"A mind, once stretched by a new idea, never regains its original dimensions."
Oliver Wendell Holmes



WVUSD Acceptable Use Policy

Walnut Valley Unified School District Internet Use Agreement



Internet access is now available to students and teachers in the Walnut Valley Unified School District. We are very pleased to provide this access and believe the Internet offers vast, diverse and unique resources to both students and teachers. Our goal in providing this service to teachers and students is to promote educational excellence in schools by facilitating resource sharing, innovation and communication.

The Internet is an electronic highway connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual subscribers. Students and teachers will have access to a few examples listed below.

1. Electronic mail communication with people all over the world.
2. Information and news from NASA as well as the opportunity to correspond with scientists at
NASA and other research institutions.
3. Public domain software and shareware of all types.
4. Discussion groups on a plethora of topics ranging from Chinese culture to the environment to music to politics.
5. Many University Library Catalogs, the Library of Congress and ERIC.

With access to computers and people all over the world also comes the availability of material not to be of educational value in the context of the school setting. Walnut Valley Unified School District has taken precautions to restrict access to controversial materials. However, on a global network it is impossible to control all materials and an industrious user may discover controversial information. We (Walnut Valley Unified School District) firmly believe that the valuble information and interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that useres may procure material that is not consistent with the educational goals of the district.

Internet access is coordinated through a complex association of government agencies, and regional and state networks. In addition, the smooth operation of the network relies upon the proper conduct of the end users who must adhere to strict guidelines.

These guidelines are provided here so that you are aware of the responsibilities to which you are about to agree to accept. In general, this requires efficient, ethical and legal utilization of the network resources. If a Walnut Valley Unified School District user violates any of these provisions, his or her account will be terminated and future access could possibly be denied. The signature at the end of this document is legally binding and indicates the party who signed has read the terms and conditions carefully and understands their significance.

Internet - Terms and Conditions

Acceptable Use - The purpose of the internet is to support research and education in and among academic institutions by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. The use of your account must be in support of education and research and consistent with the educational objectives of the Walnut Valley Unified School District. Use of other organization's network or computing resources must comply with the rules appropriate for that network. Transmission of any material in violation of any US or state regulation is prohibited. This includesm but is not limited to: copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret. Use of commercial activities is generally not acceptable. Use of product advertisement or practical lobbying is also prohibited.

Privileges - The use of the Internet is a privlege, not a right and inappropriate use will result iin a cancellation of those privileges. (Each student who receives an account will be part of a discussion with a Walnut Valley Unified School District faculty member pertaining to the proper use of the network.) The system administrators will deem what is appropriate use and their decision is final. Also, the system administrators may close an account and any time as required. The administration, faculty, and staff of Walnut Valley Unified School District may request the system administrator to deny, revoke, or suspend specific use accounts.

Network Etiquette - You are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include (but are not limited to) the following:
a. Be polite. Always be courteous in your messages to others.

b. Use only appropriate language. Do not use offensive or inappropriate language. Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.

c. Do not reveal your home address or personal phone number or the addresses and phone numbers of students or colleagues.

d. Note that electronic mail (email) is not guaranted to be private. People who operate the system do have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.

e. Do not use the network in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the nework by other users.

f. Do no wastefully use finite resources.

g. Do not post personal communications without the author's consent.

h. Do not send messages that are likely to result in the loss of recipients work or systems.

i. Do not send "chain letters," or "broadcast" messages to lists or individuals, and any other types of use which would cause congestion of the neworks or otherwise interfere with the work of others.

Warranties - Walnut Valley Unified School District makes or gives no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. Walnut Valley Unified School District will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This includes loss of data resulting from delays, nondelivery, misdeliverly - deliveries, or service interruptions caused by the system, negligence or your own errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Internet is at your own risk. Walnut Valley Unified School District specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality obtained through its services.

Security - Security on any computer system is a high prority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem on the Internet, you must notify your system administrator or your District Internet Coordinator. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Do not use another individual's account. All use of the system must be under your own account. Attempts to log-on to the Internet as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges. Any user identified as a security risk or haveing a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the Internet.

Prior Approval - Approval must be obtained from a supervising teacher before a student publishes a Web page or any material on the Internet.

Vandalism - Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user. Internet, or any of the above listed agencies or other networks that are connected to the Internet backbone. This includes, but not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.

Teacher or Parent Rule - A user must apply 'a teacher or parent rule' for actions taken, situation encountered, or decisions made. The 'teacher or parent rule' is a rule under which the user asks himself, 'would the teacher or parent approve of this?' If the answer is no, then the user must not take action, must withdraw from the situation, or must not make the decision