Acceptable Computer Use Policy

Access to and use of computer system accounts at Bishop Luers High School is limited to the faculty, staff, and students of the School. Others may be granted accounts for good cause from time to time at the discretion of the Director of Technology or the Administration.

Acceptable uses of PC's computer systems and networks include study, research, teaching, and related activities (including administrative work). Incidental personal use is permitted, so long as it does not interfere with the School's educational or administrative uses, which always take precedence.

Those using school computers or networks may not attempt to gain access (log in) to another person's account, nor may they attempt to read someone else's mail or files, unless the owner publishes the file (e.g., on a World Wide Web page). Sharing your account with another person is prohibited. Do not give your password to anyone.

System managers disable accounts without prior notice if there is evidence of account sharing or of an attempt to violate system, mail, or network security. Concurrent logins from different sites will be taken as prima facie evidence of account sharing or an attempted break in.

Employees who access the Schools administrative computer records should assume the information contained in those records is confidential, to be accessed and used only as needed to perform their job duties. For student records the privacy policies are outlined in The Knapsack section entitled "The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974."

Mail which employees send from Bishop Luers  accounts (user@bishopluers.org) to school-managed lists or discussion groups may give the appearance of institutional sanction to the contents of the message. The same misunderstanding may occur when messages are posted to external lists, especially those dealing with topics related to education. Thus, school employees may not use their PC accounts to advocate positions on political or public policy issues in messages dealing with school business or distributed to school-related lists, unless they are authorized by the Administration speak for the school on the issue. Private e-mail and scholarly communications are specifically exempt from such restrictions, although you should, of course, take care to avoid the appearance of speaking on behalf of BLHS when you are not.

Unauthorized use, duplication, or transmission of copyrighted material (including software) is prohibited. BLHS computers and networks may not be used for illegal activities, nor may they be used to threaten or harass others. BLHS networks may not be used to send chain letters, nor to post solicitations or advertisements to newsgroups or mailing lists that are not relevant to the charter of the group or list.

The School endorses the Educom (Educause) Code, which states, "Respect for intellectual labor and creativity is vital to academic discourse and enterprise. This principle applies to works of all authors and publishers in all media. It encompasses respect for the right to acknowledgement, right to privacy, and right to determine the form, manner, and terms of publication and distribution. Because electronic information is volatile and easily reproduced, respect for the work and personal expression of others is especially critical in computer environments. Violations of authorial integrity, including plagiarism, invasion of privacy, unauthorized access, and trade secret and copyright violations, may be grounds for sanctions against members of the academic community."

Those responsible for the BLHS computers and networks may inspect and remove personal files only as needed to diagnose problems and maintain the system in good working order. Files on servers may be removed to conserve space. Personal files left on the microcomputers in School labs are routinely removed.

You are responsible for protecting your work. The School does not guarantee that its computers and networks will always be available when you need them, nor that any work you store will be safe from system failures or operator errors. In short, keep a copy of your work!

Questions about this policy or about the School's computer systems and networks should be addressed to the Information Technology Director.

Violations of this policy may result in loss of access privileges. Access may be revoked by the Information Technology Director or the Administration.  Further disciplinary action may result, depending on the nature of the violation.