Social Media Guidelines

Purpose

These guidelines pertain to University faculty, staff, and contractors as well as individual members of the UMGC community (i.e., students, alumni, and others). Outlined here, you will find guidelines for (1) contributing to University social media through engagement and participation on University blogs, social networking pages, wikis, webpages, multimedia platforms, or any other kind of social media; (2) University moderation practices on social media; (3) creation of University social media and (4) contributing to University social media within the scope of University employment.

Definition of Social Media

The University defines “social media” as Internet-based applications that enable users to participate in an exchange of content, comments, or engagement with other users. Examples of social media platforms include, but are not limited to, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, Tumblr, WordPress, and other blogging or social networking platforms.  Find a full listing of all University social media accounts and communities on the Social Media Community page.

Guidelines for Engagement and Participation

The University welcomes engagement and participation on University social media. Contributions should be courteous and relevant to the University and/or topics on University social media. Information posted online may be difficult to remove or fix, leaving an Internet trail that is essentially permanent. Carefully consider what you post and make an effort to be clear, complete, and concise. You are fully responsible for the content of your contributions. Always use caution, discretion, and good judgment when deciding on what to post on social media platforms. 

The following guidelines pertain to engagement and participation on University social media: 

• Please make sure you are posting in an appropriate manner. Use common sense and be respectful of others. 
• You may post using a real name, an alias, or anonymously.
• Do not publicly post personal information such as student ID numbers, social security numbers, email addresses, phone numbers, or other confidential information about yourself or others. If you need assistance, email socialnetwork@umgc.edu.
• Do not post or share someone else’s material without the owner’s permission. Please adhere to the University’s Copyright and Fair Use Guidelines.  If someone has posted materials for which you own the copyright, please contact the University’s Copyright Agent.  
• Commercial activity, endorsement, marketing or promotion of third-party products or services; solicitation or sale of items; personal advertisements or postings for personal profit are not allowed on University social media. Additionally, repeated posting of identical or very similar content that may be considered “spam” is prohibited. 
• Using the University’s name, letterhead, logo and/or resources on social media is not permitted without the appropriate approvals. Please email socialnetwork@umgc.edu with questions or requests. 
• Using the University’s name, letterhead, logo and/or resources for partisan electoral purposes on social media, such as solicitation of funds or other contributions in support of a political party or candidate; endorsement of candidates for public office; or advocating a position with regard to a public issue (other than as an authorized spokesperson on behalf of the institution) is prohibited.
• Engaging with University social media requires adherence to each respective social media platform’s “Terms of Use.” Please familiarize yourself with any “Terms of Use” or “Community Guidelines” for any social media platform on which you are engaging. 
• Please note that if you are part of the University faculty or staff or you are affiliated with the University in any way, UMGC welcomes and encourages your posts about UMGC on both University social media and your personal social media, but you are not authorized to speak on behalf of the University without the appropriate approvals. Please refer to UMGC Guidelines for Personal Use of Social Media for Employees and Contractors. 

Guidelines for University Moderation

The University moderates all University social media and will respond as quickly as possible to comments and messages, as appropriate. 

Posts to University social media that include any of the following are subject to removal:  

• Illegal, obscene, violent, threatening, defamatory, or abusive content; 
• Confidential information about the University, yourself, or other organizations or individuals;
• Content violating copyright or trademark laws;
• Content violating University policies, local, state, or federal laws; or
• Commercial advertising or spamming including repeated posting on the same topic.

If you have questions or concerns about anything on University social media, please email socialnetwork@umgc.edu.  

Guidelines for Creation of University Social Media

The University uses social media to publicly engage with the community and represent the global, cohesive and diverse nature of UMGC. Anyone is welcome to form groups or communities on social media independent of the University. Such groups or communities may not include the name “University of Maryland Global Campus” or “UMGC” in the title, domain name or username and may not use University logos or trademarks. 

Every new University social media page or account must be created and approved by the Office of Communications as follows: 

• The Office of Communications shall own all University social media.
• The Office of Communications shall authorize University faculty, staff or contractors to manage any University social media account, page, or site, or to post content on behalf of the University within the scope of their employment or engagement (“Designated Managers”). 
• Designated Managers are responsible for managing, moderating, and engaging on each social media page, account, or site for which the Designated Manager has been authorized.
• Designated Managers for University social media pages, accounts, or sites will be representing the University and will be entrusted as the voice of the University. 
• The Office of Communications will provide University logos and artwork for use in representing the University on social media pages, accounts, or sites.

Guidelines for Contributing to University Social Media Within the Scope of University Employment

The following guidelines pertain to University social media contributions within the scope of University employment: 

• The Office of Communications has the authority to review and/or approve content before or after it is posted on University social media accounts, pages, or sites, and may remove content that it deems inappropriate for the University’s voice or public image.
• The University shall own all trademarks, copyrights, and domain names for any content that is created for University social media accounts, pages, or sites. Exceptions to this shall be reviewed by the Office of Legal Affairs. 
• Faculty, staff and contractors who post on University social media pages, accounts, or sites, including unpaid (organic) or paid (advertising) social media must post responsibly and comply with University policies. 
• The University’s Marketing Department is responsible for all social media advertising activities and will work with contractors and employees to ensure that they adhere to these guidelines. No University faculty, staff, or contractor should post social media advertising without prior approval from the Marketing Department.
• University employees should familiarize themselves with UMGC’s Social Media Privacy Policy.
• The University’s Media Release Policy must be followed when publishing personally identifiable images, photographs or videos of individuals.
• The use of social media may enhance engagement and provide additional communication channels for student and alumni groups.  For University employees facilitating collaboration with these groups, please refer to the University’s Guidelines for Student and Alumni Organizations on Social Media.