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ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY
Title: Social Media Policy
Subject: University Web Services
Policy No: UWS: 2014:XX
Applies: University-wide
Issuing Authority: Executive Vice President for Administration and Strategic Advancement (signature)
Responsible Officer: Vice President for Strategic Enrollment
Adopted: XX/XX/201X
Last Revision: June 6, 2014
Last Reviewed: Dec 19, 2014

 I.      PURPOSE

This policy serves as a guideline for those initiating or managing a social media presence that involves the University, its schools, departments, programs, groups, organizations and individuals. It outlines how the University supports institutional communication via social media so that the University's social media communications efforts remain as consistent as possible. Social media usage at Rowan University is governed by the same policies that govern all other electronic communications, technology and the Internet and must follow the same ethical standards by which Rowan University abides.

 II.     ACCOUNTABILITY

Under the direction of the Vice President for Strategic Enrollment, the Director, University Web Services shall ensure compliance with this policy. The Social Media Coordinator, University Web Services shall implement the policy.

III.    APPLICABILITY

This policy applies to all faculty, employees and students of Rowan University who accept responsibility for engaging in work-related social media.

IV.    DEFINITION

"Social media" - refers to any online tools and services that allow any Internet user to create and publish content. For the purpose of this policy, social media means any facility for web-based and mobile publication and commentary, including but not limited to blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, interactive geo-location, and networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Google+ and YouTube.

V.     REFERENCES

A. All policies, procedures and guidelines regarding the University’s trademarks, names and symbols apply to social networking sites.[i]

B. Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA)

C. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

VI.    POLICY

A. Rowan University recognizes and embraces that social media are fundamental shifts in the way people communicate and supports the use of social media by its community members as a way to facilitate communication and conversation. As a public institution, we believe it is crucial to stay abreast of trends and remain active in the social sphere to intimately connect with our community.

B. Accessibility

  1. Rowan University is committed to ensuring effective access to communications materials for all members of the University community, including individuals with disabilities. Individuals who are blind or have low vision or other disabilities may confront significant barriers when accessing certain information through social media. Accordingly, individuals that maintain social media on behalf of the University should take steps to reduce barriers to access for individuals with disabilities. For example, screen reader compatibility, captioning and descriptive tags on images can help reduce barriers to accessing information for individuals with disabilities. Most major social media platforms (including Facebook, YouTube and Twitter) provide access solutions for individuals with disabilities, including application-programming interfaces (API) that enable the ability to create applications that enhance accessibility of content.
  2. As social media continues to evolve and develop as an effective tool for advertising positions at the University and for recruiting candidates, it does not replace or otherwise eliminate the need to use the University's existing recruitment systems and processes for posting positions, collecting applications, conducting background checks, making offers of employment and other related activities.

 C. Terms of Service

Official Rowan University social media accounts must follow the Terms of Service set forth by their respective social media channel(s). The guidelines outlined herein do not surpass existing University policies related to the use of technology, codes of conduct or confidentiality.

 D. Non-Compliance

  1. Violations of this policy may require the suspension or removal of any social media account(s) at the purchaser's expense and possible disciplinary action.
  2. A disciplinary or other review may be initiated if an employee's online activity violates law or University policy, or if the employee's non-official or unauthorized online activity otherwise subjects the University to liability for such acts.
  3. Rowan University reserves the right to monitor use of its computer systems.

VII. Requirements:

A. Authorized Registration and Communication

  1.  Before engaging in work-related social media, employees shall:
    1. Obtain authorization from a supervisor within their department and University Web Services. Faculty, employees and students may only post on behalf of the University or its affiliates in an official capacity where you have been explicitly authorized to do so.
    2. Fill out a Social Media Strategy Worksheet Copy of the Social Media Strategy Worksheet
      to help determine which social media platform best fits your efforts, and to ensure you have optimal goals in place.
    3. Receive Worksheet approval Name of Individual responsible for approving Social Media Strategy Worksheet
      , then register the account(s) with University Web Services using an official University email address at http://www.rowan.edu/socialmedia
    4. Maintain the security of account passwords and identification. A unit's authorized administrator(s) are fully responsible for all use of accounts and any actions that take place using the account.
    5. Acknowledge that administration of the account(s) does not constitute ownership. The University owns the account, its content and audiences.

