Implemented Fall 2013
Brehm Preparatory School, Inc. (Brehm) has made a large investment, and continues to make a significant investment to maintain the computer services we provide to our students, faculty, and staff. As users, we are all responsible for the care and maintenance of our computer hardware and software. The use of the school’s computers and Internet is a privilege and not a right. For this reason we expect all users; i.e. faculty and staff, to adhere to certain norms that will help preserve our computers in good condition and ensure wise use of our Internet resources so they will be available for the use of the whole community. For legal, ethical, and practical reasons Brehm respects copyright laws. This means that the installation, storing, use, copying, downloading, or playing of software, graphics, music, and/or video files which a license has not been obtained for is prohibited whether for school or for personal use.
Copyrighted Material
It is school policy that the use of copyrighted material from the Internet or other sources must be duly credited. Brehm faculty must be an example to our students in the appropriate use of resources when integrating web content into visual presentations or written materials. specific policies that apply to faculty and staff at Brehm.
Network and Internet Resources
Security
Passwords are an important aspect of computer security. A poorly chosen password may result in unauthorized access and/or exploitation of Brehm’s resources. All users, are responsible for taking the appropriate steps, to select and secure their passwords.
Network, Computer, & Email Password Requirements:
- Minimum of 8 Characters
- Must Include at least one CAPITAL letter
- Must Include at least one symbol
- Must Include at least one number
- Should not include your name
Phone Voicemail Password Requirements:
- Minimum of 4 numbers
- No letters or symbols
- does not include your voicemail extension
Under no circumstance should you ever share your password with anyone. Any action taken by a person with another user’s credentials is the responsibility of the person who distributed their password. If you feel that your password has been compromised contact the Technology Department immediately and we will take the necessary steps to secure your accounts with the school.
School network resources are for school-related uses. Users may not store photos, music, or video files in their Documents or the network drive unless they are school-related and obtained legally. Please keep your files organized and eliminate unnecessary data on a regular basis.( Brehm HR Staff & Computer Use Policy)
The Technology Department will backup work related data that is stored in predetermined locations, specified below:
- Documents Folder
- Network Shares
Do not store critical data on the local drive (like on your desktops) as tech support cannot guarantee the recovery of any data stored on a computer’s local hard drive. Personal data should not be stored in these locations and is the sole responsibility of the staff or faculty member to provide reliable backups. The
Technology Department recommends that personal data is stored on some type of external media. That device should stay separate from the physical computer. Another option is to store personal data on a cloud storage system. Any staff wishing to set this up should contact the Technology Department for further information.
Use of the network for commercial, political, or profit-making purposes is not permitted.
Faculty and staff will not listen to streamed music from the Internet (e.g. Internet radio stations) or store music files on the network. Faculty and Staff may listen to music and other audio files on their computers as long as it comes from legal sources such as their own CDs. Users should not turn on the sharing feature of programs such as iTunes as this places an excessive burden on network resources.
Email and In-school Messages
All Brehm faculty and staff have a Brehm email address. This account can be accessed outside the school by Webmail (mail.brehm.org). Avoid sending messages with large attachments (in excess of 10MB). Mailing to “all users” or any distribution list should only be for school-related business that affects all users receiving the e-mail. “Replying to all” on an email should only be done if the information is relevant to all users addressed and it is school/work related business.
Personal Email Services, Chat and other Web Communication system.
Use of personal web communication services such as email, chat systems, instant messaging or video communication; via installed applications or web browsers, is prohibited. These communication venues represent a security risk to our school networks and our students. All staff are issued email accounts that should be used for communication. Access to personal email services may be possible on the school network but this does not constitute authorization for use. Staff needing to utilize these communication forms should reserve time in one of our conference rooms that are configured for this technology.
