Hoke County
Schools Acceptable Use Policy – Staff
Internet Use
Policy
The following constitutes the
policy of the Hoke County School System on the use and monitoring of the School
District’s computer network (the HCS Network), including Internet access and
E-Mail. This policy is applicable both to internal HCS Network use as well as
external communications through the Internet.
Use Guidelines
and Requirements
The primary use of the HCS
Network shall be in support of education and research and consistent with the
purposes of the school system. The Network will be used to support the Hoke
County Schools curriculum, the educational community, projects between schools,
and communication and research for students, teachers and administrators.
The Hoke County Schools Network
will not be used for illegal activity, for profit purposes, lobbying,
advertising, to transmit offensive materials, hate mail, discriminatory remarks,
or to obtain obscene or pornographic material. In particular, there is to be no
display or transmission of sexually explicit images, messages, or cartoons, or
any transmission or use of E-Mail communications that contain ethnic slurs,
racial epithets, or anything that may be construed as harassment or
disparagement of others based on their race, national origin, sex, sexual
orientation, age, disability, or religious or political beliefs. The E-Mail
system should not be used to solicit or proselytize others for commercial
ventures, religious or political causes, outside organizations, or other non-School
District related solicitations.
Network accounts are to be used
only by the authorized owner of the account for the authorized purpose. Staff
users shall not intentionally seek information on, obtain copies, or modify
files, other data, or passwords belonging to other users, or misrepresent other
users on the Hoke County Schools Network.
All communications and
information accessible via the HCS Network shall be assumed to be private
property and shall not be disclosed except for School District purposes consistent
with the objectives of this policy. No use of the HCS Network shall serve to disrupt
the use of the HCS Network by others:
• Hardware or software shall not be
destroyed, modified, or abused in any way.
• The illegal use of copyrighted software
is prohibited.
• Diligent efforts must be made to delete
E-Mail daily from the personal mail directory to avoid use of fileserver hard
disk space.
The School District may terminate
the availability of the Internet in its sole discretion.
For privacy reasons, staff
members should not attempt to gain access to another staff member’s personal
file of E-Mail messages with the latter’s express permission.
Monitoring
Notification
All Communication systems, and
all communications and stored information transmitted, received, or contained
in the School District’s information systems are the School District’s property
and are to be used primarily for job-related purposes. All Email messages are
School District messages. To ensure proper use of computer systems and equipment,
the School District may monitor the use of these systems and equipment from time
to time. Such monitoring may include, but not limited to, entering a staff
member’s E-Mail files whenever there is a School District business need to do
so.
Violations,
Limitation of Liability, and Acknowledgement
Staff members who violate this
policy are subject to discipline, up to and including termination from
employment. In no event shall the School District be liable to any staff member
for any damages, whether direct, indirect special or consequential, arising out
of the use of the Internet, accuracy or correctness of data bases or
information contained therein or related, directly or indirectly, to any
failure to delay of the School District in providing access to the Internet.
As a condition of employment and
access to the Hoke County Schools and access to the Hoke County School Network,
staff members will be required to sign the attached form acknowledging their
understanding of this policy.
Approved by the Hoke County
School Board
October 10, 2000