Training Tomorrow’s Technicians Today

Board Policy

A. Purpose

1. Passaic County Technical Institute is providing employees and students with access to the District’s electronic communication system, which includes Internet access.

2. The District system has a limited educational purpose. The purpose of the District system is to assist in preparing students for success in life and work in the 21^st century by providing them with electronic access to a wide range of information and the ability to communicate with people from throughout the world. Additionally, the system will be used to increase District intracommunication, enhance productivity, and assist District employees in upgrading their skills through greater exchange of information with their peers. The District system will also assist the District in sharing information with the local community, including parents, social service agencies, government agencies, and businesses.

3. Users may not use the District system for commercial purposes, defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use. District acquisition policies will be followed for District purchase of goods or services through the District system.

4. Users may not use the system for political lobbying. District employees and students may use the system to communicate with their elected representatives and to express their opinion on political issues.

5. The term "educational purpose" includes use of the system for classroom activities, professional or career development, and limited high-quality self-discovery activities. Students will limit their use of the system for self-discovery purposes to no more than 20 hours per week.

B. District Responsibilities

1. TheChief School Administrator will serve as the coordinator to oversee the District system.

2. The assistant principals will serve as the building-level coordinator for the District system, will approve building-level activities, ensure teachers receive proper training in the use of the system and the requirements of this policy, establish a system to ensure adequate supervision of students using the system, maintain executed user agreements, and be responsible for interpreting the District Acceptable Use Policy at the building level.

3. The Director of Technology will establish a process for setting-up individual and class accounts, set quotas for disk usage on the system, establish a retention schedule, establish a District virus protection process, web filtering and system backups

 C. Technical Services Provided through District System

1. E-mail. E-mail will allow employees and students to communicate with people from throughout the world. Users will also be able to subscribe to maillists to engage in group discussions related to educational subjects.

2. World Wide Web. The Web provides access to a wide range of information in the form of text, graphics, photographs, video, and sound, from throughout the world. The Web is a valuable research tool for students and employees.

3. Telnet. Telnet allows the user to log in to remote computers.

4. File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP allows users to download large files and computer software.

5. Newsgroups. Newsgroups are discussion groups that are similar to maillists. The District will provide access to selected newsgroups that relate to subjects that are appropriate to the educational purpose of the system.

6. Internet Relay Chat (IRC). IRC provides the capability of engaging in "real-time" discussions. The District will provide access to IRC only for specifically defined educational activities.

D. Access to the System

1. The District’s Acceptable Use Policy will govern all use of the District system. Student use of the system will also be governed by the disciplinary code. Employee use will also be governed by District policy.

2. World Wide Web. All District employees and students will have access to the Web through the District’s networked computers. No agreement will be required. Parents may specifically request that their child(ren) not be provided such access by notifying the District in writing (or whatever procedure the District uses for other permissions).

3. Individual E-mail Accounts for Students. Secondary students may be provided with individual e-mail accounts. An agreement will be required for an individual e-mail account. This agreement must be signed by the student and his or her parent.

5. Individual E-mail Accounts for District Employees. District employees will be provided with an individual account. An agreement will be required.

6. Guest Accounts. Guests may receive an individual account with the approval of a District administrator if there is a specific, District-related purpose requiring such access. Use of the system by a guest must be specifically limited to the District-related purpose. An agreement will be required and parental signature will required if the guest is a minor

E. Parental Notification and Responsibility

1. The District will notify the parents about the District network and the policies governing its use. Parents may request alternative activities for their child(ren) that do not require Internet access.

2. Parents have the right at any time to investigate the contents of their child(ren)’s e-mail files. Parents have the right to request the termination of their child(ren)’s individual account at any time.

3. The District Acceptable Use Policy contains restrictions on accessing inappropriate material. There is a wide range of material available on the Internet, some of which may not be fitting with the particular values of the families of the students. It is not practically possible for the District to monitor and enforce a wide range of social values in student use of the Internet. Further, the District recognizes that parents bear primary responsibility for transmitting their particular set of family values to their children. The District will encourage parents to specify to their child(ren) what material is and is not acceptable for their child(ren) to access through the District system.

4. The District will provide students and parents with guidelines for student safety while using the Internet.

5. Parents are responsible for monitoring their student’s use of the Internet when they are accessing the system from home.

F. District Limitation of Liability

1. The District makes no warranties of any kind, either express or implied, that the functions or the services provided by or through the District system will be error-free or without defect. The District will not be responsible for any damage users may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. The District is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. The District will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.

G. Due Process

1. The District will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation concerning to or relating to any illegal activities conducted through the District system.

2. In the event there is an allegation that a student has violated the District Acceptable Use Policy, the student will be provided with a written notice of the alleged violation and an opportunity to present an explanation before a neutral administrator.

3. Disciplinary actions will be tailored to meet specific concerns related to the violation and to assist the student in gaining the self-discipline necessary to behave appropriately on an electronic network. If the alleged

violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the disciplinary code, the violation will be handled in accord with the applicable provision of the the district’s disciplinary code.

4. Employee violations of the District Acceptable Use Policy will be handled in accord with District policy.

5. Any District administrator may terminate the account privileges of a guest user by providing notice to the user. Guest accounts not active for more than 30 days may be removed, along with the user’s files without notice to the user.

H. Search and Seizure

1. System users have a limited privacy expectation in the contents of their personal files on the District system.

2. Routine maintenance and monitoring of the system may lead to discovery that the user has or is violating the District Acceptable Use Policy the disciplinary code, or the law.

3. An individual search will be conducted if there is reasonable suspicion that a user has violated the law or the disciplinary code. The nature of the investigation will be reasonable and in the context of the nature of the alleged violation.

