AP 3910 Social Media
References
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Social media enables Rogue Community College (RCC) to build connections and relationships, share information, celebrate success, communicate with a wide range of audiences and stakeholders, and respond to queries. To that end, RCC is committed to having a robust presence on social media with multiple accounts managed by multiple users.
RCC is committed to being a trusted and reliable source of information through its use of social media. It aims to take a strategic approach with content reflecting key institutional priorities and being both proactive and responsive to enhance the college’s reputation and reflect its values.
This procedure is designed to support employees and students to successfully represent the college through legal, safe, and effective use of social media. In addition, the RCC Marketing & Communications department provides tools and guidance on how to best use social media.
Definitions
Social media is the term commonly given to internet and mobile-based channels and tools that allow users to interact with one another and share opinions and content. As the name implies, social media involves the building of communities or networks that encourage participation and engagement.
Social media allows parties to communicate instantly or to share data in a public forum via websites or apps. This includes but is not limited to, online forums, blogs, video and image sharing websites, and social platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, SlideShare, TikTok and LinkedIn, as well as messaging apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The nature of social media is that it is rapidly changing and evolving, and this procedure is intended to cover all communication platforms, which may emerge in the future, but are not currently in existence.
Social Media Accounts Representing Rogue Community College
The purpose of any RCC social media account should be linked to the college’s mission and goals and guided by the core values of integrity, collaboration, diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability, and courage.
Social media accounts that use the Rogue Community College name, any of its trademarked logos, graphic elements or iconography, or that communicate as a representative of the College's services, programs, organizations, departments, students, staff, or faculty must be created and managed in cooperation with Marketing & Communications. The college has the authority to approve or deny any social media accounts representing RCC. These social media accounts are the sole property of the institution; creators and administrators of the accounts have no ownership rights.
Account Creation and Access
Marketing & Communications is the sole creator of any social media account that will represent the college and then provides access to the person(s) who will manage the account.
Marketing & Communications and one additional responsible person must have administrative access to each existing social media account. This allows for better regulation of content and creates a failsafe if an administrator were to leave the college.
Employees should consult with the Marketing & Communications to determine if a social media account for their department or program is the best choice to meet their particular marketing goals and needs. If so, Marketing & Communications will assist in the development of the account and provide training and access. Users may not use RCC social media accounts before completing a full training session with Marketing & Communications. Additional social media guidelines are provided on the Marketing & Communications Department webpage.
Copyright and Attribution
It is important to spend time creating original content for social media accounts. When external logos, images, videos, articles, messages, or user-generated content, are shared, users are required to provide appropriate credit to the original creator.
Terms of Use on Rogue Community College Online Communities and Social Media
College-managed online communities are intended to inform users of RCC-related news and events, as well as encourage college-related discussion and a sense of community among users.
Employees who engage in discussions on RCC online communities are encouraged to share opinions and comments freely about the topics RCC posts. However, comments are expected to be respectful, professional, and in line with applicable college policies and procedures.
Taking responsibility for a social media account that represents RCC is a serious commitment. Social media accounts require daily monitoring, maintenance, and interaction.
It is vital that posts from college social media accounts are carefully considered, appropriate, and do not damage the reputation of the college. When posting on social media on behalf of RCC, users should not express their own personal opinions or engage in online discussions that are outside the official position(s) of the college. Consult with Marketing & Communications if there are any questions.
Content must always convey accurate and factual information based on the best available knowledge that at the time, and should not commit to something that the college does not intend to deliver. Safeguards should be put in place to minimize the risk of communication errors via social media, including checking content with a colleague before publishing as appropriate. If a mistake is made, the college will be transparent and update the page with a correction.
Content published on behalf of RCC is subject to all applicable Board Policies and Administrative Procedures. Account administrators and Marketing & Communications reserves the right to remove or request removal of posts that violate college policy or procedure or represent advertisements or spam.
A social media account that is dormant for more than one year may be deactivated by Marketing & Communications.
Privacy and Confidentiality
Those who post on social media on behalf of RCC are expected to use good judgment when sharing recognizable images and information about subjects. Confidential or private information about the college, employees, students, or materials should not be shared on any social media sites.
NCAA Regulations
RCC employees and affiliates are required to follow National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCCAA) regulations when communicating on social media. Under no circumstance should an employee or account affiliated with RCC interact with prospective student-athletes.
Official Announcements
Announcements such as campus closures, delayed openings, emergencies, or other breaking news will be sent directly from the main RCC social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Users should not, under any circumstance, announce before the main accounts do. Users should re-share updates and posts from main RCC accounts only.
Personal Social Media Accounts
Social media can be an important tool for building personal and professional networks. RCC does not monitor personal social media accounts. However, if a concern is raised regarding content posted on social media by an employee or student and the content is considered to be misconduct, the college has the right to request the removal of content. In addition, the matter may be addressed through applicable college policies and procedures.
If an employee identifies themselves as an RCC employee online, they should be clear about their identity and not claim to represent an RCC department, division, or team. It is advisable to include a clear statement that the views expressed are their own and not necessarily those of the institution. Employees are prohibited from using the RCC name, image, or branding to endorse an opinion, product, cause, business, or political candidate.
Rescinds: AP-115 Using Social Media When Representing Rogue Community College
Approved: August 1, 2023