INTRODUCTION #
The Archdiocese of San Francisco’s technical resources enable employees and other authorized users to quickly and efficiently access and exchange information. When used properly, these resources greatly enhance productivity and knowledge, and therefore their use is encouraged. Because these technologies, most notably the Internet and E-Mail, are both new and rapidly changing, it is important to explain how they fit within the work of the Archdiocese and within the responsibilities of employees and other authorized users.
For purposes of this policy, the term “Archdiocesan Systems” includes computers, Internet Service Providers (“ISPs”) and accounts, telephone lines, or any combination of these, which are provided by and/or paid for by the Archdiocese, including those provided by, to or for agencies, schools and parishes, as opposed to by personal funds.
Examples of access considered to have been performed through an Archdiocesan System include:
- An Archdiocesan 1SP account accessed through a privately-owned computer and/or telephone line;
- A personal ISP accessed through an Archdiocesan computer and/or telephone line;
- Archdiocesan work, whether done on a private or Archdiocesan computer or telephone line.
Non-Archdiocesan E-mail or Internet-access accounts of individuals are to be maintained separately from Archdiocesan accounts, and remain the sole responsibility of the personal owner and not of the Archdiocese or any Archdiocesan entity. If an individual desires to maintain an interest in privacy in individual accounts beyond that which is set forth in this policy, such accounts must not include Archdiocesan work, must be kept solely on private computers, must solely use private telephone lines, and must be accessed solely through private ISPs. No Internet or E-Mail access which is done in connection with Archdiocesan business, or which uses Archdiocesan computers, telephone lines, ISPs, or accounts is to be considered private, and all such access remains subject to regulation, retrieval and review by the Archdiocese, except as expressly set forth in this policy. While this policy seeks to embody the institutional legal rights of the Archdiocese in relation to its systems, Department Heads and other supervisors and/or Users are reminded that these rights also carry with them a moral obligation of respect for individual Users of Archdiocesan Systems. As such, any legal rights retained by this policy should not, from a moral perspective, be used as a means of knowingly reviewing others’ personal E-Mails and/or other personal communications via Archdiocesan Systems where a significant business concern has not been first articulated. In order to safeguard this moral obligation, Department Heads should consult in advance with the Archbishop, the Archdiocesan Vicar for Administration, or Archdiocesan Legal Counsel to determine whether review of personal E-Mail and/or other personal communications via Archdiocesan Systems is warranted in a given circumstance.
Employees, clergy, religious, volunteers, and other users are collectively referred to as “Users.”
Where the term “Department Head” appears in this policy, it also refers to heads of agencies, pastors of parishes, and principals of Archdiocesan schools.
“Computer Systems Manager” refers to that person in the respective department, school, parish, or agency with primary responsibility for supervising computer systems and operations. If there is no such person or if that person is not available, the relevant Dean may be contacted for guidance as to shared expertise among those persons within the Deanery. While this policy focuses on Internet/E-Mail technology, it also applies to computers, fax machines, voice mail, electronic bulletin boards, and like technical resources.
PURPOSE AND SCOPE #
The purpose of this Policy is to outline the parameters for use of computers, and the use and monitoring of the Internet, E-Mail, and the other Archdiocesan technical resource systems referred to above. This policy shall apply to all Users accessing such systems of Archdiocesan departments, agencies, parishes, and schools.
ARCHDIOCESAN INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS #
Each parish, school, agency, or other Archdiocesan entity shall establish a single ISP account with a single ISP to be chosen by that entity’s Department Head for use in connection with Archdiocesan Systems and work. No parish, school, agency, or other Archdiocesan entity shall establish additional accounts or ISPs or maintain private (i.e., non-Archdiocesan, including non-agency, non-parish or non-school) account numbers or service providers.
All individual mailboxes, screen names, E-Mail addresses and the like in connection with an Archdiocesan ISP shall be established and maintained only with the express permission and under the direct supervision of the Department Head and the Computer Systems Manager, and shall be considered Archdiocesan property. No mailboxes, screen names