Acceptable Use Policy
The following policy for acceptable use of technology infrastructure, including the District's wide area network (WAN), local area network (LAN), e-mail system, Internet, hardware/software, shall apply to all Bradley County Schools administrators, faculty, staff, and students. Read this condensed version of our Acceptable Use Policy for the internet. To view the full policy click the link to the right.
The Bradley County Schools Network, hereafter referred to as the BCS Network, has a limited educational purpose. The purpose of the BCS Network is to assist in preparing students for success in life and work in the 21st 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 BCS Network will be used to increase intra-communication, enhance productivity, and assist Bradley County Schools employees in sharing information with the local community, including parents, social service agencies, government agencies, and businesses.
Users may not use the BCS Network for commercial purposes, defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use. Bradley County Schools acquisition policies will be followed for the purchase of goods or services through the BCS Network.
Users may not use the BCS Network for political lobbying. Bradley County Schools employees and students may use the BCS Network to communicate with their elected representatives and to express their opinion on political issues.
The term "educational purpose" includes use of the BCS Network for classroom activities, professional or career development, and limited high-quality self discovery activities.
The following uses of the BCS Network system are considered unacceptable:
1. Personal Safety (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 BCS Network or to any other computer system through the BCS Network, 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 BCS Network, the school network, or an individual PC by degrading performance, destroying data, spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal.
c. Users will not use the BCS Network to engage in any illegal act, including but not limited to, arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of a 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 building principal 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 Bradley County Schools virus procedures. Users will not use technology ( dialup, cellular cards) that would bypass the BCS Network on a district owned PC as this will not allow proper updating of virus definitions.
4. Inappropriate Language
a. Restrictions against Inappropriate Language apply to 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 those 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 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 BCS Network only for educational and professional or career development activities, and high-quality, self-discovery activities.
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 subscribe only to high quality discussion group listservs 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. The use of peer to peer networks for downloading files without proper permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.
8. Inappropriate Access to Material
a. Users will not use the BCS Network to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature Bradley County Schools employees may access the above material only in the context of legitimate research.
b. If a user inadvertently accesses such information, they should immediately disclose the inadvertent access in a manner specified by their building principal or his designee. This will protect users against an allegation that they have intentionally violated the Acceptable Use Policy.
c. Users may not use the BCS Network for commercial purposes, defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use. Bradley County Schools acquisition policies will be followed for the purchase of goods or services through the BCS Network.
d. Users may not use the BCS Network for political lobbying. Bradley County Schools employees and students may use the BCS Network to communicate with their elected representatives and to express their opinion on political issues.
Your Rights
1. Free Speech
The BCS Network system is considered a limited forum, similar to the school newspaper, and therefore Bradley County Schools may restrict your speech for valid educational reasons. Bradley County Schools will not restrict your speech on the basis of a disagreement with the opinions you are expressing.
2. Search and Seizure
a. You should expect no privacy in the contents of your personal files or messages on the BCS Network. As a Bradley County Schools student the situation is similar to the rights you have in the privacy of your locker.
b. Routine maintenance and monitoring of the BCS Network may lead to discovery that you have violated this policy in your use of the BCS Network. You will be provided with a written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to present an explanation before your building principal.
c. If the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the building level disciplinary code, it will be handled in a manner described in the building level disciplinary code. Additional restrictions may be placed on your use of your Internet account.
3. Due Process
a. Bradley County Schools will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to illegal activities conducted through the BCS Network.
b. In the event there is a claim that you have violated this policy or building level disciplinary code in your use of the BCS Network, you will be provided with written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to present and explanation before your building principal.
c. As a Bradley County Schools student if the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the building level disciplinary code, it will be handled in a manner described in the discipline code.
Limitation of Liability
Bradley County Schools makes no guarantee that the functions or the services provided by or through the BCS Network system will be error-free or without defect. Bradley County Schools will not be responsible for any damage you may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. Bradley County Schools is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. Bradley County Schools will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.
Personal Responsibility
When you are using the BCS Network, it may feel like you can more easily break a rule and not get caught. This is not really true because whenever you do something on the BCS Network you leave little "electronic footprints," so the odds of getting caught are really about the same as they are in the real world. But the fact that you can do something or think you can do something without being caught does not make it right to do so. Even if you don't get caught, there is always one person who will know whether you have done wrong--and that person it you. Your use of the Internet can be a mirror that will show you what kind of person you are.