Email and Network Access for Staff on Sabbatical
Brehm Staff and Faculty who take a sabbatical will retain their email access and accounts. Faculty and staff on sabbatical will be removed from email distribution groups for the duration of their sabbatical to reduce unnecessary messages filling their inbox.
iTunes Store (Including iTunesU) and other Online Shopping sites
The Technology Department will work with the Educational and Residential Staff to support desired policies regarding access to online stores and similar content. This access is based on the understanding that use by the students and staff should not negatively affect the online experience of other users. Excessive downloading by individuals or groups may result in temporary or permanent blocks to these resources.
Access to these systems is also dependant on software and application updates, specifically the iTunes store. The Technology Department will work to keep programs updated in a timely manner in accordance to our stated software update guidelines listed in this document.
Staff Personal and Mobile Devices
Personal devices are not allowed on the school network at this time; however, their use at the school is not prohibited. Teachers and staff are welcome to use personal computing and mobile devices with the understanding that we (the Technology Department) can only provide limited support should those devices malfunction or break.
Security
The use of a staff member’s personal computer or mobile device is at the discretion of the staff member; however, students should not be given access to staff devices that have Brehm email configured. Doing so could be a breach of the school’s confidentiality agreement.
Under no circumstance should you ever share your password with anyone. Any action taken by a person with another user’s credentials is the responsibility of the person who distributed their password. If you feel that your password has been compromised contact the Technology Department immediately and we will take the necessary steps to secure your accounts with the school.
Do not keep or store your password in a place that is in plain sight or not secured by a locked cabinet.
Lost or Theft
If you lost your device or feel that it has been compromised contact the Technology Department immediately and we will take steps to secure your school accounts from unauthorized access.
Support
The Technology staff will try to provide limited support for personal devices and that support will only be provided during periods of low workloads. The school’s hardware and infrastructure is our primary concern.
We will assist staff with basic configuration tasks such as email. Any mobile or personal device that has access to email must be password protected. The Department staff will not help to configure any device that does not have a numeric password protecting the user interface.
We have tested and confirmed that our school email can be accessed from the most recent releases of iOS, Android and Blackberry. If there are any technical problems that are preventing you from accessing email or other service from your device we encourage you to contact your service provider first.
Mobile Devices On Campus Network
There are several Departments that are utilizing mobile devices. Any mobile device on the school network must be owned and managed by the Technology Department. Any software installed to the device must comply with the stated software licensing guidelines described in this document.
Social Networking
The school’s social networking policy is still being developed. At this time we do not allow access to social networking sites on the school network. If you have further questions about social networking use please talk with your Department Supervisor.
Software and Licensing
Brehm has an ethical commitment to purchase the licenses for all the products we make available to the Brehm community. The use of any pirated material is not permitted. Users may not install any additional software on their computers without authorization, including free and/or shareware programs. If you need additional applications on your computer, please make a request to the Technology Department.
All departments will get approval from the Technology Department prior to purchasing software or multimedia equipment to assure that it is compatible with Brehm’s hardware, software, and network structure.
Faculty and staff are not permitted to use Limewire or similar peer-to-peer file sharing software to download music and/or videos whether for school or personal use.
Software Licensing Purchases and Deployment
Brehm, Inc. must own and maintain a valid license for any software installed on a school owned computer or mobile computing device. Users of Brehm, Inc. owned devices may not install any software, licensed or otherwise, without permission from the Director of Technology or their designee.
Acceptable Licensing Types
Volume Licensing –
A single software key that can be used multiple times based on the quantity ordered.
- Ok to install on all school computers or computers designated for the license agreement
Concurrent Licensing –
A set of keys or installations that can be used at the same time but installed on a larger number of systems.
- Ok as long as system connects to licensing server
Lab packs –
Modified version of volume licensing that allows the software to be used in a classroom setting.
- Ok to install on all school computers or computers designated for the license agreement
Stand Alone licensing –
Individual installation on a single workstation.
- Departments required to get licensing – must be compliant with enterprise environments
Software Considerations
- Software must be compatible OS X 10.9 or higher.
