OCSU Acceptable Use and Communication Guidelines

Revised: August 2022

Introduction

It is the policy of the Orleans Central Supervisory Union (OCSU) to use electronic resources and communication to support and enrich student learning. It is important for OCSU staff to be aware of and follow the guidelines related to acceptable use of electronic resources and communication between employees and students.

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This presentation is intended to be an overview of OCSU’s Acceptable Use Policy, not an exhaustive explanation.

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For a full copy of the policy, please review it here:

OCSU Acceptable Use Policy

Do’s and Don’ts

Do:

• Use electronic communication responsibly, and as appropriate, with colleagues, families/caregivers, and students.
• Appropriately use assigned staff devices for job-related tasks.
• Be aware of your legal responsibilities around electronic communication.

Don’t:

• Disclose identifiable information about students and families electronically. Initials may be used in the body of an email, but not in the subject line.

Communication with Students/Families

• Only email about school matters (consider copying someone else on the email)
• Do not delete emails between you and students/family members
• Do not include students in your social network circles
• Controversial or potentially harmful information you have learned about students in online environments, whether you are at work or not, falls under “mandated reporter” laws and needs to be reported. This includes but is not limited to written, oral, and visual information you witness. Examples of harmful information includes bullying, harassment, abuse, etc.

Communication with Students/Families

(cont.)

• Report inappropriate communications immediately to your designated administrator.
• If you need to send confidential or potentially controversial information about a student, do so in person or over the phone. When calling, keep a log of the conversation.
• Use only approved school platforms for communication. Never use personal accounts.
• When in doubt, check first with your administrator.

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Personal vs Professional

• Do not use your school email address/accounts for personal communication or to register with sites for your personal use (shopping, etc.).
• Do not use your personal email address or other accounts for professional communication.
• School purchased electronic devices and accounts are the school’s property. Should issues arise, they could be accessed by administration. See your administrator for clarification.
• Do not put unapproved software/apps, including any personally owned, on a school device without approval from your administrator.

Personal vs Professional (cont.)

• Only school employees and OCSU students can use their assigned school equipment.
• Only limited personal use of school equipment is acceptable (ex.: checking personal email during non-teaching hours, doing limited online shopping after work, etc.). School equipment should not be used as your main personal or side-business device.
• Guidelines around professional social media use are posted on OCSU’s website. Any staff member wanting to use social media professionally needs to review and adhere to those guidelines.

Email Etiquette

• Don’t use email lists as a venue to complain to an audience or start a chain conversation on trivial topics. People get upset quickly when their inboxes are filled with topics not pertinent to them.
• Only use “to:” with email groups (like lruhs@ocsu.org) if you want a discussion. Use “Bcc:” (blind carbon copy) if you are sharing information that only you need a reply to.
• Don’t “Bcc:” other individuals on correspondence to parents or other staff members. (Not only is it disrespectful, like talking behind someone’s back, but there could be legal implications.)

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Video Call Etiquette

• Verify the space you are calling from is clear of distractions for the person you are calling. Avoid calling with your back to a window or other light source when possible. Be aware of possible noise distractions on your side of the call, and mute when not talking when possible.
• There should be no inappropriate items within the shot when you participate in calls (references to alcohol or tobacco, political references, etc.)
• Professional attire should be maintained during all video calls regardless of your location.

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Your Legal Responsibilities

• Immediately report any potentially dangerous online behavior that you observe.
• If you think you may have accidentally viewed an inappropriate website, report it immediately to an administrator.
• Do not post negative (or potentially negative) information about others in any public or partially-public forum. This may open you up to legal or civil action. (For additional information, see your school administrator about the NEA Social Media Training that is available.)

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Your Legal Responsibilities (cont.)

• Do not copy text, images, video, music or any other content (ie curriculum documents found on external sites, etc.) without getting permission first from the owner and/or appropriately citing the work.
• Do not copy software or other copyrighted materials without permission.
• NEVER use your personal accounts to discuss school business. This can open up your entire account to potential subpoena, should you be involved in a legal or civil action (even as a witness).

Your Legal Responsibilities (cont.)

• When discussing a student or group of students electronically, NEVER include information of both types below in the same message:
• Directory Information: name, address, dates of enrollment, awards, etc.
• Personally Identifiable Information: race/ethnicity, schedule, grades, test scores, IEP status, etc.
• If you need to share information about a student or group of students that includes both kinds of information, do so in person or over the phone.
• See the Confidentiality/FERPA training presentation for additional information.

General Recommendations & FYI’s

• Be careful with managing passwords. Do not:
• leave them where others can access them
• use simple/weak passwords
• use the same password for everything
• share your passwords
• Staff may be liable for damages to employee-used equipment caused by accidents (liquid spills, dropping devices, etc.)
• Backup your data. See a knowledgeable colleague or tech for assistance if needed. OCSU is not liable for loss of data or communications

Legal References

15 U.S.C. §6501 (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) 17 U.S.C. §§ 101 -120 (Federal Copyright Act of 1976 as amended)

18 U.S.C. §2510 (Electronic Communications Privacy Act) 18 U.S.C. §2251 (Federal Child Pornography Law)

20 U.S.C. § 1232g (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974)

47 U.S.C. §230 (Computer Decency Act)

13 V.S.A. §§2802 et seq. (Obscenity, minors)