Staff laptops at home

[button_ripple]

Staff laptops at our school are currently standalone, but the powers that be have decided to move all the laptops over to the domain. Staff currently use laptops like home computers as well as work and have music software and games. (some aren't within the right side of the law!!). We also have staff storing up to 20 GB of music on iTunes.

I have recently read that if staff use laptops for home use the school has to pay VAT on the computers. What can we do about this situation.

As iTunes is a paid for music service, we cannot just delete the music. The head has already said that we can delete the illegal stuff after giving the staff 1 notice, but the staff aren't having that and keep hold of there laptops.

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!

[ICT_GUY]

To be safe reimage the whole lot.

[mullet_man]

The laptops are owned by the school, not the staff therefore there are rules in place that the staff should agree to, no ifs or buts about it.

Makesure staff sign a Acceptable Use Policy agreement, in that you should document that staff should not use the laptop for personal use, downloading illegal music/videos etc.

[Joanne]

tell them they should backup their work (maybe tell them what to do) and then get the laptops in for re-imaging. Maybe have a sneeky peek at some to reap rewards for ones own benefit.

[button_ripple]

We have got them to sign a policy about it - after they had all downloaded the music. Their excuse for not getting rid of the stuff is that it is 'for school' or they are not able to because there is so much of it.

Staff also won't hand there laptops over because they are needed in lessons. Even though we will offer a replacement until theirs is fixed

[Joanne]

buy a pack of dvds for a fiver and give them enough to backup their music... anyways... won't it all be backed up on their ipods?

[mullet_man]

Get the burser/business manager invloved, staff can not refuse to hand them back if they are not owned by them.

You need to ask staff to either backup the MP3 files to DVDs or external drives if they need them for school, tell them it is clogging up the server.

[button_ripple]

The only problem with saying that it is clogging the server is that the staff know that we have 2tb hard drive on the server - they all know how large that is. Plus the fact the servers are new - so there is no way that they are nearly a quarter full

[richard]

Just reimage them and if they moan just tell them tough luck.

[witch]

I had the same problem and was told that I couldn't demand that they do not save the stuff as they hadn't been told they couldnt in the first place.
New staff sign a tougher policy.
Other than that we have set them up so that they can log on to the domain at school and as a local user at home. Basically, what is on their machine stays on it, and is their responsibility, illegal or not.
I have told them that they are not to upload stuff to my server and if I see great swathes of music etc I will delete it - I don't have time to check the legality so I just presume the worst! (it hasnt happened yet)

[L.E.K]

They shouldnt be downloading any illigal software at all, especially games as anyone else would think that the teachers are just playing games all the time and that there laptops are just for educational needs etc. you should tell them straight or take the laptops off them to re-image them. Also i thought the Ports that are used for downloaders like Torrents and iTunes were blocked in school's?

L.E.K

[pallen]

Staff cannot use the excuse they weren't told not to save stuff on the laptop. Laws change, they get updated. If you haven't got the correct licences in your school to store and play music(very grey area) then they cannot use it. If you are responsible for licences etc concerning computers and software, just take the equipment away - you are responsible - you will be in trouble.

If staff are being stubborn about it - make a complaint. You will need to document everything that you have tried to do but that some members of staff have made your job impossible. This is not a trivial issue and needs to be addressed. Most of all you need to make sure you cover yourself. Most staff here tended to think I was just being awkward about the use of music and software etc on our network until I explained that it was my job to ensure all licences/copywright etc needed to be followed.

As for the case of taking too much space on your server - irrelevant. If you haven't got the licences for it, it shouldn't be there. If they are school laptops - they follow the same rules as any other PC. If they are personal laptops then just dont allow them to connect to your network. As you have already said they were purchased by the scool - they follow the same rules.

Maybe your Acceptable Use Policy needs to be updated and staff informed about it. Be fair about how you are going to re-image them, give staff time to backup their personal work, then take the laptops and wipe them.

There was also another post on here regarding who is responsible for content stored in user areas. I think it was established that the user is respsonsible for content, but I'm not sure about installing illegal software.

edit: just re-read the original post. The Head is backing you....follow his instructions and delete after 1 notice. If they have any complaints let them take it up with the Head.

[brubakes]

Wow, that is really just plain silly. I can't imagine not giving back a piece of equipment owned by the school. I also can’t imagine putting a load of personal information on them. Add to that illegal software downloading.

I also do not think it is the technology department’s duty to backup YOUR personal files (iTunes, MP3s, ect). If it’s school related that a different story, the department needs to help with that.

Give the staff a deadline for the equipment to be turned in and then image them. Lord knows what spyware, virius, ect are learking on them. Let them know they are responsible for backing up any personal files by said date. Also let them know you are able to help them backup school files if they need assistance, but in no way will supply CDs, DVDs, whatever for personal files.

I have run into this before. It normally takes about 10 to get a folder of their lesson plans and other school related material into one folder that we then can scan and ftp into their network folders, which by the way have a size limit on them so the whole radio station worth of music they stole won’t end up there.

[jcollings]

As iTunes is a paid for music service, we cannot just delete the music. The head has already said that we can delete the illegal stuff after giving the staff 1 notice, but the staff aren't having that and keep hold of there laptops.

Why not - it's school equipment ergo the school dictates what can and can't be on there. If staff put music on their laptops here (or in there network space) it's just deleted - no questions. Staff are told clearly what they can and can't do with the laptop (and network) and they are expected to stick to it. The head is backing you - just do what he asks. I would get him to announce that the staff must return laptops for reimaging to you.

I wouldn't expect to store music on my school laptop (and I don't) - it's the schools not mine!

[dhicks]

I seem to remember it being possible to transfer iTunes settings/music/etc from one PC to another, simply by copying the iTunes folder out of the user's Documents And Settings folder. You could offer to backup their iTunes files, reimage the laptop with your standard set of software (including iTunes), then copy iTunes data back on again. You might find that iTunes thinks its on a different PC and asks the user to re-authorise tunes for use on it (you get half a dozen or so re-authorisations, I think - DRM sucks, no?).

--
David Hicks