- These policies extend to material purchased with textbooks or other media.
Software Deployment
Software deployment can be a complex process. New or updated programs must be tested to ensure compatibility with our existing systems. The Technology staff with work with staff to implement new software in a timely manner. Mid-Year software deployment is limited by network speed restrictions and the state of our user environment. Employees wishing to use new software should work with the Technology Department to deploy the software during a scheduled update period. New software should only be used to fill a gap in the curriculum, care should be taken to ensure that a program does not provide duplicate services. Overlapping software features leads to dis-aggregated information, in-compatibility and confusion.
Software Update Schedule
System security and critical updates will be sent out as they become available. Non-critical program updates will be installed in regular intervals once each semester. Updates to non-critical programs that address program instabilities will be deployed when necessary to maintain a high-quality user experience. Employees wishing to use new software should work with the Technology Department to deploy the software during a scheduled update period.
Brehm Preparatory School is not responsible for addressing program instabilities that are the result of flaws in system programming. Such flaws are outside the control of the Technology Staff and need to be addressed with the software manufacturer directly. The Technology Department will provide notice for programs that have reached an end-of-life condition. Software is determined to be end-of-life when it is not compatible with the school’s current operating system environment.
Software Purchase Recommendations for Staff
There are a number of things that the Technology Department considers when researching new products, software applications or services to bring to Brehm.
The underlying question that needs to be answered is:
Is the software, product or service compatible with Apple computers?
This might not be limited to traditional computers or laptops; some departments at Brehm operate on mobile devices like iPads.
Importance of Updates
Nearly every month, major operating system producers like Apple and Microsoft, release updates. These updates address security issues in their software as well as bug fixes that address the stability of the system. Firewall systems need to be modified to allow computers to access these update options. On occasion, updates will create new bugs and errors in software programs. For that reason, all updates to software applications or services will also undergo a period of testing, similar to new programs. In the past this testing period was limited to the summer break. We are working to add update windows throughout the year to accommodate new requests. Having set launch windows allows the department staff to test and deploy new systems without negatively impacting the campus at large.
Current Operating System at Brehm
Our current Operating System (OS) environment is Apple OS X 10.9 (March 2014); also called Mavericks. Mavericks is a major rewrite in code for Apple. As a result many applications that were not updated in the last few years are no longer compatible. Any application, product or service that is purchased by Brehm should have full Mavericks compatibility. This will ensure that your purchases will continue to work even as the department moves forward with laptop as upgrades in the coming years.
Licensing for Software and Services (Details listed in Software Licensing Purchases and Deployment)
This is one of the hardest things to address when researching and pricing new systems to use at Brehm. When you purchase a piece of software online it is almost always for one computer and one user. Using it on multiple computers is a violation of license agreements.
The exception to this is volume licensing. Volume licensing (also called site, network, classroom, concurrent, etc.), allows for the software package to be installed in a central location (Kurzweil 3000) and used by multiple people. This is not available for all software applications and programs. If a program does not allow for distribution of the software to multiple computers or it does not have some kind of volume licensing available, we must purchase a copy for every student to legally use the program at Brehm.
- Example: Adobe Creative Suite Design Premium Edition for Education
- Single License Cost = $449.00
- Students Supported = 96 Students
- Licensing cost without volume/concurrent access agreement = $43,104
Online Services
Software developers and publishing companies are turning to the web to provide expanded services and resources on the Internet. This content often streams from the Internet in a variety of formats.
Site Compatibility
Hypertext Markup Language or HTML is a standardized system for displaying information on the World Wide Web. Sites written in strict HTML will function on all major web browsers (Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Internet Explorer) with minimal difficulty. HTML5 is the latest update to this standard and it includes video and animation support.Older sites (and some new ones as well) may use a proprietary technology called Flash to host videos, games, and animation on their sites. Flash requires regular updates to work with these sites, these site address security flaws in the software. Non-updated Flash represents a significant security risk to computers, even Apple computers. Another disadvantage of Flash is that it cannot be viewed on mobile devices from Apple and Flash is very heavy on memory usage, meaning it will slow your computer down when access a Flash site. The biggest downside to Flash is that it uses a significant amount of campus bandwidth to display sites. We have a finite amount of bandwidth to access the Internet with and when Flash sites absorb it, it impacts everyone.
