Student Internet and Email Policy

(Last Reviewed Aug 2010 / To be Reviewed Aug 2011)

Purpose

The British School of Osteopathy is part of a society that has passed a number of laws that govern the use of the internet and of email. This policy aims to alert students to the fact that the use of the internet and of email at the School is not the same as at home and to ensure that the BSO abides by the law at all times.

Policy Statement

It is the policy of the BSO to allow all students to have an external email address and to give access to the Internet/web to all students via School computers.

Internet access is provided as a means of accessing academic and School-related information and bridging communications between staff and fellow students.

Students are prohibited from: accessing sites that contain offensive, obscene or indecent material; using School facilities to participate in any profit making activities whether these be osteopathy-related or not; or using School facilities for political activities. Offensive material includes that which may be construed as offensive to others based on an individual’s race, ethnic origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, colour, marital status, age or disability.

Monitoring

All electronic mail, files and other data stored, used or transmitted by the BSO equipment are the property of the BSO. The School reserves the right to monitor, intercept, access, copy, disclose or record such data without prior notice or permission, in order to ensure compliance with this policy. Monitoring may be periodic, random or continuous.

Access to the Internet/Web

Access to the Internet is provided as a School educational resource and should be considered as such. Browsing the Internet can be time-consuming and can prevent other students gaining access to a computer. Students are expected to ensure that the time involved in accessing information is well spent and productive.

The School will from time to time review whether to continue to allow students to make use of School computers to access social networking sites. Should it become apparent, at any time, that access to certain non-academic web sites is detrimentally affecting the availability of computers for other students to undertake legitimate educational activities then the School may take action to block certain sites.

Downloading and Copyright

Internet access presents the School with security issues as well as the potential for serious damage to the School’s system as the result of a virus. The downloading of computer programs, music files or non-course-related video files from third party websites is therefore prohibited. Use of BSO equipment to illegally copy CDs or DVDs is prohibited. The publishing, copying for re-sale, or distribution, of School course information to any other person or organisation is prohibited.

Security

Information sent or received over the Internet and using external email is generally not private or secure. Reasonable measures should always be taken when transmitting confidential or sensitive information.

Email

Although email is seen as an informal communication channel, it does have the permanence of written communications and should therefore meet the same standards as other written documents. External email is not private or secure and students should be aware that recipients can redistribute messages without the sender’s knowledge.

Senders should avoid making inaccurate or defamatory statements using email, as it is traceable and accepted as evidence in courts of law. Once an email is sent, it may not be able to be retrieved or deleted.

Sending offensive email internally or externally will not be tolerated by the School and the sender may be subject to disciplinary action. Care must be taken to ensure that email and other files are only sent to the intended recipient. If an email message is wrongly delivered, it should be immediately redirected to the correct person. If the message contains confidential information, use must not be made of the information nor must it be disclosed.

Discussion Forums

In addition to FirstClass (for which, see Conditions of Use ), there are many other discussion forums available on the Internet, from academic institutions, research institutions to recreational sites. If these are used, information that is legally or commercially sensitive to the British School of Osteopathy must not be exchanged.

Any student identified as not complying with any part of this policy, may have their access privileges revoked and/or may be subject to disciplinary action.

[ Revised September 2010 ]