RAVENSCROFT  SCHOOL    POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  

DIGITAL  PRIVILIGES  &  RESPONSIBILITIES  MANUAL  INDEX  BY  SECTION  

 

SECTION         POLICY/PROCEDURE  

  3.01         DIGITAL  PRIVILIGES  &  RESPONSIBILITIES  MANUAL    ISSUANCE/UPDATES  

  3.02         DIGITAL  PRIVILIGIES  &  RESPONSIBILITIES    OVERVIEW  

  3.03         EMPLOYEE  RESPONSIBILITIES  

  3.04         AVAILABILITY  OF  SCHOOL  SYSTEMS  

  3.05         RESTRICTION  OF  SCHOOL  SYSTEMS  

  3.06         CONFIDENTIALITY  OF  SCHOOL  SYSTEMS  

  3.07         PERSONAL  &  COMMERICAL  USE  OF  SCHOOL  SYSTEMS  

  3.08         COMMUNICATIONS  

3.09         SOCIAL  NETWORKING  

3.10         PERSONAL  BLOGS  

   

RAVENSCROFT SCHOOL �– POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

SUBJECT: ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

EFFECTIVE DATE: 08/16/10 SECTION: 3.08

REVISION DATE: PAGE NO: 1 OF 1

A. POLICY

Faculty and staff are encouraged to foster an ideal educational environment by creating strongpartnerships and dynamic relationships between the School and the families it serves. Appropriatecommunication between the School and home is a critical component of the learning process as iscommunication amongst colleagues towards enhancing collegiality. As such, all communications withinthe community should always reflect the School�’s core values.

B. PROCEDURE

Electronic Communications are governed by the following:

i. School related communications conducted electronically should be done so using school issuedresources only unless otherwise approved by the Assistant Head of Academic Affairs. Personalcommunication devices, unless used to access school owned resources, should not be used toconduct school related business.

ii. Employees have a responsibility to use school owned resources in an efficient, effective, ethical,and lawful manner. Electronic communications should follow the same standards expected inwritten business communications.

iii. Address message to recipients who �“need to know�”. Electronic communication sentunnecessarily lowers system and user performance.

iv. Construct electronic communication professionally (spelling, grammar) and efficiently (subjectfield, attachments). All electronic communication should be proof read before sending.

v. Electronic communications can be easily forwarded to recipients who do not have a �“need toknow�”. Confidential matters may need to be handled through other communication devices,such as the telephone.

vi. Senders of libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist, obscene, or otherwise offensivecommunications may be held accountable, up to and including termination of employmentand/or civil penalties. This includes forwarding electronic communications generated by anothersender.

vii. The creation, storage, or exchange of information in violation of copyright laws is prohibited.

viii. Employees should retain email messages only if relevant to School business and for not morethan a one year period unless related to an anticipated litigation.

RAVENSCROFT  SCHOOL    POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  

 SUBJECT:     SOCIAL  NETWORKING  

EFFECTIVE  DATE:   08/16/10                   SECTION:   3.09  

REVISION  DATE:                           PAGE  NO:     1  OF  2  

A. POLICY  

Social  Networking,  defined  as  a  means  of  communicating  and  sharing  information  between  two  or  more  individuals  of  an  online  community,  can  make  it  difficult  to  discern  the  professional  lives.  In  order  to  protect  our  students,  employees,  and  the  institution,  while  making  

it  should  be  understood  by  employees  that  these  relationships  and  communications  are  always  to  be  conducted  within  the  scope  of  acceptable  behavior  as  outlined  in  the  Policies  and  Procedures  Manual,  Employee  Handbook,  or  Faculty  Handbook.  

B. PROCEDURE  

As  representatives  of  the  School,  employee  use  of  Social  Networking  constituents  is  governed  by  the  following:    

i. Employees  may  not  utilize  social  networking  sites  to  conduct  School  business,  conduct  School-­‐related  communications  with  students  or  parents  or  conduct  School-­‐related  communications  with  other  faculty  and  staff  members.  All  online  class,  club,  or  team  management  should  be  conducted  via    approved  web-­‐based  communication  tools  unless  otherwise  approved  by  the  Office  of  the  Assistant  Head  of  School  for  Academic  Affairs  or  its  designee.  

 ii. Employees  must  refrain  from  initiating  or  accepting   quests  from  current  students.  

 iii. Employees  may  establish   with  graduates  who  are  at  least  one  year  

removed  from  the  School  and  former  students  who  are  age  18  or  older.  Keep  in  mind  that  the  uneven  power  dynamics  in  a  school  environment    in  which  adults  have  implied  authority  over  students    continues  to  shape  those  relationships  after  the  end  of  the  school  day,  year,  and  even  after  graduation  or  separation  from  the  School.  Employees  must  act  in  a  manner  that  always  respects  and  never  exploits  the  power  inherent  in  these  relationships.  

 iv. Employees  should  consider  carefully  the  dynamics  of  establishing  

current,  former  or  prospective  parents,  and  the  line  between  personal  and  professional,  in  doing  so.  Keep  in  mind  this  is  not  an  acceptable  communications  tool  for  conducting  or  discussing  School  business.  

 v. Employees   this  is  

not  an  acceptable  communications  tool  for  conducting  School  business.      vi. Employees  should  use  extreme  care  when  posting  information  online  that  identifies  

themselves  as  employees  of  the  School;  being  mindful  of  the  lack  of  control  one  has  over  online  information  while  striving  to  ensure  that  no  posted  information  reflects  adversely  on  the  School  and  the  members  of  our  School  community.    

