West Virginia University Social Media Guidelines

Sharing information is a basic tenet of higher education. Through social media, it is easier than ever to reach out to others and to share information. There have never been fewer barriers to sharing, but with this openness comes a need to know exactly what to share and with whom, as well as a clear understanding of what not to do.

WVU supports its faculty, staff, and students in the use of social media to connect with each other and to accelerate teaching and learning. To illustrate the “do’s” and the “don’t do’s,” we developed these guidelines to help you use blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Foursquare, and other social media outlets effectively, and to protect your personal and professional reputation and the institutional reputation of the University. These guidelines will also help you to follow University policies.

WVU Facebook Guidelines
See http://facebook.wvu.edu/do_s_don_ts.

WVU Blogging Guidelines
See http://webservices.wvu.edu/policies_and_guidelines/Blog.

If You Post on Behalf of WVU:

Be connected. If you have been authorized to create an official WVU social media site or a video for posting in locations like YouTube, contact University Relations for an approved logo and other images to ensure coordination with other WVU sites and content.
Be respectful. As a WVU employee or representative, you should be mindful of the University’s public mission as a forum for thoughtful discussion of opposing ideas. Some online communities can be volatile, tempting users to behave in ways they otherwise wouldn’t. Your reputation, and WVU’s, are best served when you remain above the fray.

Be responsive. If a question or comment is directed toward you via your social media site or page, you should do your best to reply in a timely and appropriate fashion.
Be transparent. If you participate in or maintain a social media site on behalf of WVU, clearly state your role and goals. Discuss with your supervisor when you are empowered to respond directly to users and when you may need approval. Never hide your identity when representing WVU.

Be thoughtful. Think before you post. There is no such thing as a “private” social media site. Search engines can find posts years after the publication date. Material can be copied and forwarded. Some guaranteed good advice: Never post when you are angry.
Know the rules. Become familiar with the terms of service and policies of sites and networks in which you participate. Pay attention to updates.

Keep your personal views separate. Uphold the University’s mission and values in your activities. Don’t include political or personal comments. This includes changes to your photo or avatar in relation to political or social issues.

Remember that timing is everything. Do not publish information you may learn through your job (in particular University cancellations/closings or other emergencies) before it has been officially announced by University Relations, News. Information you believe to be final or official can easily (and often does) change. Once information has been announced officially, feel free to help spread the word.

Maintain confidentiality. Do not post confidential information about WVU, its faculty, staff, or students. Use good ethical judgment and follow University policies. Familiarize yourself with FERPA and HIPAA rules and follow them. As a guide, don’t post anything you wouldn’t present at a conference.

Personal Site Guidelines:

Be authentic. Be honest about your identity. In personal posts, you may identify yourself, but be clear that you are sharing your personal views, not representing WVU. A common practice is to include a disclaimer. If you discuss higher education on your own social media site, we suggest you include a sentence similar to this: “The views expressed on this [blog, Web site] are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of WVU.”

Don’t be a mole. Never pretend to be someone else. Tracking tools enable supposedly anonymous posts to be traced back to their authors.
Maintain confidentiality. Again, do not post confidential information about WVU, its faculty, staff, or students. Use good ethical judgment and follow University policies. Familiarize yourself with FERPA and HIPAA rules and follow them. As a guide, don’t post anything you wouldn’t present at a conference.

Take the high ground. If you identify your affiliation in your comments, readers will associate you with WVU, even with the disclaimer that your views are your own. Remember that you’re most likely to build a high-quality following if you discuss ideas and situations civilly.
Be aware of liability. Always be aware that you may be held legally liable for what you post on your own site and on the sites of others. You are at all times responsible for your posts. Individuals have been held liable for commentary deemed to be proprietary, copyrighted, defamatory, libelous or obscene (as defined by the courts). Employers are increasingly conducting Web searches on job candidates before extending offers. Be sure that what you post will not come back to haunt you
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Don’t post unapproved work. If projects you work on in your role at the University have not been given final OK for publication, do not post them on your personal websites. Once the University posts them, you are free to post as well.

Logo usage. Do not use the Flying WV logo, WVU logotype, University seal, the image of the Mountaineer, or any other WVU marks or images on your personal online sites. Do not use WVU’s name to promote or endorse any product, cause, or political party or candidate.
Protect your identity. While you want to be honest about yourself, don’t provide personal information that scam artists or identity thieves could use against you. Don’t list your home address or telephone number or your work telephone or e-mail address. It is a good idea to create a separate e-mail address that is used only with your social media site.

Follow a code of ethics. There are numerous codes of ethics for bloggers and other active participants in social media, all of which will help you participate responsibly in online communities. If you have your own social media site, you may wish to post your own code of ethics or adapt an existing code already on the Web. Monitor comments. Most people who maintain social media sites welcome comments—it builds credibility and community. However, you can set your site so that you can review and approve comments before they appear.

In General

  • Stick to your area of expertise and provide unique, individual perspectives.
  • