1. Intrductin Infrmatin technlgy resurces are essential fr accmplishing Mepham Schl s missin f pursuing excellence in teaching and learning, research and cmmunity service. Members f the Schl cmmunity are granted shared access t these resurces, which must be used and managed respnsibly t ensure their integrity, security and availability fr apprpriate educatinal and business activities. This Cde f Practice prvides guidance t authrised users fr the apprpriate use f the Schl's infrmatin technlgy resurces. Within this Cde f Practice, infrmatin technlgy resurces include all cmputers, electrnic cmmunicatin devices and sftware wned r leased by the Schl and netwrk facilities which link cmputers within the Schl and which prvide external access such as t Frnter and the Internet. This Cde f Practice applies irrespective f where the Schl s infrmatin technlgy resurces are accessed and used, and includes use at hme. The Cde f Practice applies t all users f the Schl's infrmatin technlgy resurces, including thse wh install, develp, maintain, administer and use thse systems and applicatins. This Cde f Practice is intended t perate within, and be cnsistent with, existing Gvernment laws and Schl legislatin and plicies in areas such as sexual harassment, discriminatin, equal pprtunity, freedm f infrmatin, cpyright, defamatin, discipline and miscnduct. It is intended t encurage respnsible actin and gd judgment and t prtect privacy. Sanctins will be enfrced if yu act irrespnsibly and disregard yur bligatins t ther users, r t the Schl as the prvider f infrmatin technlgy resurces. Inapprpriate use f Schl prvided infrmatin technlgy resurces may als result in suspensin, expulsin, terminatin f emplyment, legal actin, r ther disciplinary actin. 2. Yur respnsibilities It is yur respnsibility t becme familiar with the rules gverning use f the Schl's infrmatin technlgy resurces. Users wh are authrised t permit ther persns t use the Schl's infrmatin technlgy resurces must ensure that thse persns are made aware f the rules gverning use f the Schl's infrmatin technlgy resurces and have them sign r therwise acknwledge that they will carry ut their respnsibilities under these rules. Users learning f any vilatin f any f this Cde f Practice must bring this matter t the attentin f an apprpriate fficer (e.g. head, supervisr, teacher, and Infrmatin Services staff) within the Schl withut delay. 3. Authrised Access Yu may nly make use f equipment, netwrks r infrmatin fr which prper authrisatin has been given. In the case f staff, authrisatin must be btained frm the persn r unit respnsible fr the facility (e.g., Head f Schl/Office Directr r nminee). In the case f students, authrisatin ccurs autmatically upn enrlment at Mepham Schl. Yu are respnsible fr ensuring that yur passwrds, accunts, sftware and data are adequately secured. Yu will be held respnsible fr all activities, which riginate frm yur accunt. It is in everyne s interest that yu select a secure passwrd. Page 1
If yu knw r suspect that anther persn has gained unauthrised access t yur accunt, yu must ntify the IT Department. Yu must nt use any means, electrnic r therwise, t discver thers' passwrds. 4. Respnsible Use f Mepham Schl s Infrmatin Technlgy Resurces Internet, instant messaging and email services can nly be used fr: Schl purpses Limited persnal use. Schl purpses include any activity that is cnducted fr purpses f accmplishing Schl business related t research, teaching and learning, curse f study, Schl administrative activities, and prfessinal develpment. Limited persnal use means use that is infrequent and brief. This use shuld generally ccur during persnal time and shuld nt include uses: that require substantial expenditure f time; that are fr private business, persnal gain r prfit; that supprt plitical campaigns, candidates, legislatin r ballt issues; that impede the efficiency f intranet, internet r email services; that clg mailbxes with large numbers f messages; that waste Schl resurces, such as playing games; that wuld vilate r breach the Schl's Cde f Cnduct; that wuld vilate r breach any Gvernment legislatin; that wuld vilate r breach any Schl plicies, regulatins r harm the Schl's image r reputatin. As a guide, use that ccurs mre than a few times per day and/r perids