The following technology usage policies elaborate guidelines and responsibilities for technology and Internet access for the students of Darlington School. Access to the campus computer network and the Internet from Darlington School verifies agreement to accept and follow these policies.
Darlington’s administration and faculty fully endorse the use of technology and the Internet as an educational tool. Access to information, research sources, people, and computers throughout the world is available to Darlington students. The school has procedures in place to restrict access to questionable material and limit inappropriate use, such as sites that deliver racist, gambling, pornographic, or tasteless material.
Control of all online activities is impossible; therefore, all users who access the Internet through Darlington are required to adhere to strict ethical and legal guidelines. Students are expected to apply Darlington’s Honor Code to acceptable technology use guidelines, and are to remember that computer resources and information are property; that email is a form of speech; and that conduct in using the computer resources provided by the school should live up to the Darlington ideal.
If Darlington users violate any of these provisions, their actions will be reviewed by the Division Directors, Discipline Committee or Honor Council, resulting in appropriate disciplinary action. Penalties may include suspension or dismissal.
Acceptable Use
Students must understand that the use of the school’s computer network and the Internet is a privilege and that inappropriate use will result in cancelation of that privilege. Darlington’s computer network is not an infinite resource. Use of the network should be reasonable and should be related to educational purposes or personal development. No commercial use of the network resources is permitted, and, obviously, no use of the network for illegal purposes is permitted.
Please note that the I.T. Office and Division Director will determine what is inappropriate use and that their decisions are final. The I.T. Office may close the access of any user at any time or restrict access to certain types of resources to ensure the best use of the network for the entire community. The expectation of the faculty and administration is that students at Darlington will adhere to the above policies at all times.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Policy
Students at Darlington School are encouraged to use AI tools to enhance their learning experiences, provided they do so ethically and responsibly. All AI-generated work must be properly cited, and AI should be used as a supplementary tool with explicit permission from teachers. Students must consult individual syllabi for specific guidelines regarding AI use in different subjects. The use of AI should always align with the school’s commitment to academic integrity and privacy. Please review the full Artificial Intelligence Policy for full details.
Please read the following policies and security statements carefully.
Before using Darlington’s computer network and before accessing the Internet through the school, students must agree to the Darlington Technology Acceptable Use Policy, promising to abide by the following rules and regulations:
1. Access to computers and the Internet from Darlington School must be in support of education and research. Students will refrain from accessing any news groups, links, list servs, or other areas of cyberspace that would be offensive to any students, teachers, or parents because of pornographic content; racial, ethnic, or minority disparagement; advocating of violence; or illicit/illegal content.
2. Darlington supplies each student with an email address for his or her educational and personal use. Students are expected to use this e-mail address regularly as it is used by their teachers and others members of the school community. The use of e-mail is in and of itself an educational tool and therefore must be used in accordance to the other rules listed here.
3. Darlington supplies each student and faculty member access to the network for Internet. Connections to the Internet should only be made through the Darlington network. Use of other Internet service providers on campus is not permitted.
4. No software may be installed on a Darlington computer without the explicit permission of the Information Technology Office. This restriction includes programs that conflict with the Darlington network.
5. Darlington students that are a part of the 1-to-1 program should follow the rules set forth by that program. Violation of those rules will result in disciplinary action by an administrator. (See Rules of the Road)
6. Darlington students who bring in their own outside technology (laptops, netbooks, cell phones, iPads, tablets, desktops, digital/video cameras, MP3 players, game devices, eBook readers and/or anything considered technology) are required to follow the rules of outside technology use set forth by the I.T. Office. Violation of these rules will result in disciplinary action by an administrator. During the school day, cell phones and personal audio devices (CD players, iPods, MP3 Players, iPhones, other cellular devices, or etc.) may only be used with the permission of and under the direct supervision of teachers. Use should include approved classroom activities for academic purposes only.
*Cell phone use is prohibited in academic buildings and the Chapel unless permission is granted by a faculty member. Both faculty and students are encouraged to refrain from cell phone use in the dining hall.
7. Darlington has placed certain security restrictions on computers to protect our computer and network resources. Attempting to subvert or avoid the security restrictions is considered an attempt to damage school property.
Students are responsible for monitoring and appropriately rejecting materials, links, dialogue, and information accessed or received by them, such as spyware, malware, and viruses.
8. Students must accept responsibility for keeping copyrighted materials from entering the school via the Internet, storage devices, or any other method. Students must not download software, games, music, graphics, videos, text or other materials that are copyrighted.
9. Plagiarism is unacceptable. Students accept responsibility for using downloaded text in an appropriate manner. Violation of copyright laws will not be tolerated. Students will not post, distribute, or use without permission material that was created by someone else. These activities constitute plagiarism, and students are reminded that plagiarism is a violation of the Honor Code.
10. Students will be courteous and use appropriate language while using Darlington’s computer network or Internet access. Students will refrain from swearing or using any forms of obscene, harassing, or abusive language. Students who are a victim of such harassment will report the abuse immediately to the I.T. Office, Division Directors, a teacher or a counselor.
11. Students will not reveal personal information including addresses, telephone numbers, debit or credit card numbers, or that of others.
12. Students will not lend their account or password to others, nor will they use another person’s account or password.
13. Students will not use technology for inappropriate pictures, movies or for capturing somebody without their knowledge.
14. Students shall never access or send email from another student or faculty’s email account.
15. Students shall never impersonate someone else online.
16. Students will not post online blogs, photos, videos or any material about another person, student or faculty member without their permission
17. Cyberbullying will not be tolerated in any way by Darlington School. Students involved in such actions should expect to meet with the Student Life Office.
Computer Security
Electronic mail is not guaranteed to be private. I.T. Office members have access to all mail. Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to appropriate authorities.
Students who suspect a security problem related to Darlington’s computer accounts or on the Internet are expected to notify the I.T. Office. Students should not demonstrate the problem to others.
Any user legitimately identified as a security risk or with a history of problems with other computer systems may be denied access to the Internet through Darlington. Any user attempting to maliciously harm or damage data of another user or an area of the Internet will be denied access to the campus network and Internet through Darlington. This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading of computer viruses.