  2. Social Media Account
            1. Once the social media profile has been approved, an account must be established using a simple, descriptive name for the profile(s). Name selection should adhere to the respective social network's policies and character limits and clearly identify the affiliation with Rowan University.
            2. Rowan University or Rowan should be listed prior to the college, department or program to help build a consistent awareness of all units and broader search relevancy. "RU" should not be used unless the expanded versions cannot accommodate character limits.
            3. The names on accounts that have already been created cannot be changed, as changing names might change a URL, which can cause confusion amongst current users.
          2. Design Selection
            1. Do not use the Rowan University torch; the Rowan University torch is reserved for the University's official accounts.
            2. University Web Services has created a family of icons that are consistent, yet customizable, and can be used and adapted for individual colleges, departments, organizations and programs. This will give your audience visual confirmation that your account is official and also enables each account to have its own personality. Please contact the University Web Services for assistance in customizing these icons.
            3. Employees who do not wish to use this family of icons must submit any graphic for approval prior to upload.
            4. Wherever possible, especially to accommodate changes in layout or design, official University colors should be used. The University's colors are brown and gold.
            5. Units that have multiple social media platforms should use the same profile photo across all platforms, and the photo should remain the same indefinitely.
            6. Avoid heavy text in cover photos, background and header images; use them instead to display campus beauty.

 

    1. Confidentiality


Do not post confidential or proprietary information about Rowan University, or Rowan University employees, students, affiliates or alumni that would violate such person's rights to privacy under applicable federal and state laws and regulations. This includes the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and University policies. Non-disclosure agreements that prohibit the University from disclosing information also bind its employees from disclosing such information.

    1. Privacy


Personally identifiable information that can be used to locate an individual or affiliated/unaffiliated third party offline, including but not limited to phone numbers, home or local addresses, social security numbers, Banner IDs, birth dates and email addresses, should not be posted. In general, a photo release form must be obtained from parties whose images are identifiable to post, share or distribute. This does not include photos from Rowan University's archives or those obtained by University representatives, whose original intent was for distribution.

    1. Copyrights


Rights and permissions must be secured before posting, sharing or distributing copyrighted materials, including but not limited to music, art, photographs, texts, portions of video, or information considered proprietary by a University partner, vendor, affiliate or contractor.

    1. Responsibility

 

        1. In the event that information surfaces on the sites you manage that is deemed harassing or threatening in nature, it must be immediately captured and reported to Public Safety.
        2. In the event of an emergency or crisis situation on campus (i.e. weather closings or other serious incidents), managers of official University accounts are asked to postpone any previously scheduled messaging and follow the lead of the main Rowan University social media accounts. Depending on the severity of the situation, University Relations and Public Relations will disseminate key messages to primary page administrators to be posted on social media platforms.
        3. When a serious situation arises elsewhere in the world, the best thing for an account to do is go silent. Any previously scheduled promotional material should be postponed as to not come across as insensitive or off-topic during a troubling time. Sensitive posts addressing the situation are permitted, but proceed with caution.
        4. Ensure that your authorized use of social media does not harm the University, its faculty, students, alumni and employees. While you are not responsible for the content and interactions from individuals' personal social media accounts, you should strive to not interact with those that would injure the University's mission.

 

    1. Transparency

 

        1. To protect the Rowan University name and simultaneously build trust with users, all approved social media should be explicit regarding the relationship of the platform to the University. Social media should not be used for any commercial business, financial transactions, including revenue from advertising, or interactions that would otherwise be considered irrelevant (i.e. refrain from following sites or feeds for personal interest on official accounts).
        2. All content should reflect the University's position and not the individual opinion(s) of the person(s) managing the account.

 

    1. Fairness

 

        1. No one is permitted to delete interactions and opinions of others that disagree with University opinion.
          1. When a brand deletes negativity, customers quickly realize the censorship, often resulting in renewed venom and an extended lifetime of negativity.
          2. Brands that embrace all feedback earn points and respect for their receptiveness to criticism. You have the opportunity to change people's minds by engaging the upset audience and fixing their problems.
          3. Whether it's one negative comment or an abundance of them, this type of feedback is a golden opportunity to show that you're listening, you're responsive and you care. It could be as simple as thanking someone for his/her feedback and trying to direct the conversation offline.
        2. The owner of a Social Media Account does reserve the right to remove content, or block users, that they deem to be spam, soliciting, slanderous, unlawful, obscene, abusive, harassing, off-topic or an infringement of another's rights, including but not limited to intellectual property, privacy or publicity rights.
          1. Establish Terms of Use for each of your pages to protect this right and give the University community expectations for acceptable behavior.
            1. Example Terms of Use: This page provides our constituents with a forum to discuss matters of interest pertaining to our University. While Rowan University supports free speech, the University does not necessarily endorse and is not responsible for statements made or views expressed on this page by others. This page is intended to be a forum for civil discussion of topics related to Rowan University, and the University expects that remarks will be relevant and respectful of the rights and opinions of others.
            2. The University reserves the right to remove any postings, including postings that are offensive, spam, unlawful, defamatory or excessive, or that advertise goods and services. We also reserve the right to block these users from accessing our page, or otherwise making inappropriate use of our page.
            3. By visiting and interacting with the University's Social Media webpage, users agree to the [name of social network] Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

