The Richland Northeast High School Information & Technology Center
acceptable use for local- and wide-area network and Internet access


The Internet is the collective name for thousands of computers worldwide that are connected through phone networks. The computers communicate with the same protocol and have an established Internet address. It is similar to a library of books, written in the same language and having a call number. However, one difference between the Internet and the Information and Technology Center is that our books are acquired according to School Board approved guidelines. Selection of Internet resources, on the other hand, is decided by the end user. The user carries the responsibility of selecting appropriate items to view. This policy describes user behavior and identifies what actions are prohibited.

Services
Student access to the Internet will be provided only through the Richland Northeast High School local/wide area network and the school's Internet provider. Access to the school LAN is a privilege available to all students; however, the account access may be disabled if student use is inappropriate.

Terms and conditions for LAN/WAN and Internet access
The Internet user is responsible for his/her actions and activity within his/her usage. Richland Northeast High School is not accountable for any costs incurred to the user while online. Unacceptable uses of the LAN/WAN will result in disciplinary action. Some examples of unacceptable use are:

  • Access, create, download, or display offensive or obscene messages or pictures
  • Use obscene or defamatory language
  • Participate in Internet chat rooms
  • Install, download, or play games or programs of any kind without permission of the Media Specialist
  • Give out personal information about oneself or another student, such as name, address, phone number, or location
  • Harass, insult, defame, or attack others
  • Damage computers, altering computer systems or computer networks
  • Violate copyright laws, such as illegally installing or copying software
  • Try to obtain or use another person's password
  • Trespass in another person's folders, work, or files, vandalizing the data of another user
  • Posting anonymous messages or attributing one's communications to another individual
  • Intentionally wasting limited resources such as paper, data storage space, or time online
  • Employing the network for financial gain
  • Gaining unauthorized access to resources
  • Neglecting to log out all programs and the network when leaving the computer station

Consequences
These offenses will be treated as vandalism. Consult your student handbook to understand the related disciplinary actions. In the least, the offenses above will result in the student being denied access to the network for a period of time. The overall goal of this discipline is to make the student a responsible, considerate, and ethical user of online resources.

Restrictions
Parent(s) and Guardian(s) of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their child or ward should follow. To that end, Richland Northeast High School supports and respects each family’s values regarding LAN and Internet access. Any parent or guardian, who would prefer not to have his/her child access the network and Internet should notify the principal in writing.

Conditions of use and account management
Students who access the LAN automatically agree, through a statement on the computer screen, to abide by the restrictions outlined in the District and Richland Northeast High School policy for acceptable use. The conditions and services being offered may change from time to time.

Richland Northeast High School makes no warranties with respect to Internet service or content. Parents and students should be aware that Richland Northeast High School does not control the information on the Internet, nor can it provide impenetrable barriers to accessing the full range of information available. Other sites accessible via the Internet may contain material that is illegal, defamatory, inaccurate, or potentially offensive to some people.

All Richland Northeast High School students will be assigned their own network account name with password. Passwords should not be given out to anybody. With this account, students will have their own folder on the school’s server to store their work. Parent(s) or guardian(s) of students who do not wish their child to have access to the LAN and Internet at Richland Northeast High School may request to have the student account disabled when the principal is notified in writing of their decision.

Richland Northeast High School believes that the benefits to educators and students from access to the Internet, in the form of information resources and opportunities for collaboration, far exceed any disadvantages of access. Richland Two has also minimized these disadvantages by utilizing filtering software to block access to undesirable Web sites.