For these reasons we are discouraging any future purchases that rely on Flash to operate.
Firewall Access
One ofthe most difficult (in terms of time) things to overcome when wanting to leverage online resources in class is firewall access. Every thing that loads on a web page needs to be authorized by our firewall. This is a legal and ethical requirement; there is simply too much inappropriate content online to allow unfiltered access.Enabling firewall access requires one-on-one work with the faculty or staff to determine what is being blocked and to create rules on the firewall to allow the traffic on the network. These rules can be extensive depending on the complexity of the site. Google email uses over 30 servers to host their services; those servers can only be found when our firewall blocks a user.
We will do whatever we can to work with the faculty and staff to allow network access for their classroom resources.
Accounts and Login
This final section focuses more on conventions, when working with new online resources, than with guidelines for system consideration. Our goal in the Technology Department is to make resources easy to interact with so that they are a benefit to education at Brehm and not a hindrance. To that end we try to reduce the number of accounts that each person, staff or student, needs to remember to use technology at the campus. In the summer of 2011, the department worked to create a single sign-on environment in which, Veracross, email and computer access was controlled with the same username and password for all users.We encourage, whenever possible, that this logon information is used for online resources as well. When researching a new product that requires logon information, inquire if we (Brehm) can submit a list of names and passwords instead of using automatically generated ones.
The last thing that needs to be addressed is registering for the software or online tools. The school has a dedicated account that we use for setting up new online programs and registering for software. This ensures that access to the programs and services will not be interrupted, should someone retire or leave Brehm.
Once a program has been approved the Technology Department will provide this information so that the setup and testing of the application, program or service can move forward.
Your questions to Ask!
- If I purchase your software, program or service how many people will be able to use the software at once and can we install it on all of our computers?
- Is it a one time cost or is there an annual/recurring fee to continue using the program and receiving updates?
- Is the software compatible with Apple OS X 10.9 (Mavericks)
- What are the System requirements
- Memory Requirements
- Processor speeds / brands
- Storage space required for the install and operation of the program
- Does it work with Network-based accounts
- Are there online resources that we can use after we buy the program?
- Do the online resources require Flash or Internet Explorer to Run?
- Are logins required to use the online resources
- If yes, can we provide our own usernames and passwords?
- Does the program, or service require content to be streamed from the Internet?
This is not a complete description of the process that occurs in the Technology Department when we research a new system to deploy at the school but we hope that it will provide better insight into our process. Understanding the answers to these issues will allow us to respond to your request more conclusively and, if possible, allow us to integrate your request in an efficient manner.
School Owned Equipment
Any equipment that is borrowed (e.g., CDs, cameras, laptops) is the responsibility of the person using this material. Faculty and staff should sign out equipment that they or their students will be using for classes. Equipment will not be given directly to students. If the item is lost or broken due to negligence while at the School, the department that they work for will be billed for the replacement. It is up to the discretion of their supervisor to absorb that cost or to pass it onto the staff or faculty member. Negligence will be understood as not storing the equipment correctly when being moved, not locking up the equipment, spilling liquid or food on the equipment, handling the equipment in a rough manner, or loaning the equipment to another staff member or unsupervised student when the damage occurred. If the equipment is damaged or stolen (while in the personal possession of a faculty or staff member), the person responsible will be charged for repair costs, or replacement costs if deemed necessary. Users should not take technology equipment off campus without permission from their department head, and the Technology Department if the user will be gone for an extended amount of time.
