St. Thomas Acceptable Use Policy

The use of the Internet is a privilege, not a right,  and inappropriate use will result in a cancellation of those privileges.  In order for a student to enjoy the privilege of Internet usage, the student and their parents/guardians must sign and return the Internet Usage Agreement form.  The administration and faculty of St. Thomas reserve the right to deny, revoke, or suspend specific user privileges.  All Internet users are expected to abide by the generally accepted rules of computer and network etiquette and student conduct.  The following guidelines are the minimum taught to St. Thomas students:

1.   Be polite.  Do not get abusive in your messages to others.
2.    Use appropriate language.  Do not swear, use vulgarities, or any other appropriate language.
3.    Do not reveal your personal address, phone numbers, or addresses of students or colleagues.
4.   Be aware that e-mail is not guaranteed to be private.  Messages relating to or in support of illegal activities may be reported to the authorities.

Unacceptable use of the Internet:

1.   Using the network for any illegal activity including violations of copyright or other laws;
2.   Using the network in ways that violate school policies and behavior standards;
3.   Using the network for financial or commercial gain;
4.   Degrading, disrupting equipment or system performance;
5.   Invading the privacy of other individuals by accessing and/or vandalizing their computerized data;
6.   Wasting technology resources, including bandwidth, file space, and printers;
7.   Gaining unauthorized access to resources or entities;
8.   Using an account by another user; with or without their permission; and
9.   Posting personal communications without the author's consent.

Vandalism is defined as any malicious attempt to harm or destroy data of another user, Internet, or other networks that are connected.  This includes, but is not limited to, the uploading or creation of computer viruses.  Vandalism will result in cancellation of privileges.