Acceptable Use Policy

by
Michael D. King
For more information on technology planning visit: Tech N Tuit

With the current push for computer technology in the classroom, many schools are facing a greater
liability regarding technology and online learning. Schools can help defuse these problems by adopting
an Acceptable Use Policy, or AUP, for the Internet. The Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is one of the most
important documents a school will produce, as it will outline rules regarding Internet use on school
property. Creating a workable AUP requires thoughtful research and strategy. The document must
address a number of issues including personal safety, illegal activities, system security, privacy,
plagiarism, copyright infringement and access to inappropriate materials. In addition, it should
unequivocally rule the school’s technology property for educational purposes only. Student’s rights,
such as free speech, access to information and due process, should be outlined in the document, as
should the consequences for violating the Acceptable Use Policy. Below is A Checklist for Planning,
Developing and Evaluating an AUP.

Does the school’s Acceptable Use Policy:

 Protect students from objectionable or questionable material?
 Protect students from contact with questionable persons who may exhibit deviant or
objectionable behavior?
 Protect students from materials that encourage students to participate in destructive behavior?
 Provide consideration for privacy and access rights for students?
 Ensure that the Internet and related school equipment be used for educational uses only?

Procedures for Developing an Acceptable Use Policy

To achieve the maximum level for the school’s cyber security, it will be important to develop faculty and
community involvement. This involvement would include procedures for communicating with school
employees and key community members. Formal involvement will include communication strategies
that allow for the identification and analysis of issues surrounding cyber security implementation,
specifically issues that address policy development, and safety and ethical instruction of students. There
are three important goals the committee will meet: studying the issues of cyber security, analyzing the
effects an AUP will have on individuals using information technology, and making content decisions
regarding the AUP.

When the committee studies cyber security issues, they should set goals in order to address these
issues. Committee members should formulate program goals in terms of expected results, such as what
the school wishes to achieve when implementing the cyber security plan. Schools usually address these
goals in the preamble of the AUP document.

As the second level of their involvement, committee members should analyze the cause and effect that
the acceptable use policy will have on individuals who will be subject to its regulations. Since any
strategic planning requires knowledge of the community’s make-up, the best way to ascertain
information is to survey the present level of practice regarding cyber security. This type of assessment
(See Cyber Security Assessment Survey) is valuable because it informs school officials what type of
regulatory and protective Internet policy members of the community are likely to accept for their
children. Identifying the present level of cyber security practices will help set the boundaries and
acceptance of the AUP’s implementation, as well as help in the development of future planning.
As the third level of their involvement, committee members should help develop and organize the
content that will be included in the school’s AUP. They would be responsible for describing why the
policy is necessary, defining specific examples of what constitutes unacceptable use, and addressing
what consequences will occur when individuals violate cyber security policies. The authors have outlined
four critical components that committee members should include when formulating the content of the
AUP.

The four necessary components of AUP

 a preamble,
 a policy statement,
 an acceptable and unacceptable uses section, and
 a violations/sanctions section.

The Preamble
The first step in developing an AUP is to address the purpose it will serve in guiding the school toward its
mission regarding the limited use of the Internet. The preamble or philosophy statement should
describe why the policy is necessary, communicate the intent of the policy as well as outline the goals
the policy will achieve. This section should describe the school’s overall code of conduct as it applies to
student online activity. (See Example of AUP Preamble)
 Example of AUP Preamble

The AUP Policy Statement

The second component of an Acceptable Use Policy includes a policy statement, which should describe
what limited computer services are covered by the AUP and the situations under which students can use
computer services. (See Sample Policy Statement Below) Most AUP address multiple issues as the policy
statements try to meet all possible scenarios and concerns. One method for constructing acceptable use
statements are to review other school districts AUP’s and analyze them to fit your individual schools
needs.
 Sample AUP Policy Statement

Defining Acceptable Use

The acceptable uses section of this policy should define appropriate student use of the computer
network. The acceptable use section should define how students will use Internet for “educational
purposes.” In the unacceptable uses section, the AUP should give clear, specific examples of what
constitutes unacceptable student use. (See Below Example of Acceptable and Unacceptable Use) The
following represents guidelines committee members should include in the policy in order to describe
what constitutes unacceptable uses:
 “what kind of computer network sites, if any, should be off limits to students;
 what kind of student sending, forwarding, or posting of information, if any, should be
prohibited, and
 what kind of student behavior will be destructive to the computer network services and should,
therefore, be restricted.”

Additionally, the policy will prohibit students from using online term paper vendors or will place
restrictions on certain chat rooms. AUPs place strong restrictions on students sending, forwarding, or
posting sexually explicit messages, profanity, and harassing or violent messages. In fact, district officials
must decide whether students will have any type of access to electronic mail or student webpage’s.
 Example of Acceptable and Unacceptable Internet Use Policy
Violations
Unfortunately, at times there will be cases where students violate the AUP. The violations/sanctions
section of the policy should address what the consequences will be when this occurs. The AUP should
tell students how to report violations of the policy or whom to question about its application. Violations,
as illustrated Below in Sample Violation Policy, should be handled in accordance with the school’s
general student disciplinary code.
 Sample AUP Violation Policy

The Importance Of Parent Permission

To ensure AUP practices, it is highly recommended that there be a provision within the policy of written
agreement. The agreement should be outlined as a written contract between two parties: the individual
and the school. The school should clearly specify the rules for usage and the consequences involving
violations of the agreement. School officials should require individuals wishing to use electronic
communication systems belonging to the school to sign the agreement. Officials should then file the
document for reference in the individual’s cumulative file. In order to be effective, the governing agency
must require the specific monitoring of individuals who use electronic information retrieval systems and
make no exceptions for the lack of an assigned agreement. It is highly recommend that school officials
distribute all forms of the agreement at the start of each school year and that parents are made aware
of the permission forms.

The permission form agreement should address electronic mail restrictions, as well as ethical conduct
required of individuals using electronic communication resources. The Parent Permission Letter &
Internet Permission Form, provided below is an example of a parent permission form that could be used
to grant students electronic communication access privileges.
 Parent Permission Letter & Internet Permission Form

Additional Resources
 Becta Schools E-Safety and Acceptable Use Policy