FOLK ARTS – CULTURAL
TREASURES CHARTER SCHOOL
POLICY: Acceptable Use of Electronic
Resources, Computers, Electronic Mail and Voice Mail
Adopted September 7, 2005
The
Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School (FACTS) makes every effort to
provide the best available technology to those performing services for FACTS.
In this regard, FACTS has installed, at substantial expense, equipment such as
computers, electronic mail, and voice mail.
This policy is to advise those who use our equipment on the subject of
access to and disclosure of computer-stored information, voice mail messages
and electronic mail messages created by, sent to or received by FACTS employees
with the use of FACTS equipment.
This
policy also sets forth policies on the proper use of the computer, voice mail,
and electronic mail systems provided by FACTS.
FACTS
property, including computers, electronic mail and voice mail, should only be
used for conducting school business.
Incidental
and occasional personal use of school computers and our voice mail and
electronic mail systems is permitted, but information and messages stored in
these systems will be treated no differently from other school-related
information and messages, as described below.
The
electronic mail system may not be used to solicit for commercial ventures,
religious or political causes, outside organizations or other non-job related solicitations. Further more, the electronic mail system is
not to be used to create any offensive or disruptive messages. Among those which are considered offensive
are any messages which contain sexual
implications, racial slurs, gender-specific comments, or any other comments
that offensively address someone’s age, sexual orientation, religious or
political belief, national origin, or disability. In addition, the electronic mail system shall
not be used to send (upload) or receive (download) copyrighted materials, trade
secrets, proprietary financial information, or similar materials without prior
authorization.
Although
FACTS provides certain codes to restrict access to computers, voice mail and
electronic mail to protect these systems against external parties or entities
obtaining unauthorized access, employees should understand that these systems
are intended for school use, and all computer information, voice mail and
electronic mail messages are to be considered as school records.
FACTS also needs to be able to respond to proper requests resulting from legal
proceedings that call for electronically stored evidence. Therefore FACTS must, and does, maintain the
right and the ability to enter into any of these systems and to inspect and
review any and all data recorded in those systems. Because FACTS reserves the
right to obtain access to all voice mail and electronic mail messages left on
or transmitted over these systems, employees should not assume that such
messages are private and confidential or that FACTS or its designated
representatives will not have a need to access and review this information. Individuals using FACTS school equipment
should also have no expectation that any information stored on their computer –
whether the information is contained on a computer hard drive, computer disks
or in any other manner – will be private.
FACTS has
the right to, but does not regularly monitor voice mail or electronic mail
messages. FACTS will, however, inspect
the contents of computers, voice mail or electronic mail in the course of an
investigation triggered by indications of unacceptable behavior or as necessary
to locate needed information that is not more readily available by some other
less intrusive means.
The
contents of computer, voice mail, and electronic mail properly obtained for
some legitimate school purpose, may be disclosed by FACTS if necessary within
or outside of FACTS.
Given
the right of FACTS to retrieve and read any electronic mail messages, such
messages should be treated as confidential by other employees and accessed only
by the intended recipient.
FACTS
will review any request for access to the contents of an individual’s computer,
voice mail, or electronic mail prior to access being made without the
individual’s consent.
Any
employee who violates this policy or uses the electronic communication systems
for improper purposes may be subject to discipline, up to and including
termination.