Classroom Equipment
Each classroom has at least one computer that is designated for faculty and staff use. Students are not permitted, in any circumstance (supervised or not) to use a faculty or staff designated computer. Faculty and staff are responsible for locking their rooms during lunch and after school to maintain the integrity of this equipment.
Peripheral Support
The Technology Department has a finite budget. Peripherals that are provided by the department must address the basic needs for a classroom.
Display Adapters for Projectors
Each faculty member is given a mini-display adapter and cable to interface their computer and projector. These adapter are provided once by the school and are covered by manufacturer warranties. This warranty does not cover physical damage or loss of the adapter.
Secondary Displays
Secondary displays and projectors are provided by the school should the job requirements necessitate such a device. All classrooms (as of the summer of 2012) will have a projector installed in the room. If a faculty member does not have a projector for their class they will have access to a shared projector for their building. The exception to this rule is classrooms that do not meet the environmental operating conditions for the device, such as the woodshop.
Staff members requiring a secondary display for their job duties will be provided one. The determination of need will be based on discussions with their supervisor and the Technology Department and will also reflect current budget allowances for such devices.
Secondary Display Life-Cycles
Secondary displays have a life-cycle of 5-10 years depending on the use, model, and condition of the item. The Technology Department tracks the life-cycle of its devices and replaces them as-needed. We make every effort to maintain quality equipment that meets the needs of our staff, faculty and students.
Printers
Personal printers are supported on our Apple computers for home use only. Personal printers are not supported in the classroom or office environment. Each building on campus has a printer that is available for staff and student use. Confidential material should be printed to the Administration Building Xerox machine via the secure-print functionality.
Speakers and other small devices
The Technology Department will work with teachers to provide speakers for classroom presentations. Purchasing of such devices will be conditional on money available in the budget. Priority must be given to mission-critical items such as projectors. Department wishing to purchase speaker or small items should consult the Technology Website for hardware recommendations. Items listed on this site have been researched by Department staff and will perform well in our environment.
https://resources.brehm.org/technology/2012/05/25/q-what-hardware-should-i-buy/
Devices and Care
Tech Support Requests
Requests for tech support should be directed to the Technology Department’s website or an e-mail to techsupport@brehm.org (NOT technology@brehm.org).
Logon/Logoff/Shutdown
Each user has a personal account on the local area network that gives access to a home directory, folders on the public drive, and an email account. If you leave your computer unattended, lock the workstation to keep unauthorized users from compromising your data. Users should log off at the end of the day while on campus to ensure proper data backups are done. Shut down computers completely over the weekend or any extended break.
Laptop computer and other mobile devices should be charged only when necessary (15% charge or lowed). When charging, devices should be charged to 100% before stopping the charge. This will promote better battery health and maximize the available charge for the unit over a longer period of time.
All mobile devices used to retrieve school email or other school related content must have a device password set. This restriction is not limited to school-owned devices. This password should be a minimum of 4 numbers. Gesture-based locks do not meet this standard.
Automatic device locks must also be enabled on the mobile device. This protected your device from unauthorized use should you leave the device unattended.
Users should restart their computers at regular intervals to ensure that their machines remain updated and running smoothly. If a system is not going to be used for a period longer than 10 hours it should be shut down.
Break/Summer Computer Location
Please do not leave your laptop in your classroom over extended breaks (except for summer break when they are to be turned in for updates). Take them home or check them into the Technology Department so they may be properly and securely stored.
Computer Model Implementation Standards
The computer style issued to a staff or faculty member is determined based on their job duties and requirements. These are general standards that can be modified on a case-by-case basis, and pending budget allowances.
Physical office staff that do not travel for their position or have shared office space
- Apple desktop computer
Faculty and Traveling Staff
- Apple laptop
Graduate Student Staff and Interns at BPS
- Desktop computer in Graduate Office (Shared Access)
Graduate Staff and Interns at OPTIONS
- Shared Laptops at 101 S. Lewis Site
Students
- Apple laptop
Computer and Hardware Purchasing Guidelines
New Computers are issued to staff and faculty under the following conditions.