lnger than a few minutes wuld nt be cnsidered limited persnal use. Yu shuld use Schl electrnic mailing lists fr Schl purpses nly. It is inapprpriate t: mass email messages f a cmmercial, plitical, lbbying r fundraising nature; frward chain letters r electrnic "petitins", r t ask recipients t frward messages; send annymus mailings; slicit supprt (financial r therwise) fr charity, r special causes nt cnnected with a Mepham Schl effrt; send unverified public service annuncements (such as virus alerts, unsafe prducts, lst and fund, etc.). A message sent t a Schl electrnic mailing list must be relevant t the membership f the list. Yu shuld nt use instant messaging in the Schl. It is inapprpriate t: send mass instant messages f a cmmercial, plitical, lbbying r fundraising nature; frward instant messages r electrnic "petitins", r t ask recipients t frward messages; send annymus messages; slicit supprt (financial r therwise) fr charity, r special causes nt cnnected with a Mepham Schl effrt; send unverified public service annuncements (such as virus alerts, unsafe prducts, lst and fund, etc.). Page 2
send/uplad r receive/dwnlad fr printing and/r distributin any cpyrighted materials including with limitatin, music, mvies, phtgraphs, printed materials, r any ther prprietary r prtected infrmatin. Under n circumstance are yu allwed t cnnect any netwrk device t the Mepham Netwrk unless prir permissin is btained Netwrk Manager. Netwrk devices include but are nt limited t; hubs, switches, ruters, wireless access pints, netwrk appliances f any functin and any devices perfrming netwrk mnitring. Yu shuld nt use the Schl netwrk, whether at a Schl site r anther site including at hme, t access inapprpriate Internet sites. Inapprpriate Internet sites include but are nt limited t: sites that are illegal r hld illegal cntent; sites that are prngraphic r cntain inapprpriate sexual material; sites that advcate hate r vilence sites that ffer games r sftware that are unrelated t academic prgrams. Yu must nt dwnlad, distribute, stre r display ffensive r prngraphic graphics, images r statements r ther material btained frm inapprpriate Internet sites. Yu must nt dwnlad, distribute, stre r display material that culd cause ffence t thers, fr example ffensive material based n gender, ethnicity and plitical beliefs. Yu must nt attempt t email "spf" i.e., cnstruct electrnic cmmunicatin s it appears t be frm smene else. Where yu are representing the views f the Schl, the cmmunicatin must identify yur psitin within the Schl. Where the view expressed is the fficial Schl view, the authrised surce and authr f that view shuld be identified. Yu must nt express views n behalf f the Schl withut fficial authrisatin t d s, r t allw anther persn t reasnably miscnstrue that a persnal view represents the fficial psitin f the Schl. In circumstances where readers might reasnably cnclude a persnal view is representative f the Schl, the user must clearly state that the pinin expressed is that f the writer, and nt necessarily that f the Schl, r wrds t that effect. The Schl lgs and designs are the prperty f the Schl and may nly be used fr apprved Schl dcuments. 5. Respect fr ther users f the Schl's infrmatin technlgy resurces Successful use f Schl infrmatin technlgy resurces depends upn a spirit f mutual respect and c peratin t ensure that everyne has equitable privileges, privacy and prtectin frm interference r harassment. T this end: Yu must respect the privacy f ther users and thus nt intentinally seek infrmatin n, btain cpies f, r mdify files, tapes, passwrds r any type f data belnging t ther users unless specifically authrised t d s. Yu must nt intentinally disrupt r damage the academic, research, administrative, r related pursuits f thers. Yu must nt use e mail, instant messaging, discussin frums (including wikis and blgs) r web pages under yur cntrl, t prvide r cmmunicate bscene materials, r that threatens, harasses, intimidates r singles ut individuals r grups fr Page 3
