Acceptable Use
The Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) has made electronic technology available to its scholars. The use of this technology by scholars is a privilege and must fall within acceptable use as outlined in the rules. The District reserves the right to log internet use and to monitor electronic mail space utilization by users. This means that there should be no expectation of privacy from the District’s monitoring of scholar use of computer systems. The District shall, at its discretion, review the sites and programs accessed by individual scholars, as well as the messages sent or received by individual scholars. Such monitoring shall be conducted without notice.
District Equipment
- Equipment: Includes (but is not limited to): computers, drives, printers, scanners, networks, video and audio recorders, cameras, photocopiers, telephones, modems and other related technological resources
- Software: Includes (but is not limited to): computer software, print and non-print resources
- Networks: Include (but are not limited to): all voice, video and data systems, including the District’s internal network and the internet
District Rights & Responsibilities
- GRPS is responsible for the management of the structure, hardware and software that the District uses to allow access to information technologies for educational purposes. These include:
- Assigning and removing user accounts on the network(s)
- Maintaining and repairing equipment that comprises the network(s)
- Selecting software that the network will support
- Defining the rights and responsibilities of users
- Providing resources that support the mission of the District
- Providing training opportunities on the use, care and application of information technology, including training in new technologies, software and media as they are acquired and put into District use;
- The District does not take responsibility for the content of resources accessed or located by users of technology. The District does not take responsibility for action taken by users of technology that does not support the purposes of the GRPS.
- The District shall periodically make determinations on whether specific uses of the internet and/or District network are consistent with the Acceptable Use Policy.
Prohibited Scholar Activity
Scholars are prohibited from:
- Using technology available through GRPS for personal or private business, for product advertisement or political lobbying or for incurring financial commitments on the internet
- Using technology to disrupt the activity of others, to harass or discriminate against others, to gain unauthorized access to computer systems or programs or to plant any type of virus in any computer system or program
- Using profanity, obscenity, discriminatory language, vulgarities and other inappropriate language or graphics
- Revealing any personal, confidential or private information about other individuals such as home addresses, phone number, etc.
- Communicating that they are someone else, that they are representing someone else or that they are representing GRPS
- Using someone else’s account number or password or allowing someone else to use their account number or password
- Using the system to obtain or to disseminate pornography as it is defined by the Supreme Court
- Ordering or making a commitment to pay for any goods or services without proper authorization
- Using technology to do anything unlawful, including violating any federal or state copyright or unfair trade laws
- Conducting any activity that exposes the District to litigation or expenses
- Violating any libel or slander laws
Response to Violations
Response by the school and/or District to activities in violation of the prohibitions and/or scholar responsibilities outlined in this policy shall be in accordance with the Uniform Discipline Code. See Scholar Expectations and Disciplinary Action Grades K-5 on page 40 and Grades 6-12 on page 43.
Scholar-Developed Subject Matter
Scholar-Developed Subject Matter means subject matter conceived or developed by a scholar during the scholar’s use of GRPS systems, where such subject matter pertains or could pertain directly or indirectly to the then current educational activities of GRPS. Whether subject matter falls within the scope of Scholar-Developed Subject Matter shall be independent of whether the scholar’s contribution to the development is alone or in collaboration with others. Scholar-Developed Subject Matter includes (but is not limited to): writings, designs, software and other materials and concepts which may be subject to proprietary rights protection.
Disclosure & Assignment to GRPS
Scholars shall promptly disclose to GRPS all Scholar-Developed Subject Matter, and all Scholar- Developed Subject Matter shall become and remain the exclusive property of GRPS. To the extent that any proprietary rights (including copyright rights) vest in the scholar as a result of the development of the Scholar-Developed Subject Matter, the scholar shall, without compensation, formally assign to GRPS all proprietary rights to the Scholar-Developed Subject Matter, and execute any documents considered necessary by the GRPS to perfect its proprietary rights therein. The GRPS shall pay all expenses relating to the perfection of such proprietary rights. The election of whether or not to file formal applications for proprietary rights protection for the Scholar-Developed Subject Matter, and the manner of preparation and prosecution of the same shall be solely within the discretion of the GRPS.
Scholar Rights & Responsibilities
Scholar Users of District equipment have the right to:
- Use all authorized hardware and software, when available, for which they have received training to facilitate learning and enhance educational information exchange
- Access information from outside resources which facilitates learning and enhances educational information exchange
- Access direct networks and the internet to retrieve information, facilitate learning and enhance educational information exchange
Scholar users of district equipment are responsible for:
- Utilizing technology in the school only for facilitating learning and enhancing educational information exchange consistent with the educational mission of the District and the school
- Maintaining the privacy of passwords and are prohibited from publishing or discussing passwords
- Keeping all inappropriate materials, inappropriate text files, or files dangerous to the integrity of the school’s network, equipment and software from entering the school via the internet
- Keeping hardware and software from being removed from school premises without prior consent
- Maintaining the integrity of the e-mail system and making only those e-mail contacts which facilitate learning and enhance information exchange
- Keeping all food and drink away from computers, printers and so on
- Adhering to all copyright guidelines and avoiding plagiarism
- Adhering to the rules (including network etiquette) established for the use of hardware, software, labs and networks in the school and through remote access
View the Acceptable Use Policy, Internet and District-Wide Computer Network Agreement and Permission Form.