AUP

Professor Instructions: Look at the first of these points and come up with your own AUP. You may find an AUP that you like and modify it for your purposes. Just be sure to cite the original AUP. Post this AUP to the discussion forum then later in the week return and find a classmate’s AUP and provide them with constructive feedback that can help them improve their AUP.

Faculty and Staff Guidelines
 * Acceptable Use Policy**

The school has provided computers for use by staff, offering access to a vast amount of information for use in studies, acting like an enormous extension to the school library and offering great potential to support the curriculum.

The computers are provided and maintained for the benefit of all staff, and you are encouraged to use and enjoy these resources, and help to ensure they remain available to all. Remember that access is a privilege, not a right and inappropriate use will result in that privilege being withdrawn.

• Always get permission before installing, attempting to install or storing programs of any type on the computers. • Damaging, disabling, or otherwise harming the operation of computers, or intentionally wasting resources puts your work at risk, and will cut short your time with the ICT equipment. • Only use the computers for educational purposes. Activities such as buying or selling goods are inappropriate. • Always check files brought in on removable media (such as floppy disks, CDs, flash drives etc.) with antivirus software and only use them if they are found to be clean of viruses. • Always check mobile equipment (e.g. laptops, tablet PCs, PDAs etc.) with antivirus software and ensure they have been found to be clean of viruses before connecting them to the network. • Protect the computers from spillages by eating or drinking well away from the ICT equipment.
 * Equipment**

• Protect your work by keeping your password to yourself; never use someone else’s logon name or password. • Always be wary about revealing your home address, telephone number, school name, or picture to people you meet on the Internet. • Other computer users should be respected and should not be harassed, harmed, offended or insulted. • To protect yourself and the systems, you should respect the security on the computers; attempting to bypass or alter the settings may put you or your work at risk. • Computer storage areas and floppy disks will be treated like school lockers. ICT staff may review your files and communications to ensure that you are using the system responsibly.
 * Security and Privacy**

• You should access the Internet only for school activities. • Only access suitable material; using the Internet to obtain, download, send, print, display or otherwise transmit or gain access to materials which are unlawful, obscene or abusive is not permitted. • Respect the work and ownership rights of people outside the school, as well as other students or staff. This includes abiding by copyright laws. • ‘Chat’ activities take up valuable resources which could be used by others to benefit their studies, and you can never be sure who you are really talking to. For these reasons ‘chat’ rooms should be avoided.
 * Internet**

• Be polite and appreciate that other users might have different views from your own. The use of strong language, swearing or aggressive behaviour is as anti-social on the Internet as it is on the street. • Only open attachments to emails if they come from someone you already know and trust. Attachments can contain viruses or other programs that could destroy all the files and software on your computer. • If you receive an email containing material of a violent, dangerous, racist, or inappropriate content, always report such messages to a member of ICT staff. The sending or receiving of an email containing content likely to be unsuitable for schools is strictly forbidden.
 * Email**

Please read this document carefully. Only once it has been signed and returned will access to the Internet be permitted. If you violate these provisions, access to the Internet will be denied and you will be subject to disciplinary action. Additional action may be taken by the school in line with existing policy regarding staff behaviour. Where appropriate, police may be involved or other legal action taken.

I have read and understand the above and agree to use the school computer facilities within these guidelines.

(Faculty/Staff Member Signs)

This AUP is from the template for 'staff' found at @http://www.rm.com/Support/GeneralDownload.asp?cref=DWN200100. RM is a UK-based educational company, and I liked the format and wording of this policy more than most US AUPs. The second-person tone makes is more reader-friendly than, say, this AUP from Fayette County Schools: @https://eboard.eboardsolutions.com/ePolicy/policy.aspx?PC=IFBG&Sch=4067&S=4067&RevNo=1.22&C=I&Z=P

"With respect to any computers belonging to the school and having access to the Internet, it shall be the policy of the Fayette County Board of Education that the school system shall have in continuous operation..."

Honestly, who talks like that? If we want students and staff to read these things, we need to use the language of the people, not the language of the law.

Kim