of the system and shall agree in writing to comply with such regulations and guidelines.  Noncompliance with applicable regulations may result in suspension or termination of privileges and other disciplinary action consistent with District policies.  (See DH, FNC, FNCJ, FO, and the Student Code of Conduct) Violations of law may result in criminal prosecution as well as disciplinary action by the District.

Acceptable Use

The Superintendent or designee shall develop and implement administrative regulations, guidelines, and user agreements, consistent with the purposes and mission of the District and with law and policy governing copyright. 
(See EFE)

Monitored Use

Electronic mail transmissions and other use of the electronic communications system by students and employees shall not be considered confidential and may be monitored at any time by designated District staff to ensure appropriate use for educational or administrative purposes.

Disclaimer of Liability

The District shall not be liable for user's inappropriate use of electronic communication resources or violations of copyright restrictions, user's mistakes or negligence, or costs incurred by users.  The District shall not be responsible for ensuring the accuracy or usability of any information found on the Internet.

Adminitrative Regulations for Electronic Communication and Data Management

The District's system will be used only for administrative and educational purposes consistent with the District's mission and goals.  Commercial use of the District's system is strictly prohibited.

Copyrighted software or data may not be placed on any system connected to the District's system without permission from the holder of the copyright.  Only the owner(s) or individuals the owner specifically authorizes may upload copyrighted material to the system.

System Access

Any system user identified as a security risk or having violated District and/or campus computer-use guidelines may be denied access to the District's system.

Individual User Responsibilities

The following standards will apply to all users of the District's electronic information/communications systems:

The individual in whose name a system accounts are issued will be responsible at all times for its proper use.
The system may not be used for illegal purposes, in support of illegal activities, or for any other activity prohibited by District policy.

System users may not use another person's system account without written permission from the campus administrator or District coordinator, as appropriate. System users must purge electronic mail in accordance with established retention guidelines.

System users may redistribute copyrighted programs or data only with the written permission of the copyright holder or designee.   Such permission must be specified in the document or must be btained directly from the copyright holder or designee on accordance with applicable copyright laws, District policy, and administration regulations.

System users may also download public domain programs for their own use or may noncommercially redistribute a public domain program.  System users are responsible for determining whether a program is in the public domain.

Vandalism Prohibited

Any malicious attempt to harm or destroy District equipment or materials, data of another user of the District's system, or any of the agencies or other networks that are connected to the Internet is prohibited.  Deliberate attempts to degrade or disrupt system performance may be viewed as violations of District policy and administrative regulations and, possibly, as criminal activity under applicable state and federal laws.  This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creating of computer viruses.

Vandalism as defined above will result in the cancellation of system use privileges and will require restitution of costs associated with system restoration, hardware, or software costs. 

Forgery Prohibited

Forgery or attempted forgery of electronic mail messages is prohibited.  Attempts to read, delete, copy, or modify the electronic mail of other system users or deliberate interference with the ability of other system users to send/receive electronic mail is prohibited.  Attempts may lead to possible disciplinary action.

Information Content/Third Party Supplied Information

System users and parents of students with access to the District's system should be aware that use of the system may provide access to other electronic communications systems n the global electronic network that may contain inaccurate and/or objectionable material.

A student knowingly bringing prohibited materials into the school's electronic environment will be subject to a suspension and/or a revocation of privilege on the District's system and will be subject to disciplinary action in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

Network Etiquette

System users are expected to observe the following network etiquette:

Be polite.  Never send, or encourage others to send, abusive messages.

Use appropriate language.  Remember that you are representative of your school and district on a non-private system.  You may be alone with your computer, but what you say and do can be viewed globally.  Swearing, vulgarity, ethnic or racial slurs, and any other inflammatory language is prohibited.  Any data, or communication placed on district equipment will become the property of Mabank ISD. 

Electronic Mail.  Never assume electronic mail is private.  Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities must be reported to the authorities.  Pretending to be someone else when sending/receiving messages is considered inappropriate.

Obscenity. Transmitting obscene messages or pictures is prohibited.

Privacy.  Revealing personal address or phone numbers of the user or others is prohibited.

Disruptions.  Using the network in such a way that would disrupt the use of the network by other users is prohibited.

Vandalism.  Any attempt to alter or destroy data of another user is prohibited. 

Other Considerations:

Be brief.
Abbreviate when possible.
Include your signature at the bottom of e-mail messages.  Your signature footer should include your name, position, affiliation, and Internet address.
Post only to groups you know.
Remember that all network users are human beings.  Don't attack correspondents; persuade
them with facts.

Blogging.  Any blog that creates a material and substantial disruption to the educational environment regardless of the origin of the blog is prohibited.

Situations that may amount to a material and substantial disruption include but are not limited to:

• A published threat toward a student, teacher, administrator, or other school employee.
• Blog postings that call for the violation of laws or school rules.
• Students who post on their personal blogs during school time.
• Students who use school resources to publish or view a blog that is not school sponsored.
• Publishing false statements or rumors about others that can damage reputations and lead to defamation of character.

 MISD Consequences

Violation of the Rules of Acceptable Use may result in disciplinary action, possibly including:

• Loss of computers privileges for any length of time, up to the remainder of the school year, as determined by the building principal in consultation with the Technology Department.
• Detentions
• In School Suspension
• Suspension
• Placement of the DAEP
• Expulsion
• Financial responsibility for all costs associated with system restoration including labor, hardware or software repair/replacement, and restoring the integrity of data.
• Criminal charges

Termination/Revocation of System User Account

The District may suspend or revoke a system user's access to the District's system upon violation of District policy and/or administrative regulations regarding acceptable use.

Termination of employee's account or of a student's access will be effective on the date the principal or District coordinator receives notice of student withdrawal or of revocation of system privileges, or on a future date if so specified in the notice.

Disclaimer

The District's system is provided on "as is, as available" basis.  The District does not make any warranties, whether express or implied, including, without limitation, those of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose with respect to any services provided by the system and any information or software contained therein.  The district does not warrant that the functions of services performed by, or that the information or software contained on, the system will meet the system user's requirements, or that the system will be uninterrupted or error-free, or that defects will be corrected.  Opinions, advice, services, and all other information expressed by system users, information providers, service providers, or other third party individuals in the system are those of the providers and not the District.

The District will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning or relating to misuse of the District's Electronic Communication System.