 

    1. Personal Use

 

        1. Personal communication via social media is not exempt from the laws and regulations that govern personal liability across general and traditional forms of communication. Such communication should not indicate that you are speaking on behalf of Rowan University and should clearly identify your personal communications. Employees who use personal social media channels to talk about work or Rowan University-related manners are asked to disclose their affiliation with the University and may consider adding a disclaimer to personal social media accounts stating that their thoughts are their own.
        2. Employees may occasionally utilize social media and the web for personal matters in the workplace. Employees may engage in incidental personal use of social media in the workplace so long as such use does not consume significant time or resources, interfere with operations and productivity, or violate University or department policies.
        3. A disciplinary or other review may be initiated if an employee's online activity violates law or University policy, or if the employee's non-official or unauthorized online activity otherwise subjects the University to liability for such acts. Employees must recognize that Rowan University reserves the right to monitor use of its computer systems.

 

  1. Submitting Content for the University's Official Accounts

 

    1. If you would like to submit news and announcements to the social media team to consider for posting on the official Rowan University social media sites, please contact socialmedia@rowan.edu at least two weeks ahead of when you would like the content posted. Requests submitted with shorter than two weeks' notice cannot be considered.
    2. All submissions will be reviewed, however only posts that align with the University's social media strategy and pre-planned content calendar will be approved.
    3. Content may also be edited and/or omitted based on Web Service's discretion.

 

  1. Contacting University Web Services


If you have any questions about creating a strategy, registering an account, general policies, a particular social network or any information outlined herein, please contact Social Media Coordinator Danielle Roberts, Social Media Coordinator
or the Director, University Web Services Jennifer Bell, Director, University Web Services.

ATTACHMENTS

Attachment 1 – GUIDELINES

    1. Attachment 2 – BEST PRACTICES
    2. Attachment 3 – REFERENCES AND SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES

Attachment 4 – HYPERLINKS




By Direction of the Executive Vice President for Administration and Strategic Advancement


__________________________________
Carl (Tobey) Oxholm III
Executive Vice President for Administration and Strategic Advancement
ATTACHMENT 1
GUIDELINES

      1. Be Authentic


Social media is all about transparency and connecting personally. Ensuring the information you share is accurate will help your brand advocates find value in your community and help you establish credibility.

          • Think before you post.
          • Proof and re-proof everything before it goes live to confirm that information is both grammatically and factually correct.
          • Anything you share within social media, even within a closed network, is not private. If content is deleted or modified, older versions may continue to exist online. It can be archived by third parties and shared, stored and redistributed globally.

 

      1. Be Present


Since the shelf life of social media content is short, it is vital to continuously update the types of information you share. Social media requires diligent attention to remain engaging.

          • Schedule time to check your site(s) and post fresh content several times throughout the week.
          • Be judicious about how often you post content. Subject matter should be selected carefully.
          • Search for and interact with conversations on social media that don't necessarily address your page(s) directly.
          • Social media accounts associated with Rowan University must be logged into a minimum of twice per day to monitor and interact where necessary. Accounts considered inactive for more than one month may be subject to deactivation or deletion.

 

      1. Add Value, Not Volume


Listen to the conversation first, and then respond. Offer interesting, fun or insightful conversation that your audience cannot find anywhere else. Give people information they'll want to share with their friends by creating dialogue and sharing content the audience will find relevant. Share or re-post content from other trusted sources to extend the reach of messages. Solve problems, answer questions and offer advice. Do the work for your audience, and address people's concerns straightforwardly rather than directing them to another department on campus to find the answer.

          • Crafting different messaging for different social networks. While occasional cross-promotion is encouraged, you should not post the same exact messages across different platforms. Posting the same content does not accommodate different audience's tastes, nor does it incentivize people to follow you on multiple networks. All messages should be crafted keeping the network's specific social media audience, language and character limits in mind.
          • To avoid discrepancies and minimize the need for updates, social media platforms should not be used to post detailed policy or procedural information (i.e. program admission criteria). Rather, users should be directed to official University websites, electronic resources or publications for such information.

 

      1. Be Timely


One of the greatest benefits of social media is the ability to share information almost instantly with a global audience. This audience expects this instant gratification.

          • Be prepared to move quickly in response to new developments, announcements or emergencies with relevant information on your social pages. A short amount of accurate information delivered right away will be more valuable than a full report delivered days, or even hours, later.
          • We recommend responding to all comments, concerns and inquiries within 24 hours. If unable to address inquiries immediately, kindly inform the requestor that you are looking into it and will respond with an accurate answer soon as possible.

