
Technology Acceptable Use Policy (AUP)
2022-2023
Our goal in providing technology to the Oldfields community is to promote educational excellence by facilitating resource sharing, innovation, and communication. Oldfields School is committed to maintaining a student-centered environment where learning is an active process and students are free to discover knowledge in the style that is most effective for them. Technology should support both the needs of the student and the needs of the curriculum, and it must be an integral part of the community if the students of Oldfields are to be adequately prepared for the challenges of the future.
We believe that the Internet offers vast, diverse, and unique resources that have great educational value. While the benefits of the Internet are enormous, parents need to be aware that it is an open system, which contains pockets of material that many people find offensive. Access to such materials is actively discouraged. While Oldfields School exceeds the filtering standards set forth by the U.S. Government in the CIPA standards (https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/childrens-internet-protection-act), in a global network it is impossible to guarantee that your daughter will not encounter text, pictures, or references that some may find objectionable. We firmly believe that the valuable information and global interaction available on this worldwide network far outweighs the risk of uncovering questionable material, but we ask for your assistance in developing responsible attitudes, reinforcing appropriate behaviors, and observing security practices on our network.
Oldfields School Technology Terms and Conditions
Note: Throughout this document when the term network(s) is/are used it refers to the local computer network, hosted email and file storage/sharing, and/or the school phone/voicemail system
1. Acceptable Use - The purpose of technology is to support and promote education at Oldfields by providing access to unique resources and the opportunity for collaborative work. Transmission of any inappropriate material is strictly prohibited. This includes, but is not limited to, copyrighted material, threatening or obscene material, or material protected by trade secret.
The following represent some, but not all, of the inappropriate uses that may occur:
Using another user’s password to access their network account(s)
Allowing another user* to use your password to access your network account(s) (*exception made for the Tech Department for troubleshooting purposes)
Using the School network(s) to send/receive a message under another user’s name
Using or borrowing another user’s computer, tablet device, phone, or phone calling card without permission
Using technology to harm another individual or organization, either through the school network(s) or from home
Viewing or editing another user’s files without permission
Using copyrighted material in reports without permission or proper citation of sources or duplicating copyrighted material without a license (e.g. audio compact discs, computer software, computer games, etc.)
Creating computer viruses and placing them on the network(s) or Internet
Using a VPN (virtual private network) connection to attempt to by-pass Internet access restrictions put in place by Oldfields, and/or to conceal your activity on the Internet
Mass mailing of “junk e-mail” or “junk voicemail” and chain letters or chain voicemails
Using the School network(s) in a way that would disrupt the use of the network by other users
Using the School network(s) to access/send/receive material that contains language, text and/or images that are vulgar, pornographic, violent or obscene in nature, racist, inflammatory, or contains obscenities (including ‘Sexting’, which is using computers/ tablets or phone devices to transmit text and/or images that would be considered suggestive or pornographic in nature)
Using the School network(s) to provide personal information that others may use inappropriately (for safety reasons, do not reveal your full name, personal address, phone number, or picture to anyone, and do not reveal personal information about other community members.)
Posting pictures or video of other community members on the Internet without their consent, and/or with the intention of doing them harm
Using a camera (or any type of image capturing device) in bathrooms/restrooms
Using the School network(s) for commercial advertising or political lobbying
Using the School email system or phone system to conduct a personal business or the exchange of goods (*ask for details!)
Watching inappropriate movies/videos at any time while under Oldfields' jurisdiction (Please refer to the page listed in the index of the Oldfields Community Guidebook for more specific details.)
2. Privileges - The use of the network(s) is/are a privilege, not a right, and inappropriate use will result in the cancellation of that privilege as well as possible review by the School Judiciary Board. The School administration will deem what is inappropriate use, and its decision is final. The administration, faculty, and staff of Oldfields School may request the system administrator to deny, revoke, or suspend specific user accounts if necessary. The system administrator may disable an account at any time if deemed necessary. Oldfields School and its administrators may modify policies regarding technology use at any time and expect users to abide by such modifications.
E-mail and voicemail are not guaranteed to be private. The system administrators who operate the system do have access to all messages. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the School Judiciary Board and/or the appropriate authorities.
All students and faculty are expected to check their School e-mail and voicemail (where applicable) daily (Monday-Friday) to keep abreast of time-sensitive information.
Hardware and software owned by Oldfields, including wiring and infrastructure equipment, remains the property of the School and may be examined at any time by Oldfields School Technology Department personnel if necessary.
Printing supplies (paper and toner) are provided for public-use printers. Care should be taken when printing to avoid wasting resources. Think before you click PRINT!
3. Network Etiquette (Netiquette) - 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 be abusive in your messages to others. Use appropriate language.
Electronic mail (e-mail) should be succinctly written.
Emails intended for a specific audience should not be passed on to ‘public’ forums or individuals outside the organization.
All information retrieved via the network(s) should be assumed to be the personal property of the author (remember to give credit to others for their ideas/work).
4. Internet Access - Access to the Internet is provided through network accounts.
School owned phone lines are not to be used to access Internet dial-up services.
Students may not use personal USB or wireless Internet access devices (i.e. "Hotspots") at school.
Students in the dorms do not have access to their own dedicated network\Internet connection in their room; they should not bring VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phones to school.
Smart speakers (i.e. “Alexa”, Google Home, Apple Home Pod, etc.) are not supported; students should not bring them to school
5. Social Networking and Picture/Video Sharing - (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, etc.)
The success of this community is dependent on members upholding the core principles of the School.
While the School does not have a formal honor code, students assume the responsibility of supporting and maintaining a healthy environment.
All expectations and standards described in the Guidebook should be followed when using any website, either through the school network(s) or from home. In addition, the following code of conduct is expected of all Oldfields students.