4. District employees should be aware that their personal files (are) (may be) discoverable under * (state public records laws).

I. Copyright and Plagiarism

1. District policies on copyright will govern the use of material accessed through the District system. Because the extent of copyright protection of certain works found on the Internet is unclear, employees will make a standard practice of requesting permission from the holder of the work if their use of the material has the potential of being considered an infringement. Teachers will instruct students to respect copyright and to request permission when appropriate.

2. District policies on plagiarism will govern use of material accessed through the District system. Teachers will instruct students in appropriate research and citation practices.

J. Academic Freedom, Selection of Material, Student Rights to Free Speech

1. Board policies on Academic Freedom and Free Speech will govern the use of the Internet.

2. When using the Internet for class activities, teachers will select material that is appropriate in light of the age of the students and that is the relevant to the course objectives. Teachers will preview the materials and sites they require or recommend students access to determine the appropriateness of the material contained on or accessed through the site. Teachers will provide guidelines and lists of resources to assist their students in channeling their research activities effectively and properly. Teachers will assist their students in developing the skills to ascertain the truthfulness of information, distinguish fact from opinion, and engage in discussions about controversial issues while demonstrating tolerance and respect for those who hold divergent views.

K. District Web Site

1. District Web Site. The District will establish a Web site and will develop Web pages that will present information about the District. The Director of Technology or his/her appointee will be designated the Webmaster, responsible for maintaining the District Web site.

2. School or Class Web Pages. Schools and classes may establish Web pages that present information about the school or class activities. The building principal will designate an individual to be responsible for managing the school Web site. Teachers will be responsible for maintaining their class site.

3. Student Web Pages. With the approval of the building principal, students may establish personal Web pages. The principal will establish a process and criteria for the establishment and posting of material, including pointers to other sites, on these pages. Material presented in the student’s Web site must be related to the student’s educational and career preparation activities. Student Web pages must include the following notice: "This is a student Web page. Opinions expressed on this page shall not be attributed to the District."

4. Extracurricular Organization Web Pages. With the approval of the building principal, extracurricular organizations may establish Web pages. The principal will establish a process and criteria for the establishment and posting of material, including pointers to other sites, on these pages. Material presented on the organization Web page must relate specifically to organization activities and will include only student-produced material. Organization Web pages must include the following notice: "This is a student extracurricular organization Web page. Opinions expressed on this page shall not be attributed to the District.

L. District Acceptable Use Policy

The following uses of the District system are considered unacceptable:

1. Personal Safety (Restrictions are for students only)

a. Users will not post personal contact information about themselves or other people. Personal contact information includes address, telephone, school address, work address, etc.

b. Users will not agree to meet with someone they have met online without their parent’s approval and participation.

c. Users will promptly disclose to their teacher or other school employee any message they receive that is inappropriate or makes them feel uncomfortable.

2. Illegal Activities

a. Users will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the District system or to any other computer system through the District System, or go beyond their authorized access. This includes attempting to log in through another person’s account or access another person’s files. These actions are illegal, even if only for the purposes of "browsing".

b. Users will not make deliberate attempts to disrupt the computer system performance or destroy data by spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal.

c. Users will not use the District system to engage in any other illegal act, such as arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of person, etc.

 3. System Security

a. Users are responsible for the use of their individual account and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use their account. Under no conditions should a user provide their password to another person.

b. Users will immediately notify * (the system administrator) if they have identified a possible security problem. Users will not go looking for security problems, because this may be construed as an illegal attempt to gain access.

c. Users will avoid the inadvertent spread of computer viruses by following the District virus protection procedures if they download software.

4. Inappropriate Language

a. Restrictions against Inappropriate Language apply to public messages, private messages, and material posted on Web pages.

b. Users will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language.

c. Users will not post information that, if acted upon, could cause damage or a danger of disruption.

d. Users will not engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.

e. Users will not harass another person. Harassment is persistently acting in a manner that distresses or annoys another person. If a user is told by a person to stop sending them messages, they must stop.

f. Users will not knowingly or recklessly post false or defamatory information about a person or organization.

5. Respect for Privacy

a. Users will not repost a message that was sent to them privately without permission of the person who sent them the message.

b. Users will not post private information about another person.

6. Respecting Resource Limits.

a. Users will use the system only for educational and professional or career development activities (no time limit), and limited, high-quality, self-discovery activities. For students, the limit on self-discovery activities is no more than 20 hours per week.

b. Users will not download large files unless absolutely necessary. If necessary, users will download the file at a time when the system is not being heavily used and immediately remove the file from the system computer to their personal computer.

c. Users will not post chain letters or engage in "spamming". Spamming is sending an annoying or unnecessary message to a large number of people.

d. Users will check their e-mail frequently, delete unwanted messages promptly, and stay within their e-mail quota.

e. Users will be subscribe only to high quality discussion group maillists that are relevant to their education or professional/career development.

7. Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement

a. Users will not plagiarize works that they find on the Internet.

Plagiarism is taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were original to the user.

b. Users will respect the rights of copyright owners. Copyright infringement occurs when an individual inappropriately reproduces a work that is protected by a copyright. If a work contains language that specifies acceptable use of that work, the user should follow the expressed requirements. If the user is unsure whether or not they can use a work, they should request permission from the copyright owner.

8. Inappropriate Access to Material

a. Users will not use the District system to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature). For students, a special exception may be made for hate literature if the purpose of such access to conduct research and access is approved by both the teacher and the parent. District employees may access the above material only in the context of legitimate research.

* The Passaic County Technical Institute Board Policy is intended to Comply with the Children's On-Line Protection Act.  The District's system Administrator shall be responsible for ensuring that the blocking software is installed and functioning