Users may not use the BCS Network for commercial purposes, defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use. Bradley County Schools acquisition policies will be followed for the purchase of goods or services through the BCS Network.
Users may not use the BCS Network for political lobbying. Bradley County Schools employees and students may use the BCS Network to communicate with their elected representatives and to express their opinion on political issues.
The term "educational purpose" includes use of the BCS Network for classroom activities, professional or career development, and limited high-quality self discovery activities.
The following uses of the BCS Network system are considered unacceptable:
1. Personal Safety (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 BCS Network or to any other computer system through the BCS Network, 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 BCS Network, the school network, or an individual PC by degrading performance, destroying data, spreading computer viruses or by any other means. These actions are illegal.
c. Users will not use the BCS Network to engage in any illegal act, including but not limited to, arranging for a drug sale or the purchase of alcohol, engaging in criminal gang activity, threatening the safety of a 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 building principal 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 Bradley County Schools virus procedures. Users will not use technology ( dialup, cellular cards) that would bypass the BCS Network on a district owned PC as this will not allow proper updating of virus definitions.
4. Inappropriate Language
a. Restrictions against Inappropriate Language apply to 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 those 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 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 BCS Network only for educational and professional or career development activities, and high-quality, self-discovery activities.
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 subscribe only to high quality discussion group listservs 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. The use of peer to peer networks for downloading files without proper permission from the copyright owner is prohibited.
8. Inappropriate Access to Material
a. Users will not use the BCS Network to access material that is profane or obscene (pornography), that advocates illegal acts, or that advocates violence or discrimination towards other people (hate literature Bradley County Schools employees may access the above material only in the context of legitimate research.
b. If a user inadvertently accesses such information, they should immediately disclose the inadvertent access in a manner specified by their building principal or his designee. This will protect users against an allegation that they have intentionally violated the Acceptable Use Policy.
c. Users may not use the BCS Network for commercial purposes, defined as offering or providing goods or services or purchasing goods or services for personal use. Bradley County Schools acquisition policies will be followed for the purchase of goods or services through the BCS Network.
d. Users may not use the BCS Network for political lobbying. Bradley County Schools employees and students may use the BCS Network to communicate with their elected representatives and to express their opinion on political issues.
Your Rights
1. Free Speech
The BCS Network system is considered a limited forum, similar to the school newspaper, and therefore Bradley County Schools may restrict your speech for valid educational reasons. Bradley County Schools will not restrict your speech on the basis of a disagreement with the opinions you are expressing.
2. Search and Seizure
a. You should expect no privacy in the contents of your personal files or messages on the BCS Network. As a Bradley County Schools student the situation is similar to the rights you have in the privacy of your locker.
b. Routine maintenance and monitoring of the BCS Network may lead to discovery that you have violated this policy in your use of the BCS Network. You will be provided with a written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to present an explanation before your building principal.
c. If the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the building level disciplinary code, it will be handled in a manner described in the building level disciplinary code. Additional restrictions may be placed on your use of your Internet account.
3. Due Process
a. Bradley County Schools will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to illegal activities conducted through the BCS Network.
b. In the event there is a claim that you have violated this policy or building level disciplinary code in your use of the BCS Network, you will be provided with written notice of the suspected violation and an opportunity to present and explanation before your building principal.
c. As a Bradley County Schools student if the violation also involves a violation of other provisions of the building level disciplinary code, it will be handled in a manner described in the discipline code.
Limitation of Liability
Bradley County Schools makes no guarantee that the functions or the services provided by or through the BCS Network system will be error-free or without defect. Bradley County Schools will not be responsible for any damage you may suffer, including but not limited to, loss of data or interruptions of service. Bradley County Schools is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained through or stored on the system. Bradley County Schools will not be responsible for financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the system.
Personal Responsibility
When you are using the BCS Network, it may feel like you can more easily break a rule and not get caught. This is not really true because whenever you do something on the BCS Network you leave little "electronic footprints," so the odds of getting caught are really about the same as they are in the real world. But the fact that you can do something or think you can do something without being caught does not make it right to do so. Even if you don't get caught, there is always one person who will know whether you have done wrong--and that person it you. Your use of the Internet can be a mirror that will show you what kind of person you are.