Code of Conduct (in addition to the core principles listed above)
Language
- Excessive profanity is prohibited on your social networking page(s) including comments posted by friends or visitors to the page.
- There may be no threatening or harassing comments either from the student or in comments posted by others.
- Any slanderous, libelous, or negative comments about Oldfields School or its constituents are prohibited.
- No sexually explicit language
Pictures, Video, and Audio
- There shall be no pictures or video depicting any act or action that is illegal under the statutes of The State of Maryland on any Oldfields student’s or faculty’s site(s).
- There shall be no sexually explicit or provocative pictures on any Oldfields student’s or faculty’s site.
- There shall be no pictures overtly displaying the use of alcohol, drugs, or tobacco products on any Oldfields student’s or faculty’s site(s).
- Community members may not video-tape other community members and post that video on the Internet without the consent of all parties featured in the video. Doing so could result in a review by the School Judiciary Board or the administration, and actions may be taken.
Live Video Chat (e.g. Skyping, FaceTime, etc.)
- During the academic/work day you may video chat in Rodney if:
- specific permission is given by a teacher during that teacher’s academic class
- and you stay in the presence of that teacher
- After the academic/work day is over, you may Skype anywhere in Rodney except for the library.
- You may not video chat in the library at any time!
References to Oldfields
- There may be no use of any of the Oldfields School logos or seals on any social media or private web pages.
- Personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, or information about other community members should not be posted.
- You are not to create or participate in social networking sites/pages that damage Oldfields’ public image.
If any malice is suspected on your social networking/video page, a member of the school administration must be granted access to the aforementioned page on a moment’s notice. Please inform the Oldfields Technology Department of any messages/emails/postings you encounter that you deem uncomfortable or threatening. It is a good idea to print out the material in case the offender edits/deletes the posting before action can be taken.
6. Warranties and Support - Oldfields School makes no warranties of any kind, whether expressed or implied, for the service it is providing and will not be responsible for any damages suffered. This includes, but is not limited to:
Loss of funds or data resulting from delays, non-deliveries, mis-deliveries, or service interruptions
Loss of hardware, software, or data caused by negligence or user-error
Loss of hardware, software, or data resulting from power surges or outages
Loss of hardware, software, or data resulting from a computer virus
Use of any information obtained by computer communication is at your own risk. Oldfields School specifically denies any responsibility for the accuracy or quality of information obtained from the Internet.
Oldfields’ Technology Department will support only approved hardware and software. Any hardware or software installed, that has not been approved by Oldfields School, will not be supported. Any problems that are created by non-approved hardware or software will be the responsibility of the student or faculty/staff member.
The Oldfields Technology Department will only support computers that have the operating system installed in the English language.
Oldfields is responsible for providing a working phone jack with local dial tone for a student by request. We are not responsible for providing the physical phone-set. The analog phone-set is the responsibility of the student/family. As stated in section #4, students in the dorms do not have access to their own dedicated network/Internet connection and they should not bring VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) phones to school.
7. Security and Safety - Security on any system is a high priority, especially when the system involves many users. If you feel you can identify a security problem on the network(s), you must notify the Oldfields Technology Department immediately. Do not demonstrate the problem to other users. Such misuse could result in the cancellation of the involved parties’ account(s)/service. Attempts to log onto the network(s) as a system administrator will result in cancellation of user privileges.
We strongly suggest that users never leave their computers/tablets/phones unattended or in unlocked rooms or lockers (for day students). Oldfields takes no responsibility for loss of hardware that was left unattended/unsecured.
All device cables (especially power cords/chargers) should be in good condition. Use of cables with exposed wires is forbidden, and covering such exposed wires with electrical tape is not acceptable. This is a matter of health and safety.
8. Right to Use- Various pieces of software may be loaded on student and faculty/staff-owned computers during their time at Oldfields. As long as the individual is a member of the Oldfields community they have the right to use this software. Upon departure from Oldfields, an individual’s right to use this software is voided. The software must be removed! The Oldfields Technology Department will assist with this software removal. Anyone who leaves without seeking assistance takes responsibility for removal of this software.
9. Vandalism/Damages - Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy hardware, software, or the data of another user, the Internet, Oldfields School, or any agency or organization connected to the Oldfields network(s). This includes, but is not limited to, physical damage and the creation or uploading of computer viruses. Vandalism will result in cancellation of network(s) privileges.
You are prohibited from defacing school-owned equipment (e.g. desktops, laptops, tablets, printers, phones, etc.). Defacing includes, but is not limited to, adding stickers, drawing on, removing important factory labels/IDs, changing the color of a device, etc.). This is considered to be damage and could result in a monetary fine to repair/replace the damaged part.
Users (i.e. students, faculty/staff and guests) will be held accountable for loss of or damage to any school-owned equipment (e.g. computers/tablets, printers, phones, cables, AC adapters, cameras, wiring, accessories, etc.) borrowed from or provided by the Oldfields Technology Department. They are monetarily responsible for repair cost or total replacement cost, with a comparable device chosen by the Oldfields Technology Department.
PARENT OF STUDENT USER:
I understand that my student will be expected to abide by the terms and conditions for the use of the school network, computer related technology, and phone system at Oldfields School. I further understand that any violation of the regulations is unethical and may constitute a criminal offense. Should my student commit any violation, their access privileges may be revoked, school disciplinary action may be taken, and/or appropriate legal action may be taken.
In addition, I give permission for Oldfields School to create/maintain a G Suite for Education account for my child and for Google to collect, use, and disclose information about my child only for the purposes described in the notice. (Due to the length of the notice we have posted the full notice in the Parent Portal of the Oldfields website. Please view it there.