ACCEPTABLE USE OF DISTRICT ELECTRONIC MAIL

When district employees are provided with an e-mail, all use of the District’s e-mail system shall be consistent with the District’s goal of promoting educational excellence by facilitating communications, resource sharing, and innovation. These procedures do not attempt to state all required or proscribed behavior by users. However, some specific examples are provided. The failure of any user to follow these procedures can result in the loss of privileges, limitations on privileges, disciplinary action, and/or appropriate legal action.

1. Acceptable Use – Use of District e-mail must be for the purpose of fulfilling duties required as an employee of District #10. Some examples are:

1. Communicating absences and tardies to building office.
2. Communicating lunch count to cafeteria.
3. Organizing department or grade level meetings.
4. Notifying a staff member of a phone message.
5. Sending a file relevant to classroom duties to another staff member for his/her input.
6. Sending daily bulletins to classrooms.
7. Notifying office of a problem in the classroom.
8. Having students use e-mail to collaborate with students in other classrooms while under the supervision of a classroom teacher.
9. Communicating a repair or maintenance issue.

2. Unacceptable Use – Each employee is responsible for his or her actions and activities in the use of District e-mail. Some examples are:

1. Using e-mail for any illegal activity, including violation of copyright or other contracts, or transmitting any material in violation of any U.S. or State regulation.
2. Using another user’s e-mail account without permission.
3. E-mailing material authorized or created by another without his/her consent.
4. Posting anonymous messages.
5. Using District e-mail for commercial advertising.
6. E-mailing any defamatory, inaccurate, abusive, obscene, profane, sexually oriented, threatening racially offensive, harassing, or illegal messages or material.
7. Allowing students to use District e-mail without supervision.

3. E-mail Etiquette – The user is expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of e-mail etiquette. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Be polite. Do not become abusive to others.
2. Do not use all capital letters in a message. This translates as shouting according to e-mail etiquette.
3. Use appropriate language. Do not swear or use vulgarities or any other inappropriate language.
4. If the first line of a message appears on the computer screen, keep this in mind when sending messages since students can often see this first line if you keep your e-mail program open.
5. Do not use e-mail for messages intended to be private. The nature of electronic mail can allow system administrators to see any message. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to authorities.
6. Do not send confidential information about students via e-mail. E-mail should be considered to be more like a bulletin board than a private letter or phone call. E-mail information can, and often will, be seen by others.
7. Don’t send numerous trivial messages. This wastes precious time when staff members must go through along list of such e-mail.

The sender should double check that he/she has selected the proper recipients before sending a message. It is possible to send a message to the wrong person or to send a message to many more people than you intended.

Don’t enclose large files with a message. It is possible that such transmitting of large files could slow down the network dramatically and prevent important messages from being received in a timely fashion.