The FAIR USE policy APPROVED for 2nd Quarter Evaluation!

Greetings to the Pisay community! I have great news!

The FAIR USE policy has been officially approved by ManCom for experimentation and evaluation this 2nd quarter! It’s really a big shift in terms of how we treat gadgets in campus, and a necessary one if we’re to meet the future head on.

The policy takes effect on AUGUST 1. In the coming weeks, I’ll be orienting everyone on how it all works. Look forward for a fresh start this 2nd quarter!

For now, some thoughts. I’m sure a lot of you are wondering what this all means. What is the Fair Use Policy and how will it affect everyone? First of all, we now classify devices according to their use and not necessarily their nature. Students will now have more freedom to use their laptops and smartphones for academic purposes, but in exchange they will be held accountable for its proper use. We’ll give you some leeway on how you can use them for personal entertainment, but abuse of this leeway will lead to the revocation of Fair Use privileges.

So if you need to use your laptop to type a paper while you’re in the front lobby or if you need to use your iPhone’s dictionary while working at the library, you can now count on being able to use your device freely and comfortably. Just don’t walk along the halls with your music player blaring, or don’t get caught playing games while in a formal affair and you’ll be fine.

The Fair Use also empowers teachers to use modern technology in ways they deem most appropriate. Need to have your students download an app for class? Not a problem. Want them to use Twitter for a forum? Go ahead! But you want them to write an essay and rely solely on their vocabulary and not use any dictionary, paper or electronic? Sure, they can’t complain. Different subjects will have different needs, and each student must abide by the specific demands and rules of the teacher.

You can read the entirety of the approved policy below. But for those of you who looked at the policy before, here are some big changes:

• Smartphones don’t need to be registered anymore
• Categories of devices are more clear
• We include tablets as a device you can have registered
• You can download the Device Registry and Object Permit Forms online

Not in the draft yet are some changes that may come to the dormitory. I don’t want to go into specifics yet since the SSD is still coordinating with the dormitory managers. Suffice to say, the Fair Use policy will cover the dorms in some fashion. Wait for further details on this.

View this document on Scribd

In the coming weeks, I’ll be meeting each class to explain the policy and to tell you what’s at stake. I’ll explain what being under evaluation means and I’ll make it clear how your behavior in the next quarter can change things positively for everyone for this year and beyond.

I’ll be meeting teachers. I’ll also be meeting parents. I want everyone on board in trusting our students to do the right thing. The Fair Use Policy is built on the twin principles of empowerment and responsibilty. Making this succeed therefore, can only open us to even bigger things.

I hope we can make this work! So let us make this work. Stay tuned for more announcements as we roll out the Fair Use policy little by little. It takes full effect on August 1.

About these ads