General User Policy

Acceptable Use Policy for Technology

(The following sample has been created by the Education Department and reviewed by Diocesan attorneys for use in the Catholic schools on Long Island; however, the Diocese of Rockville Centre does not maintain a Diocesan wide acceptable use policy. The following policy should in no way be construed as an official policy of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, but shall be the policy of any individual school which chooses to adopt it.)

Student Use Policy

Mercy High School

Riverhead, NY

Mercy High School has an established computer network with access to the Internet for it students. This network has been established for limited educational purposes only. By agreeing to this policy the student and the parents and/or guardians of the students fully agree to the following:

There is NO RIGHT TO PRIVACY when using the school's computer resources. Administration, faculty, and other authorized persons will have the right to review any and all material saved, transmitted, accessed, or momentarily in use by the student in accord with the policy set by the school's administration. This right is extended to the student's parents and/or legal guardian in accord with the school's policy for review of student records and/or work.

There is NO ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH when using the school's computer resources, which is viewed by the administration as a limited educational forum.

All access to the school's network resources will be permitted only under the supervision of a member of the school staff.

• The student agrees that all information transmitted through the use of the school's computer resources (e-mail, web page publication, or other Internet postings) will be sent or received only under the direct, immediate supervision of a member of the school's staff and with the explicit permission of that staff member.
• The student agrees to stop using any and all of the school's computer resources whenever requested to do so by a member of staff or other authorized person.
• The student agrees never to transmit the personal information (name, age, gender, address, phone number, e-mail address and the like) of himself or herself as well as that of any other person.
• The student agrees never to arrange for a meeting with any person at any time using the school's computer resources.
• The student agrees to notify a staff member immediately if he or she is asked for personal information, views inappropriate materials, or in any other way feels violated, harassed, uncomfortable, or accosted through the school's computer resources.
• The student agrees never to access, transmit, or retransmit material which promotes violence or advocates destruction of property, including, but not limited to, access to information concerning the manufacture of destructive devices, such as explosives, fireworks, smoke bombs, incendiary devices, and the like.
• The student agrees never to access, transmit, or retransmit any information containing sexually oriented material, which means any pictures or writings that are intended to stimulate erotic feelings by the description or portrayal of sexual activity or nude human form.
• The student agrees never to use the school's computer resources for commercial purposes. The student will never buy nor sell anything using the school's computer resources.

The school's system will never be used for political lobbying, although it may be used to communicate with elected representatives to express opinions on political issues.

• The student agrees never to tamper with any software and/or hardware including software or hardware that guard the school's network from unmanaged Internet use. The student agrees never to tamper with any security system that protects the school's computer resources.
• The student agrees to use only the software and/or hardware permitted by a member of staff for express educational purposes.
• The student agrees never to use the school's computer resources to gain unauthorized access to another computer network (hacking).
• The student agrees never to access other user accounts using passwords or identifiers.  The student agrees never to disclose personal account passwords or identifiers.
• The student agrees never to disguise one's identity, impersonate other users, or send anonymous e-mail messages.
• The student agrees never to transmit (download or upload) any computer file, application, or other computer resource to or from the school's computer network. This includes the unauthorized installation of software from a floppy disk, CD-ROM, or other media.
• The student agrees never to use inappropriate, obscene, profane, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language. The student agrees never to post false information or engage in personal, prejudicial, or discriminatory attacks.
• The student agrees never to harass another person by use of any of the school's resources. Harassment is defined as any action that distresses or annoys another person. The student agrees to stop immediately any and all behavior that is construed by another as unwelcome.
• The student agrees never to plagiarize. Plagiarism is defined as taking the idea or writing of others and presenting them as one's own.
• The student agrees to respect the right of intellectual property of other people and to respect all copyright laws. The student agrees that if he or she is unsure whether copyright law is being respected, he or she will bring this question immediately to the attention of a staff member.
• The student agrees never to participate in illegal activity using the school's computer resources. The school will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to any illegal activities conducted through the school's resources.

Mercy High School will not be held responsible for the actions of a student who is in violation of any of the terms of this policy. This responsibility is extended to, but not limited to: loss of data or interruptions of service, the accuracy or quality of information obtained through the school's system, or any financial obligations arising through the unauthorized use of the school's computer resources.

The school reserves the right to establish rules and regulations regarding the use of the system.

A student found in violation of this policy will be subject to discipline including, but not limited to, temporary removal from the school's system, permanent removal from the system, or other appropriate disciplinary action in accord with the rules and regulations of the school, including suspension or termination.