Category Archives: Policy

Policy: Service Interruptions

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For planned service interruptions TS staff are responsible to provide as much notice as possible and limit where practical interruptions that will affect education or business processes. Estimated timelines should be provided with verification. TS Staff should schedule interruptions where possible with affected school / department / user.

For unplanned service interruptions TS staff will make attempts to communicate reasons and estimated time for repair of services with affected school / department / user.

TS Policy: DWL Password Changes

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As a security measure, those requesting a DWL (District Wide Login) password change must do so via their site secretary or administrator through a work order. This may also be done in person via the site technician, provided they know the staff member, and they will create the work order. This is to make sure that we can verify the identity of the person requesting the password change.

The work order should include the staff member’s first and last name. A new password will be generated and listed in the completed work order. The completed work order will be shared with the site secretary or administrator who can inform the staff member of their new password.

The appropriate work order path is Technology Services > Administration > Accounts

We recommend that staff sign up for SSRPM (self service reset password management) at toolbox.prn.bc.ca so that they can change their passwords themselves if need be.

Enacted Dec 17, 2012

Smartboard Mounting – Front and Center

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In discussion with maintenance we have decided that for regular classrooms that are having a smartboard mounted, the location of the smartboard will be front and center in the classroom.

Requests to move Smartboards cannot be easily accommodated due to both a backlog of new Smartboards to mount as well as time and materials costs.

Thanks for your understanding in this.

TS Policy: End of Life Specifications

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Originally Published Oct 2009 – Updated Apr 2012 (Newest items in Bold)

This policy is meant to provide some clear guidelines regarding what technology will be assigned as an End of Life (EoL) asset and no longer supported after the date attached to the specific hardware, OS, or software below. An exponential increase in the demands on Technology Services makes it impossible to support everything. This will also help in planning for technology as locations with EoL devices can prioritize spending based on the policy.

End of Life assets can remain in the district however there will be no priority or funds allocated to their servicing.

Special consideration may be given to assistive technology for 1701 identified students whose IEP requires technology that does not meet the specifications below. This could possibly include conversations with the School Principal/LAT, Technology Services, and Student Support Services regarding the appropriate solution.

As computer technology changes rapidly, the specifications of this policy are to be reviewed yearly by TS management and the SD60 Technology Committee.

Operating Systems (OS) that will no longer be supported

  • Mac OS 9 or older (May 2010)
  • Windows 2000 or older (May 2010)
  • Win2k Server (September 2011)

Hardware Systems that will no longer be supported

  • PC – Pentium III and older [Pentium IV, and newer will continue to be supported] (May 2010)
  • Mac – G5s, G4s, G3 computers and older (powerbook G4, ibook G3, rainbow imacs, emacs)  (May 2010)
  • Old Thin Clients (December 2010)

Hardware Devices that will no longer be supported

  • Inkjet printers-except drafting plotters (already in effect)
  • CRT monitors (already in effect)

Software that will no longer be supported

  • Any software that requires an EoL OS listed above (as per date listed on OS above)
  • Email Clients (eudora, thunderbird, outlook, entourage, mail etc) (December 2009)
  • Report Writer (September 2011 or as BCESIS training allows)
  • Success Maker (EoL date TBA hardware dependant works on G4s or PC, server dependent that we will not upgrade)
  • Microsoft Office unless needed for job functions (replace with Open Office for new hardware, or cost borne by school/dept for licenses)
  • Asgard (July 15, 2011)
  • IE 5 (September 2011)
  • IE 6 (May 2010)
  • Citrix for Library Services (TBA)
  • Office X for Mac on WWP laptops (July 2014 [next refresh] or earlier depending on Operating System compatibility)
  • Apple Works for Mac (future operating systems will not support the old PowerPC software architecture)

 

This policy is set to be reviewed December 1st of each year by TS and partners if they wish to share ideas.

Acceptable Use Agreement

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Here is the Acceptable Use Agreement that all students should be provided. The first three pages are for all students. The fourth page is for students that will be renting or borrowing any kind of district technology. This fourth page applies to the WWP optional rental charge.

Schools should keep signed copies of the AUA or borrow/rental agreement on file through the year.

Computer Acceptable Use Agreement for 2011 and beyond

TS Policy: Printer Purchasing

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Policy: Printers (purchasing and servicing)

HP-LaserJet-P2055dn-Printer

New Printer Moratorium
Moratorium discussion from March 2012 http://www.prn.bc.ca/ts/?p=1514

Technology Services will no longer support the addition of new printers to the school district unless they have a specific educational purpose (ie adding a drafting class and needing a plotter, a new fine arts class needs a color printer etc)

This does not apply to replacement of current printers however but does apply to an expansion of the number of printers already in schools.

Replacement of current printers should consider the cost and volume of use for the printer to be replaced to determine if the printer should be decommissioned or be replaced with a different volume capacity.

3D printers are not included in this moratorium.

Technology Services will only purchase, install and maintained printers that are

  • Laser
  • Brand: HP
  • Duplex
  • Networked and Shared
  • Connected via windows print server
  • Multifunction where appropriate

Exceptions can be made for special purpose printers (colour, or secretary cheque printers, plotters etc)

If a school wishes to purchase a replacement printer that technology services will support, they work order technology services via helpdesk.prn.bc.ca

Rationale

Provincial carbon reporting, and cost reporting from other school districts have identified need for strategy to reduce printers, printing and paper consumption. Shared printers and multifunction devices reduce physical device duplication costs as well as power consumption etc. This hardware strategy will be eventually coupled with a printer use & education strategy.

