Georgia-Cumberland Academy Technology Acceptable Use Policy

Technology access is offered for student use with the intent to further educational goals and objectives. This service has not been established as a public access or public forum. GCA has the right to place reasonable restrictions on the material the student accesses or posts. GCA filters and monitors Internet access. Parents may submit a request to further limit their student’s Internet use (Whitelist only – Contact GCA admin for additional information).

Ultimately, parents and guardians of minors are responsible for setting and conveying the standards that their children should follow when using media and information services. Recognizing the potential for accessing sites other than the educational ones indicated by the classroom activities, families may choose to limit their child’s access to the Internet through the school’s network.

The following are guidelines for use of this system:

1. Access

1. Access is a privilege, not a right. Access carries many responsibilities.
2. Teachers have the right to schedule, monitor, and restrict both the amount of time online and the sites visited.
3. Because school-provided Internet access is for educational purposes, the school may limit or monitor content posted or accessed to ensure it aligns with GCA’s mission and educational goals.
4. Students have access to only the email services provided by the school.
5. The student should expect no privacy of the contents of his/her personal files on the school system or the Internet. Routine maintenance and monitoring of the system may lead to discovery of policy, school, or legal violations. The school may conduct an individual search if there is reasonable suspicion.
6. The school will cooperate fully with local, state, or federal officials in any investigation related to illegal activities conducted through the system.

2. Personal Use

1. The student is not allowed to use the system for commercial purposes, to offer, provide, or purchase products or services.
2. The student is not allowed to use the system for political activities or lobbying.

3. Personal Safety

1. The student will not post personal contact information (address, phone number, etc.) about himself/herself or any other person.
2. The student will not agree to meet with someone he/she has met online. Any request for contact of this nature, or any message he/she feels is inappropriate or that makes him/her feel uncomfortable, should be reported to school administration immediately.

4. Illegal Activities

1. The student will not attempt to gain unauthorized access to this or any other computer system, or go beyond his/her authorized access, by entering another person’s username, password, or account number or by accessing another person’s files.
2. The student will not deliberately attempt to disrupt the computer system or destroy data by spreading computer viruses, or by any other means.
3. The student will not use the system to engage in any illegal act.
4. The student will not download or distribute copyrighted materials without permission.

5. System Security

1. The student is responsible for his/her individual account and should take all reasonable precautions to prevent others from being able to use that account. Under no condition should a student give his/her password to another person. 
2. The student will never knowingly try to circumvent the security measures on this system or on any other GCA computer.
3. The student will immediately notify a teacher or system administrator if he/she has identified a security problem.
4. The student will not open email attachment files from unknown or anonymous senders.

6. Inappropriate Language

1. The student will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language in any communication.
2. The student will not post information that could cause danger or disruption, or engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks.
3. The student will not harass another person by a persistent action that distresses or annoys that person. The student must stop any action that causes another student distress or discomfort, particularly if asked to stop.

7. Respect for Privacy

1. The student will not forward a message that was sent to him/her privately without permission of the person who sent the message.
2. The student will not post private information about himself/herself or another person.
3. The student will not falsify his/her or any other person’s identity.
4. The student will not change any file that is not their own.

8. Respecting Resource Limits

1. The student will use the system only for educational and career development activities and limited, high-quality, self-discovery activities.
2. The student will not download files or programs without following school procedures.
3. The student will not post chain letters or engage in spamming (meaning, sending annoying or unnecessary messages to a large number of people).
4. The student will check his/her email frequently, delete unwanted messages promptly, and stay within his/her email quota.
5. The student will not subscribe to any mail lists, listservs, or enter chat rooms.
6. The student will save resources by printing conservatively, saving paper and ink.

9. Plagiarism and Copyright Infringement

1. The student will not plagiarize. Plagiarism means taking the ideas or writings of others and presenting them as if they were his/her own.
2. The student will respect the rights of copyright owners. Copyright infringement occurs when one inappropriately reproduces anything that is protected by copyright—including music, movies, or text. If a work contains language that specifies appropriate use of that work, one should follow the expressed requirements. If the student is unsure whether or not they can use a work, permission should be requested from the copyright owner.
3. Students should consult their teacher regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools such as ChatGPT or similar platforms. Use of AI-generated content without permission or proper citation may be considered plagiarism, depending on the teacher’s classroom policy.

10. Inappropriate Access to Material

1. The student will not use the system to access material that is profane or obscene or that advocates illegal acts, violence, or discrimination toward other people.
2. If a student mistakenly accesses inappropriate information, he/she must immediately tell a teacher or the technology director. This will protect him/her against a claim of intentional violation of this policy.

11. Consequences of Violation

Consequences of violations of the Acceptable Use Policy may include, but are not limited to:

1. Suspension of Internet access
2. Revocation of Internet access
3. Suspension of all network privileges
4. Revocation of all network privileges
5. School suspension
6. School expulsion
7. Legal action and prosecution by local, state, or federal authorities

This document was adapted from the following document:

Georgia-Cumberland Conference Acceptable Use Policy For Information Technologies Grades 7 – 12

© 2000