- Newly Hired Staff
- Targeted existing staff based on the life-cycle of their system
New batteries are issued under the following conditions.
- All computers with Cycle Count over 400 or Charge capacity under 3000 mAh
RAM Upgrades are implemented on an as-needed basis to meet the needs of the current software and operating system environment. RAM upgrades are a viable way to extend the life of well-cared for machines beyond the standard system lifecycle. Systems will only receive RAM upgrades if the other system hardware still meets the needs of the groups that the computers are issued to. When RAM is upgraded it is done for all systems that require it.
Policy Term Glossary
Computer – Laptop or Desktop system for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program
Mobile Device – Handheld device for storing and processing data, typically in binary form, according to instructions given to it in a variable program
Network – computer network that uses Internet Protocol technology to share information, operational systems, or computing services within an organization or between other sites and organizations via the internet.
Cloud – Computing and Storage space contained off-site and accessed via external networks or the internet. Cloud computer relies on the sharing of resources that may be located across large geographic locations.
Home Folder – This is the personal user folder that is created for every user on an Apple Computer. It is a collection of a number of user folders including Documents, Desktop, Music, Pictures, Movies, Sites, etc. This folder contains all information for a given user. This is the only folder on a local drive that a user has access to without administrative permissions.
Documents Folder – Contained within the Home Folder this is the location that should be used to store all work-related data. This folder is copied to the server at regular intervals to protect data loss. This folder should only be used for work related material. Personal files should be stored elsewhere on the user’s home folder.
Desktop – This is a folder in the Home Folder that also displays content on the user’s desktop. Data stored in this location is not backed up to the school servers.
Network Share – This is a volume contained on the School’s servers and accessible via the school’s network. The volumes are designed for storage of files not collaborative access. If you need to use a file that is stored on the school servers it should be copied to your local drive, worked with, then uploaded back to the network share. Real-time editing of a file on a network share will result in a corrupted file or corrupted folder that will prevent other people from accessing the file in the future.
Local Drive – The physical storage space on your computer. This can be a physical hard drive or memory built into the computer itself.
Volume Licensing – A single software key that can be used multiple times based on the quantity ordered.
Concurrent Licensing – A set of keys or installations that can be used at the same time but installed on a larger number of systems.
Lab packs – Modified version of volume licensing that allows for software to be used is a set classroom setting.
Stand Alone licensing – Individual installation on a single workstation.
Deployment – the distribution of software or data to a computer.
Software Update – Data needed to correct problems with a software application or expand functionality of a program.
Critical Update – Software updates that address security flaws in a given piece of hardware. These update get expedited testing and deployment to client machines.
Non-Critical Update – Software updates that are recommended for program stability or feature upgrades but that do not address security concerns. These updates are deployed at regular intervals throughout the year.
End-of-Life System – Systems reaching end-of-life are products that will likely get replaced when they fail. End-of-Life estimates allow the department to plan purchasing cycles for new systems and to account for hardware maintenance costs. End-of-Life designation does not imply that the system will be replaced if it can still perform its given function.
Firewall – A program or device that protects computers located behind it. The school’s firewall operates several services that include virus protection, web filtering and program access.
Logoff – ending the current user’s session without turning off the machine.
Shutdown – ending the current user’s sessions and disabling power to the computer system or mobile device
Restart – shutting down the computer and telling it to automatically turn back on.
Social Network – Any Internet service, platform, or website that provides a user with a distinct account–
whereby the user can access such account by way of a distinct user name, password, or other means distinct for that user; and that is primarily intended for the user to upload, store, and manage user-generated personal content on the service, platform, or website. (Bill Text 112th Congress (2011-2012) H.R.5050.IH)
Usernames – Your username for all campus services is based on your username set by Veracross when you are hired. This name follows the basic pattern of firstname.lastname. There may be slight variations if that name is not available on Veracross servers.