 

Policy: Ordering

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Originally written December 15, 2008. Updated May 11, 2011.

Schools wishing to order through technology services must do so via work order (helpdesk.prn.bc.ca). Please include what you are looking to order as well as the account code to charge.

If the order is for a computer we will only purchase Dell or Apple computers for schools.

If the order is for a printer please see our printer policy

After we have received the work order we will get a quote and send it to you to be approved. *Do not reply to the automated emails from helpdesk system*

It can be approved via email directly to who is ordering or by commenting on the work order. We will then order, configure if necessary, and deliver the item(s).

Update Notes

Please note that we have dropped approval via phone as we have had past cases where the approval has been disputed afterwards. We will only accept written approval.

Acceptable Internet Use – Board Policy 0202

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A couple of highlights from Board Policy 0202 – Acceptable Internet Use which governs all staff and students in their use of online resources along with the Acceptable Use Agreement which all students/parents are to sign at the beginning of the year if they wish to use any technology in the district.

  • Internet access is provided for educational and research purposes and to provide opportunities for collaborative work
  • Copyright violation is a bad thing, respect the work of others
  • Use of Internet/email for commercial, political, product/service advertising is prohibited
  • Your email is not private, district staff have access to your email – you should be cautious of what you send or write including private student information.
  • Security is a high priority, you should protect your accounts and passwords
  • Please refer to the network etiquette in the policy, be nice to each other online.
  • Users accept all risk

Please take the time and read 0202 so that you are aware of it.

Environmentally Sustainable Information Technology Policy

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Our department is working towards an Environmentally Sustainable Information Technology Policy. We would like your feedback or new ideas in the comments.

Technology Services will:

  • Reuse wherever possible (refurbished machines)
  • Recycle IT when it is at the end of usable life (data protection / destruction consideration)
  • Power management via Software, Group Policy (Active Directory), User Education
  • Power bars on your desk rather than hidden so devices can be totally shut off (Vampire electronics such as adapters, chargers etc)
  • Virtualization of Servers where appropriate
  • Energy Star / Energuide considerations before purchasing technology
  • Phase out CRT’s for LCD’s (already working on this as CRT’s are too dangerous to repair)
  • Appropriate devices used for the task (ie. mobile device instead of rack mount server for checking email)
  • Cleanliness of computers and their surrounds (lack of air flow / dust causes heat which results in higher fan RPM, higher level of failures of hardware)
  • Centralize Printing / Models (fewer models means fewer cartridge types, fewer printers means less power usage)

Please add some more in the comments!

Procedure: Name Changes

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Name changes are an intricate time consuming process for Technology Services. To aid in this we would ask that the process below be followed.

  1. Employee wishing to change their name must speak with Payroll (250-262-6000) and appear in person to sign necessary forms
  2. Payroll will generate a work order to Technology Services to change the DWL and Mail accounts which will include:
    -Previous Name
    -New Name
    -Work Location
    -New password (minimum 6 characters)
  3. TS upon receipt of the work order will change the DWL account, create a new Mail account, and forward the old mail account to the new one.
  4. TS will send a mail message explaining the changes to the DWL and Mail accounts to the employee
  5. TS will return the work order as completed to payroll and payroll will update the payroll system so that pay stubs get sent to the new email address.

TS Policy: Catering

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In an effort to reduce our waste stream the following policy has been created.

All arms of the Technology Services department will follow these guidelines when purchasing food for sessions.

  1. Any containers/materials supplied by a caterer to deliver food should be preferably reusable or at least recyclable (no Styrofoam, no non-organic waste, no plastic utensils)
  2. We are to use reusable plates, dishes and utensils
  3. Participants of the session will be asked to help clear the dishes to either the SBO or SSS dishwasher and help clean any reusable containers from the caterers
  4. Plastic containers or paper bags are to be cleaned by session participants and recycled

Caterers are to be informed of this policy. If they cannot meet our policy on certain items we will not purchase those items from them (nb: usually soup in styrofoam containers). If they will not or cannot meet our policy we will discontinue use of that caterer.

Policy – Retired Assets

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  • An asset that is non repairable should be retired to parts/recycle.
  • Only the SNA or SLAN is to retire an item in the inventory
  • The SLAN is to remove our asset tag and place it into the binder of retired assets
  • The audit date should be set when it is retired
  • A note written as to why it has been retired and where is it going (parts/recycle)
  • Assets are never deleted from the inventory

Policy: Environmental Sustainability

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Technology services will reduce our environmental footprint whenever possible. Our department will be environmentally and fiscally sustainability. With this in mind we will do the following:

-reuse or sell devices when appropriate rather than recycling
-recycle computer parts when they reach an end of life and cannot be reused or sold. (before recycling a hard drive it must be drilled/destroyed or seven+ cycle wiped)
-choose components that can limit or reduce power consumption
-limit waste: reduce, reuse, and recycle any materials (paper, plastic, cardboard, boxboard etc) that enter our shop
-virtualize servers instead of purchasing new ones where appropriate
-turn off non essential services and hardware over breaks
-unplug charging adapters that aren’t in use