Human Resources: Staff Access to the Division Computer System (667)

The increasing use of electronic resources is changing the way that employees share ideas, transmit information, and communicate with others. As staff members are connected to the global community, their use of new tools and systems brings new responsibilities as well as opportunities.

The School Board expects that all employees use communication technologies and apply them daily in appropriate ways to the performance of tasks associated with their positions and assignments. Toward that end, the School Board directs the Superintendent to provide staff with training in the proper and effective use of these resources.

Communication over networks should not be considered private. Network supervision and maintenance may require review and inspection of directories or messages. Messages may sometimes be diverted accidentally to a destination other than the one intended. Privacy in these communications is not guaranteed. The district reserves the right to access stored records in cases where there is reasonable cause to suspect wrong-doing or misuse of the system. Courts have ruled that old messages may be subpoenaed, and network supervisors may examine communications in order to ascertain compliance with network guidelines for acceptable use.

Harrisonburg City Public School's electronic mail system is owned and controlled by the School Division. The electronic mail of staff may be monitored and accessed by the School Division. Unauthorized access to an electronic mail account by any employee is prohibited. Users shall be held personally liable for the content of any electronic message they create. Downloading any file attached to an electronic message is prohibited unless the user is certain of that message's authenticity and the nature of the file.

The School Board directs the Superintendent to specify those behaviors which are permitted and those which are not permitted, as well as appropriate procedures to guide employee use. In general, employees are expected to communicate in a professional manner consistent with state laws governing the behavior of school employees and with federal laws governing copyrights. Electronic resources are not to be utilized to share confidential information about students or other employees, except as noted in the accompanying regulation.

The School Board encourages staff to make use of electronic resources to explore educational topics, conduct research, and communicate with others in the educational world. The board anticipates that the use of these resources will expedite the sharing of effective practices and lessons across the district and help staff stay on the leading edge of practice by forming partnerships with others across the nation and around the world.

• 18 U.S.C. Sections 1460, 2256.
• 47 U.S.C. Section 254.
• Code of Virginia, 1950, as amended, Sections 18.2-372, 18.2-374.1:1, 18.2-390, 22.1-70.2 and 22.1-78.

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