Internet access is now available to students and staff of Ursuline Academy. Our goal in providing this service is to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. Our connection provides direct internet access through a local Internet Service Provider. The internet is an “electronic highway” connecting thousands of computers all over the world and millions of individual users. Students and staff will have access to:

• Electronic mail (E-mail) communication with people all over the world
• Public Domain software and graphics of all types for school use
• Discussion groups on a universe of topics
• Access to many university library catalogs and relevant educational information
• Graphical access to the worldwide Web, the newest and easiest access tool on the internet

Some of the information and material available may not be considered to be of educational value in the context of a school setting. Because information on the Internet appears, disappears, and changes, it is not possible to predict or control what students and staff may locate. Thus, Ursuline Academy cannot promise to control the Internet environment for students or staff. Ursuline Academy educators will take an active role in ensuring that students and their parents are aware of the individual student’s responsibility to use Internet resources in an ethical and educational manner. Our focus is less in controlling the Internet environment, but more in providing individual users with the understanding and skills needed to use the Internet in ways appropriate to a student’s individual educational needs. We firmly believe that the valuable information and interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the possibility that users may procure materials that are not consistent with educational goals.

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 proper conduct of end users who must adhere to strict guidelines. These guidelines are provided here so that both students and staff are aware of the responsibilities you will assume by taking advantage of Internet access provided by Ursuline Academy. In general this requires efficient, ethical, and legal utilization of the network resources. If Ursuline Academy users violate any of these provisions, their accounts will be terminated, and future access may, at the sole discretion of the systems administrator, be denied.

The signatures on the Internet Use Agreement at the end of this document are legally binding, and indicate the parties who sign have read the terms and conditions of the Acceptable Use Policy carefully and understand its significance. (Sample - the actual form is in the Ursuline Middle and Upper School Hand book.)

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF INTERNET ACCESS

1. Acceptable Use - The use of your account must be in support of education and research, and consistent with the educational objectives. Scheduled classes take precedence over general use. Use of other organizations’ networks or computing resources must comply with rules appropriate for that network. Transmission of any copyrighted material in violation of any national or state regulation is prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, and threatening, offensive or obscene material. Use for commercial activities by for profit institutions is not acceptable. Use for product advertisement or political lobbying is prohibited. Use to play games of any kind, either on individual computers or through the network is prohibited. Use of chat rooms for recreational purposes, either on individual computers or through the network is prohibited. Changing the configurations or settings of any of the computers on the network is strictly prohibited.

2. Privileges - The use of your Internet account (if individual accounts are provided) is a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in cancellation of that privilege. Based upon acceptable use guidelines outlined in this document, the system administrators will deem what is inappropriate use and their decision will be final. Also, the system administrators may close an account at any time as required. The administration, faculty and staff of Ursuline Academy may request the system administrator to deny, revoke or suspend specific user accounts.

3. Network Etiquette - you are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of network etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Be polite. Do not write or send abusive messages to others.
• Use appropriate language. Do not swear, use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
• Illegal activities are strictly forbidden.
• Do not reveal your personal address or phone number, or those of any other person.
• Do not use your account in such a way that you would disrupt the use of the network by any other users (e.g.: downloading huge files, sending mass e-mail messages or chain letters, annoying other users).
• Note that electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private. People who operate the system have access to all mail. Messages relating to, or in support of, illegal activities will be reported to the authorities.
• All communications and information accessible via the network should be assumed to be private property.

4. Reliability - Ursuline Academy makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing. The Academy will not be responsible for any damages you suffer. This includes loss of data from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions caused by its own negligence or your errors or omissions. Use of any information obtained via the Academy’s equipment is at your own risk. Ursuline Academy specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained through its services.

5. Security - Security on any computer system is the highest priority, especially when the system involves many users. Any user identified as a security risk or having a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access. If you feel you can identify a security problem, you must notify the system administrators.

• Do not demonstrate the problem to other users.

• Do not use another individual’s account (if individual accounts are provided). Attempts to log into the system as any other user, or a system administrator, will result in cancellation of user privileges.

• Do not give your account password (if individual accounts are provided), or any other password, to another individual.

6. Vandalism - Any type of vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges. Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, the Academy, or any of the agencies or networks accessed. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading of computer viruses.

7. User information (Individual Accounts) - Ursuline Academy may occasionally require new registration and updating of your account information to continue the service, if the Acceptable use Policy is revised. You must notify the system administrators of any changes in your account information.

8. Terms and Conditions - All terms and conditions stated in this document are applicable to Ursuline Academy. These terms and conditions reflect the entire agreement of the parties involved, and supersede all prior agreements. These terms and conditions shall be governed and interpreted in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware and the United States of America.

ADDENDUM TO THE AUP - JANUARY 5, 2000

1. E-mail Etiquette: Students may not send, or encourage others to send abusive messages. Students may not use vulgar or any other inappropriate language. Students may not engage in any kind of illegal activities. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities shall be reported to the proper legal authorities. Students may not disrupt network use by others.

2. All email sent through or received through the network server is the property of the School. Email messages sent by and received by students through the network server may be monitored by the School.

3. Students should not give anyone their password, and should change it periodically to protect privacy.

4. For purposes of monitoring email, there is a presumption that the sender of any email messages is that person whose email address appears in the header of any messages. Students who publicize or give to others an email address shall be held accountable for all email messages sent or received on their email address.

5. Students shall not address the network server with another person’s password or email address. Violation of this rule will result in disciplinary action.

6. It is unethical for a student to send an email message to anyone, including another student, under a false address.

7. Students in violation of this policy, as defined in number 1, 5, 6 above, may be liable to suspension or expulsion.

ADDENDUM TO THE AUP- SEPTEMBER 27, 2006

Rules for using Ursuline’s Wiki:

The Ursuline Wiki's purpose is to aid the educational endeavors of the students at Ursuline Academy, and to provide an alternative medium for teachers to use with their classes. Although it allows students to create their own user pages and it supports personal discussion pages, this is not the primary intent of the wiki.
With this in mind, rules and guidelines for using the wiki are as follows:

1. When students are working on the Ursuline Wiki, they must follow all of the guidelines stated in the Internet Acceptable Use Policy and all other relevant policies in the Student Handbook.

2. Everything on the wiki is “public” with regard to the Ursuline community. Therefore, do not put anything on the wiki that you don’t want the teachers and every student to see. In addition, Sallies’ students taking classes at Ursuline also have access to the Wiki.

3. Every edit you make on the wiki will have your name on the history page, for that article. This means that all teachers and students can see who made every edit. It is imperative that students not share their passwords, because edits made with their user accounts will be attributed to them.

4. User pages and user subpages- These are pages where persons with an account can create their own pages, and where they can post personal pictures and profiles. Each user page also has a discussion page, where students can communicate with one another. It is important that students remember that these pages are “public” with regard to the Ursuline community and nothing inappropriate should be included.

5. Vandalizing the Ursuline Wiki is prohibited. Vandalism is any addition, deletion, or change of content made in a deliberate attempt to compromise the integrity of the Ursuline Wiki. Any good-faith effort to improve a page is not vandalism. With this in mind, it is recommended that students avoid:

   a. Deliberately adding information to or deleting information from a page without faculty or the user’s authorization.

   b. Writing personal comments on pages other than on a discussion page or on the user’s page.