Student Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

This Acceptable Use Policy for Students is intended to outline the intended uses of Imhotep Network/Internet/Communications services and to establish standards for online behavior.

As mandated by the federal law enacted by Congress to address concerns about access to offensive content over the Internet on school and library computers, the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) was passed.

Imhotep Institute Charter High School and its libraries are compliant with CIPA, using available technologies to ensure our children are protected. This requires that all students are educated about appropriate online behavior, including interacting with other individuals on social networking websites and in chat rooms and cyber-bullying awareness and response.

For additional information on CIPA compliance go to: http://www.fcc.gov/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act

Imhotep Institute Charter HS is pleased to provide you with access to the Internet, email, and our student network. The following guidelines will provide you with basic information about your rights and responsibilities as a User of Imhotep’s technology resources and services.

1. The same laws, school rules, and codes of conduct that apply to your conduct in general apply to your conduct online. In particular online communications, such as email, bulletin boards, chat rooms, wikis, blogs (web logs), video blogs, and web sites can be used to commit acts that are illegal (criminal - the person may go to jail) and unlawful (civil - the person may be sued). The penalty for illegal actions that may be committed using computers can be substantial. For example, installation of unlicensed software (software piracy) is a federal offense, and upon first conviction, carries a penalty of imprisonment for up to ten (10) years and a fine up to $250,000. Any act that is either a civil or criminal violation of United States law, Pennsylvania law or the law of other states is against school policy.
2. Your user ID and PASSWORD are keys to accessing the school’s network providing data about you and your work at Imhotep. In the wrong hands, your PASSWORD and User ID can be used to impersonate you online and take unauthorized action in your name. Accordingly, except for authorized employees, it is against IICHS’ policy for anyone to disclose a User ID or PASSWORD, including your own, or to have, use, or attempt to use any other person's User ID or PASSWORD under any circumstances. If you believe that anyone has learned your User ID or PASSWORD, you should inform the Principal and/or the Technology Director.
3. When you leave a computer unattended while it is logged onto the network, you provide someone with the ability to access the network in your name. This places the network at risk. Please log out of your computer when you’re not using it.
4. IICHS believes in free speech and the free exchange of ideas. Accordingly, the school will not censor electronic communications and it cannot insulate you from receiving communications that you may find offensive. However, IICHS is also committed to providing its staff and students with a safe, orderly, and productive working environment. Transmission of any threatening, intimidating or discriminatory communication, any communication that reveals private facts about another person without that person's permissions, or any communication that is intended to harass, intimidate or annoy another member of the Imhotep community or to interfere with anyone’s ability to perform his/her job duties is against school policy and may well be a violation of civil or criminal law. Imhotep has the right to review electronic communications made using its facilities, and it may monitor those communications as necessary to ensure a safe, secure and orderly campus environment and to promote the interests of the Imhotep Community. If you receive any threatening communication or inappropriate material from any source, inside or outside the school, you should report it immediately to the Principal, Technology Director, and/or Security. If that communication comes to you in electronic form, be sure to save the document.
5. Written administrative approval is needed prior to any audio or video recording within the school and the surrounding campus. In any case, there should be no recording of any individual student or staff without a written release from that individual. Minor student must have the release co-signed by their legal guardian. All releases must be on record with the school. Approved recording of school events does not need a release.
6. Each student owns the copyright on all work they create, whether or not it is published on the Internet. By publishing your work, you are making this work available to others. Therefore, your work should not be published without your permission.
7. No personal information is to be posted to our website that would place any of our students in jeopardy such as full names and/or any information that might identify the whereabouts of any student.
8. Imhotep’s computer facilities are to be used to support the instructional and administrative missions of the school. Access to any of the following types of web sites is a violation of policy without express, written permission from the Principal:
   1. Any site displaying sexually explicit or pornographic content of any kind;
   2. On-line games, including but not limited gambling, fortune telling, lotteries, sweepstakes, and other games of chance;
   3. Any site promoting violence, the use of controlled substances or other illegal activity
   4. Any site promoting a multi-level marketing, home based business or other money- making scheme, mass solicitations [colloquially known as "spam"], chain letters; or other similar communications;
   5. Any site that allows for the downloading of media or any other files that are a violation of federal copyright laws
9. The use of Imhotep Internet resources to transmit or propagate email transmissions such as broadcast email, chain letters, mass market advertisements [spamming] of any kind, or to propagate any communication with inappropriate material/language regardless how that communication came to you is a violation of policy.
10. Imhotep email is provided to you for educational use. Personal communication is allowed but users should be aware that any communication may be:
    1. viewed by a school official at any time.
    2. liable to public disclosure under law.
11. Since it is against the law, the use of Imhotep resources to store and/or propagate copyrighted material, such as music and video, is strictly prohibited. This includes saving these materials on any device or media: computer, hard drives, portable devices, cell phones, etc.
12. Imhotep maintains a licensing for all of its software. Downloading or installing programs onto school computers is prohibited. If you wish to test software and or install a program that the school does not offer, you may request permission from the Technology Director who will forward the request and rationale through the appropriate administrative channels.

IMHOTEP Institute Charter HS

Student Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)

In General:

1. Respect and protect the privacy of others.
   1. Use only your assigned accounts.
   2. Do not view, use, or copy passwords, data, or networks to which you are not authorized.
   3. Not distribute private information about others or themselves.
2. Respect and protect the integrity, availability, and security of all electronic resources.
   1. Observe all network security practices, as posted.
   2. Report security risks or violations to a teacher, principal, or network administrator.
   3. Not destroy or damage data, networks, or other resources that do not belong to you, without clear permission of the owner.
   4. Conserve, protect, and share these resources with other students and Internet users.
3. Respect and protect the intellectual property of others.
   1. Do not infringe copyrights (no making illegal copies of music, games, or movies!).
   2. Do not plagiarize.
4. Respect and practice the principles of community.
   1. Communicate only in ways that are kind and respectful.
   2. Report threatening or discomforting materials to a teacher or principal.
   3. Do not intentionally access, transmit, copy, or create material that violates the school's code of conduct (such as messages that are pornographic, threatening, rude, discriminatory, or meant to harass).
   4. Do not intentionally access, transmit, copy, or create material that is illegal (such as obscenity, stolen materials, or illegal copies of copyrighted works).
   5. Do not use the resources to further other acts that are criminal or violate the school's code of conduct.
   6. Do not send spam, chain letters, or other mass unsolicited mailings.
   7. Not buy, sell, advertise, or otherwise conduct business, unless approved as a school project.

School administrators and authorized employees monitor the use of information technology resources to help ensure that uses are secure and in conformity with this policy. Administrators reserve the right to examine, use, and disclose any data found on the school's information networks in order to further the health, safety, discipline, or security of any student or other person, or to protect property. They may also use this information in disciplinary actions, and will furnish evidence of crime to law enforcement.

This policy may be amended and revised at anytime for any reason.

Please return the signed acknowledgement in order to receive your network and email account information. We ask that you keep a copy of this policy.