Terms of use

Last Updated: December 23, 2019

Acceptance of Terms

By using this Education Management System (“Pearson Online Classroom”, formerly known as “Connexus®”), you (hereinafter referred to as the “User” or “Users”) agree to all terms, conditions, and notices contained or referenced in these Terms of Use (“Terms”). These Terms apply to your use of Pearson Online Classroom and all materials, information, software, content, products, and services that are owned or licensed by Connections Education LLC, dba Pearson Virtual Schools USA (“Connections”), and included in, or available through, Pearson Online Classroom, (“Connections Content”) as well as any content owned or licensed by a 3rd party content provider that is included in, or available through Pearson Online Classroom with that 3rd party’s permission (“3rd Party Content”) (Connections Content and 3rd Party Content collectively, “the Content”). If the User is a minor, he or she shall be the responsibility of his or her parent/guardian, who shall ensure that the User adheres to the Terms.

Any 3rd Party Content uploaded or otherwise made available by a 3rd Party is and remains the sole property of the 3rd Party or the 3rd Party licensors. By uploading or otherwise making available any 3rd Party Content, you automatically grant and/or warrant that the owner has granted Connections, the perpetual royalty-free, non-exclusive right and license to use, reproduce, publish, distribute, display, and transmit the 3rd Party Content through the channel into which you have uploaded or authorized Connections to upload the 3rd Party Content. You also permit any User of Pearson Online Classroom with access to that channel, subject to your restrictions, to access, view, store, and reproduce the 3rd Party Content to the same extent permitted herein. To the extent provided for in the specific terms of the governing agreement between Connections and 3rd Party, 3rd Party Content may be removed, obscured, altered or modified by the 3rd Party, subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein with respect to the use of Pearson Online Classroom.

Permitted Use

Pearson Online Classroom is to be used for the purpose of accessing the education program licensed by or for the benefit of the User(s). Connections grants the User the non-exclusive, non-transferable, limited license to access, visit, use, view, and print the Content, solely for the User’s own personal non-commercial use in connection with such education program, provided the User keeps intact all copyright and other proprietary notices. Use of the Content or materials for any purpose not expressly permitted in these Terms is prohibited.

Users may not (1) remove, obscure, or alter the Content in any way except as agreed to in writing by Connections, (2) use Pearson Online Classroom in any manner that could damage, disable, overburden, or impair any Connections server or the network(s) connected to any Connections server, or interfere with any other party’s use and enjoyment of Pearson Online Classroom, 3) gain or attempt to gain unauthorized access to any accounts, computer systems, or networks connected to any Connections server through hacking, password mining, or any other means, or 4) obtain or attempt to obtain any materials or information through any means not intentionally made available through Pearson Online Classroom.

Any use of Pearson Online Classroom for the following purposes is strictly prohibited. By using Pearson Online Classroom, you agree that you will NOT

Send, receive, or display pornographic, obscene, sexually explicit material, or any material harmful to minors
impersonate any person or entity (through the use of their password or other means), including any employee or representative of Connections
copy or distribute content included in Pearson Online Classroom (including postings on the Message Boards, WebMail messages, or curriculum materials, including answer keys) without the owner’s permission
solicit or collect information about the Users or members of this site, especially for the purpose of transmitting, or facilitating transmission of, unsolicited or bulk electronic email or communications
use the school-provided communication services in connection with surveys, contests, pyramid schemes, chain letters, junk e-mail, spamming, or any duplicative or unsolicited messages (commercial or otherwise)
upload files that contain viruses, Trojan horses, worms, time bombs, cancelbots, corrupted files, or any other similar software or programs that may damage the operation of another’s computer or property
solicit or collect personal information (including name, address, and phone number) from anyone under eighteen (18) years of age without verified parental consent
display threatening or offensive material, including using swear words, offensive, vulgar, or obscene language
display racist, prejudiced, or discriminatory messages or pictures
violate any state or federal law
reveal another User’s or a minor’s personal address, phone number, or similar information to others without their consent or verified parental consent
violate any copyright, trademark, patent, trade secret, or other intellectual property laws or otherwise use intellectual property of another individual or entity without the owner’s permission—this includes providing links to and including other copyrighted or trademarked material from third parties in Pearson Online Classroom (including posting on the Message Boards or in WebMail messages) without permission as well as using any trademarks, service marks, or other marks in social media or other websites without the owner’s permission
trespass in another’s folders, work, or files
promote commercial activities except as agreed to in writing by Connections
advertise products or services or engage in political lobbying
defame, harass, insult, abuse, stalk, threaten, attack, or otherwise violate the legal rights (such as privacy and publicity) of another person or interfere with another person’s work, including, but not limited to, sending unwanted WebMail messages or e-mail
provide material support or resources to (or conceal the nature, location, source, or ownership of material support or resources of) any organization(s) designated by the United States government as a foreign terrorist organization pursuant to section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.

