Last updated: November 2014

Under review: January 2024

I. Policy

A. The school embraces the use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a means to enhance student learning and to facilitate the effective and efficient administration of school activities, businesses and practices. The school considers an ICT network to be a valuable tool for education and encourages the use of computers and computer-related technology in the classrooms.

B. To the extent possible and with the approval of appropriate governing bodies, the school will build and maintain a modern ICT infrastructure consistent with school objectives. To this end, guidelines will be established and continually reviewed to provide a basis for acceptable and prudent use of the school’s ICT resources by its employees and student body population. These guidelines will also outline employee and student responsibilities and limitations in order to protect school resources and ensure continued availability to the intended users.

C. All school ICT resources are the property of the school and the use of said resources is restricted to school employees and its student body. Users are responsible for protecting school ICT assets.

D. Use of school ICT resources is solely for the furtherance of school goals and objectives. The school’s Employee and Student Code of Conduct, handbooks, and applicable laws, including those of copyright, apply to any activity and behavior as it relates to use of school ICT resources. Unacceptable and inappropriate use includes, but is not limited to, using ICT resources: to communicate defamatory, derogatory, forged or harassing messages to others, to infringe on intellectual property rights, to violate data privacy, to transmit chain letters or information which contributes to a hostile or unproductive workplace, for any illegal purpose, or to create, store, view, or transmit offensive material.

E. Individual divisions of the school (i.e., Upper School, Elementary School, Primary School and FISW) will develop procedural and practical guidelines for use of school ICT by students and faculty members commensurate with their respective needs and to conform with published policies.

F. Applicable privacy laws and especially the Federal Data Protection Act (BDSG) apply to the creation, storage, or transmission of personal or otherwise confidential information by users of school ICT resources. FIS will take all reasonable precautions in safeguarding information resources and will comply with the BDSG and GDPR regulations. FIS reserves the right to audit its system and to access information resources in order to ensure compliance with school policy. FIS will audit only after approval by the Head of School and in strict compliance with applicable laws governing privacy and the BDSG. 

G. Users gaining legitimate or inadvertent access to personal or otherwise confidential information are under the same obligation to protect and safeguard the information in accordance with applicable laws governing privacy and the BDSG. 

H. The administration is responsible for controlling access to ICT resources as well as providing procedures to back up and secure network storage and central information resources. Safe-guarding and backing up data not stored on network storage is the responsibility of the user.

I. Appropriate procedures will be followed to protect the integrity of school ICT resources and data stored thereon. Passwords must be protected and will not be shared with any other individual. Users who knowingly violate the password policy will be subject to disciplinary action.

J. Only school-approved, licensed software may be installed and used on the school network. Users who knowingly destroy ICT resources or introduce malicious hardware and software (e. g. viruses) will be subject to disciplinary action and/or legal prosecution under applicable laws. Users will report any evidence of malicious hardware and software, system abuse, or improper data display or access to the administration.

K. It is illegal for users to copy or use school licensed resources not in accordance with the licensing agreement.

L. Users are prohibited from tampering with system-protection mechanisms, attempting to access restricted data, or otherwise using school ICT resources in excess of authorized access. Violators are subject to disciplinary action and/or legal prosecution under applicable laws.

M. Users will exercise responsible behavior when using school ICT and on-line resources and follow rules of courtesy and etiquette.

II. Definitions

A. Information resources refers to any data (i.e., documents, graphics, spreadsheets, etc.) which are created, stored or transmitted via the school's ICT network. This includes, but is not limited to, external storage devices and storage media.

B. Computer resources refers to all school software and hardware used to manipulate, transmit, store, or otherwise process data. This includes, but is not limited to, programs (word processing, database, etc.), printers, plotters, scanners, communication devices, and all other peripheral devices.

C. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) resources is the collective term for both information, communication and data resources and includes all computer and network resources.

D. On-line ICT resources refers to external services such as the Internet and web-based services which allow users to access information stored (controlled or owned) by others and which also allows users to transmit mail electronically (email) to others connected to the same external services.

E. Resources include the amount of time an individual uses the school ICT network.

F. Network refers to the school’s collective pool of automated information systems and its associated connectivity links that allow digital use of information and computer resources.

G. User refers to any student enrolled in good standing or individual employed by the school who has been authorized access to school ICT resources.