 

      1. Respect Your Audience


Create an online community for advocates of Rowan University. It should be a place where students, faculty and others can interact with one another, ask questions, voice opinions and get pertinent information.

          • Social media are public forums and should be treated in a manner that serves as an extension of the University's customer service experience. You should always treat your audiences with respect.
          • Disagreements and conflicts of interest will likely occur, but your responses should always be polite and accommodating. Content should never be written in a manner that can be interpreted as combative, demeaning or otherwise negative.
          • Generally speaking, content should not be posted unless it is suitable for all ages. Content should not be posted if it depicts a dangerous activity unless discussed with and approved by appropriate senior University administrators. A legal disclaimer may be required for such posts.
        • Do not post content that shows (or may be perceived to show) someone getting hurt, attacked or humiliated; that might be considered racist, bigoted or demeaning to a particular group of individuals; that depicts activity that is (or may be perceived to be) illegal; or that could otherwise show the University in a negative light.

 

      1. Be Human


Nobody wants to interact with a faceless corporation on social media.

          • Don't simply regurgitate traditional marketing messages – post with the main goal of igniting a conversation about which people care.
          • Be personal and accessible. Infuse a human voice into your posts so your audience feels as if they are talking to a real person – one to which the typical Rowan University ambassador can relate.


ATTACHMENT 2
BEST PRACTICES

      1. Attribution - When appropriate, tag or repost from primary and secondary pages and use hashtags to increase cross-promotion. Be judicious with the among of tags and/or hashtags you use.

 

      1. Audience - Always think of the audience first. From tone to topic, all posts should be written for them and should reach them at a time where engagement is optimal.

 

      1. Balance - Post a variety of content (e.g. Questions, videos, pictures, trivia, contests) to keep the audience interested and to saturate the news feed with top-tier information.

 

      1. Events - Announcements of events should link to the University's events calendar.

 

      1. Multimedia - When possible, post directly on the page so the user does not have to leave the page to view content. If links are necessary, be sure to take your audience directly where it needs to be. Always include some sort of media and try to avoid text-only posts.

 

      1. Teach - Help contributors who may be missing the mark with their posts to maximize everyone's efforts. Page administrators are seen as the experts at Rowan and, therefore, should guide contributors.

 

      1. Engage - Social media is a two-way street, so communicating with followers is a must. Do not treat social media as a megaphone or a way to broadcast news. Create reasonable calls-to-action to elicit a particular response.

 

      1. Measure - On a monthly basis, review the number of followers and posts in relation to engagement levels. Representatives may be expected to submit these metrics at any time upon request to University Web Services.


ATTACHMENT 3
REFERENCES AND SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITES

    1. The guidelines outlined herein do not surpass existing University policies related to the use of technology, codes of conduct or confidentiality. If you plan to speak on behalf of the University, please review these policies.
      1. Social Media Directory
      2. Graphic Standards
      3. Terms of Service
      4. To keep a pulse on daily developments in social media, we encourage you to follow articles from these industry leaders:

 

    1. Social Media Websites

 

      1. Facebook – an online social utility with 1.23 billion active users that connects people and organizations with friends and others who work, study, live and engage around them. People use Facebook to keep up with friends, share links, photos and videos, and to learn more about people and organizations.
      2. Twitter – a real-time, micro-blogging and social utility service that allows users to send a read messages known as "tweets," which are text-based posts containing no more than 140 characters. People use Twitter to share and view links, consume news and personal statuses and tap into larger, aggregated conversations by using hashtags.
      3. LinkedIn – a business-oriented online social utility that allows users to strengthen and extend their existing network of trusted professional contacts. People use LinkedIn to stay in touch with contacts and informed about their industry.
      4. Google+ – an integrated social platform that merges with other Google services including YouTube, Gmail and Google Search. Users can network with one another via "Circles," or specific communities, and engage in conversations via comments or +1s.
      5. YouTube – a video sharing website and the Internet's second most popular search engine. Users can view, upload and share videos as well as comment on other videos.
      6. Instagram – a photo sharing network owned by Facebook that allows users to upload photos taken with a mobile device, apply special filters and share with their friends. These photos can remain private to an approved network of followers, or shared publicly throughout multiple other popular social networks.
      7. Pinterest – a photo sharing website that allows users to "pin," or bookmark, images they find interesting from around the web to categorized "boards" on their profiles.
      8. Flickr – a photo sharing website on which users can view, upload and share photos. This is a popular place for storing photos that link to blogs and other social platforms.
      9. Foursquare – a geo-location app that shares your whereabouts with your friends and allows you to view their locations. You can collect points, prizes, "badges," and even discounts through the app by "checking in."
      10. Blog – an online site short for "web log." It allows an individual or group to share a running log of personal insights, events, news and other topics of interest.

 

ATTACHMENT 4

HYPERLINKS

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