Each User will have a user name and password (the “Log-in Information”) for the purpose of accessing Pearson Online Classroom and the Content. Users must keep all Log-in Information strictly confidential, and all Log-in Information may be used only by the assigned User. Users are responsible for maintaining the security and confidentiality of all Log-in Information and for preventing access to Pearson Online Classroom and/or the Content by unauthorized persons using a User’s Log-in Information. Users are responsible for any and all activities that occur under their account. Users must notify Connections immediately of any unauthorized use of their account or any other breach of security. Notwithstanding the foregoing, certain employees of Connections will be permitted to “log in as” someone other than themselves, after receiving the approval of their supervisor and undergoing specific training.

Proprietary Rights

The User acknowledges and agrees that certain of the information available in Pearson Online Classroom is protected by various copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, or other intellectual property rights and laws and may only be used as permitted by law and with the permission of the owner. Except as expressly authorized by Connections, Users may not sell, license, rent, modify, distribute, copy, reproduce, transmit, publicly display, publicly perform, publish, adapt, edit, or create derivative works from or otherwise exploit the Content or features in Pearson Online Classroom in any form or medium. Users are fully responsible for their own use and for ensuring such use does not infringe on the rights of Connections or third parties. In addition to potential legal action, any unauthorized use including copying or reposting of Connections or third-party intellectual property may result in one or more of the following: termination of access to Pearson Online Classroom, school-based disciplinary action, and/or removal from the school, course offering or program of study.

Content is owned or controlled by Connections or the third party credited as the provider of the Content, and its contents may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or modified in any way without the express written consent of Connections. If you have any copyright concerns about any materials posted on Pearson Online Classroom by others, please let us know. We comply with the provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act applicable to Internet service providers (17 U.S.C. 512). Unless otherwise stated in any specific DMCA designation provided by Connections, please provide us with written notice (“Notice”) by contacting our Designated Agent at privacy@connectionseducation.com.

A physical or electronic signature of the owner, or a person authorized to act on behalf of the owner, (“Complaining Party”) of an exclusive right that is allegedly being infringed upon;
Information reasonably sufficient to permit Connections to contact the Complaining Party, such as an address, telephone number, and if available, an electronic mail address;
Identification of the allegedly infringing material on Pearson Online Classroom (“Infringing Material”), and information reasonably sufficient to permit Connections to locate such material on Pearson Online Classroom;
Identification of the copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed upon (“Infringed Material”), or if multiple copyrighted works on Pearson Online Classroom are covered by a single Notice, a list of each copyrighted work claimed to have been infringed (please be specific as to which Infringing Material is infringing on which Infringed Material);
A statement that the Complaining Party has a good faith belief that use of Infringing Material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law; and
A statement that the information in the Notice is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the Complaining Party is the owner or is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed.

Trademarks

Pearson Online Classroom contains trademarks and service marks of Connections and of third parties. These marks may only be used in accordance with Connections’ Trademark Usage Guidelines within the Website Terms of Use on the public website. For permission to use the Connections name or logo or any Connections marks outside of the Trademark Usage Guidelines, contact privacy@connectionseducation.com. Any use of any Connections marks that does not comply with the Trademark Usage Guidelines is strictly prohibited.