   

RAVENSCROFT  SCHOOL    POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  

SOCIAL  NETWORKING  SECTION:  3.09  PAGE:  2  OF  2  

vii. Employees  may  not  post  or  share   ,  including,  but  not  limited  to  logos,  photos,  operating,  master  or  strategic  plans  or  documents,  without  prior  approval  by  the  appropriate  administrator.    

 viii. Absolutely  no  personal  information  regarding  another  member  of  the  School  community  may  

be  posted  by  an  employee  without  prior  permission;  parents  must  grant  permission  for  any  any  site  outside  of  the  School  

owned  domain  ravenscroft.org  or  on  commercial  sites  for  which  the  School  pays  a  maintenance  fee.  

 ix. When  necessary,  remind  members  in  your  network  of  your  position  as  an  educator  whose  

profile  may  be  accessed  by  members  of  the  School  community,  either  directly  or  indirectly,  and  to  monitor  their  posts  to  your  network  accordingly.  Conversely,  be  judicious  in  your  postings  to  all  social  networks,  and  act  immediately  to  remove  any  material  that  may  be  inappropriate  from  your  site,  whether  posted  by  you  or  someone  else.  

 

   

RAVENSCROFT  SCHOOL    POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  

SUBJECT:     PERSONAL  BLOGS  

EFFECTIVE  DATE:   08/16/10                   SECTION:   3.10  

REVISION  DATE:                           PAGE  NO:     1  OF  2  

A. POLICY  

education,  which  contain  frequent,  chronological  publications  of  personal  thoughts  and  links,   society.  As  such,  employees  who  maintain  personal  blogs  may  blog  about  the  School  and  their  work.  However,  employees  are  required  to  follow  the  following  procedures  when  posting  information  about  the  School  on  personal  blogs  or  on  the  blogs  of  others.    B. PROCEDURE  

Employees  may  blog  during  work  hours  if  academic  in  nature.  Expectations  related  to  blogging,  as  well  as  other  forms  of  electronic  communication,  are  governed  by  the  following:    

i. Employees  may  not  utilize  personal  blog  sites  to  conduct  School  business,  conduct  School-­‐related  communications  with  students  or  parents  or  conduct  School-­‐related  communications  with  other  faculty  and  staff  members.  All  official  online  class,  club,  or  team  management  should  be  conducted  via    approved  web-­‐based  communication  tools  unless  otherwise  approved  by  the  Office  of  the  Assistant  Head  of  School  for  Academic  Affairs  or  its  designee.    

ii. Ravenscroft  reserves  the  right  to  prohibit  blogging  if  employees  abuse  the  privilege.    Blogs  stored  on  School-­‐owned  servers  or  services  paid  with  School  funds  are  subject  to  periodic  review  by  the  School,  and  should  not  be  considered  as  private,  personal  information.    

iii. Any  public  communications  concerning  the  School  guidelines  as  stipulated  in  its  Policies  and  Procedures  Manual,  Faculty  Handbook,  or  Employee  Handbook.    

iv. Communication  of  any  material  that  violates  the  privacy  rights  of  others  is  strictly  prohibited.    

confidential  or  financial  information  about  the  School.    Consult  other  policies  for  guidance  about  what  constitutes  confidential/proprietary  information.    

v. Employees  should  use  their  real  names,  rather  than  writing  anonymously  or  under  an  assumed  name,  and  explain  their  role  at  the  School.    This  will  add  credibility  with  readers  and  promote  accountability  within  the  School.    

vi. The  following  disclaimer  must  be  published  on  all  publicly  accessible  communications  when  writing  about  the  School  and/or  identifying  oneself  as  a  School  employee:    

a. The  views  and  opinions  presented  here  are  the  personal  opinions  of  ( ).    Content  published  here  is  not  reviewed  or  approved  by  Ravenscroft  School  before  it  is  posted  and  does  not  necessarily  represent  the  views  and  opinions  of  the  School.  

RAVENSCROFT  SCHOOL    POLICIES  AND  PROCEDURES  

PERSONAL  BLOGS  SECTION:  3.10  PAGE:  2  OF  2  

 vii. Material  that  is  obscene,  defamatory,  profane,  libelous,  threatening,  harassing,  abusive,  hateful  

or  embarrassing  to  another  person  or  organization  is  prohibited.    

viii. Employees  may  not  disparage  the  School,  its  executives,  directors,  co-­‐workers,  parents,  

have  a  right  to  disagree  with  Ravenscroft,  its  executives,  and  the  school  community  but  the  tone  should  remain  respectful  and  professional.    

ix. Use  of      

x. Personal  blogging  should  be  done  on  personal  computers  on  personal  time  so  as  not  to  interfere  with  work  performance.