6. Privacy degradatin r harassment in vilatin f Gvernment law, and ther Schl plicies and regulatins. Yu must nt display n screens images, sunds r messages, which culd create an atmsphere f discmfrt r harassment t thers. Yu must nt knwingly create r prpagate a virus, wrm r any ther frm f malicius sftware. Yu must nt tamper with hardware cmpnents r hardware cnfiguratins withut the express permissin f the persn/s respnsible fr that particular item f equipment. This includes: wrkstatin, mnitr, keybard and muse; printers and ther peripherals; netwrk utlets, cabling and ther cmpnents; phnes any part f a lab r ther installatin used by the general ppulatin f the Schl. Yu must respect the integrity f the system and nt use Schl resurces t develp r execute prgrams that culd infiltrate the system, tamper with r attempt t subvert security prvisins, r damage r alter the sftware cmpnents f the system. This als applies t systems maintained by thers utside Mepham Schl that yu access electrnically r physically. The Schl netwrk, systems and facilities are the prperty f the Schl. Anything sent r received using the netwrk, systems and facilities f the Schl will therefre be transmitted and stred n Schl prperty. Accrdingly it is likely t be reviewed by the Schl. This applies whether yu use the Schl resurces at a Schl site, at hme, r any ther lcatin. The Schl therefre reserves the right t mnitr bth usage and cntent f email messages, instant messages, discussin frums and visits t Internet sites using Schl resurces t: Identify inapprpriate use; Prtect system security; Maintain system perfrmance; Prtect the rights and prperty f the Schl; Determine cmpliance with plicy and Gvernment legislatin. The Schl als mnitrs and recrds netwrk traffic including: email and internet sites accessed; usage data such as accunt names, surce and destinatin accunts and sites; dates and times f transmissin r access; size f transmitted material; ther usage related data. This infrmatin is used fr accunting purpses, trubleshting and systems management. The Schl reserves the right t inspect, cpy, stre and disclse the cntents f the electrnic cmmunicatins f its emplyees and ther authrised users (e.g. students), fr the purpses f identifying inapprpriate use, upn receiving a cmplaint, investigatin request r allegatin f misuse, and fllwing authrisatin frm apprpriate Schl managers, the Plice r ther law enfrcement agencies t assist in the investigatin f an ffence. The cntents f electrnic cmmunicatins, prperly btained fr legitimate business purpses, may be disclsed withut permissin f the emplyee r authrised user. Page 4
Mnitring and inspectin can apply t persnal and business use f intranet r internet services and persnal and business related email messages. Yu shuld always assume that everything yu send by e mail, instant messaging, pst t a newsgrup r LISTSERV r pst via a web site is ttally public and might be read by peple ther than expected recipients. Any email messages r instant messages whether persnal r business, may be accessed as dcuments under the Freedm f Infrmatin Act and may als be tendered in curt as evidence. Yu shuld always assume that any web site yu visit will at least knw the Internet address yu are cming frm and that the same is true fr email that yu send. 7. Cpyright Cmpliance The Cpyright Act sets ut the exclusive rights f cpyright wners and the rights f users. In additin, certain uses may be cvered by licence agreements t which the Schl is party. It is illegal t place n a Web page any pictures r vides f peple withut the permissin f the peple in the picture r vide and/r the cpyright wner. Sftware prgrams are prtected by the Cpyright Act. Yu d nt have the right t make and distribute cpies f prgrams withut specific permissin f the cpyright hlder. 8. What happens if yu dn't act respnsibly? The Schl cnsiders any breach f yur respnsibilities t be a serius ffence and reserves the right t cpy and examine files r infrmatin resident n r transmitted via Schl infrmatin technlgy resurces. Students deemed t be in breach f the abve principles r guidelines are subject t disciplinary actin, which may include suspensin r exclusin. Staff deemed t be in breach f these principles r guidelines are subject t disciplinary actin available under industrial prvisins. Offenders may als be prsecuted under Gvernment and Internatinal laws. The Infrmatin Technlgy department may temprarily remve material frm web sites r clse any accunt that is endangering the running f the system r that is being reviewed fr inapprpriate r illegal use. Page 5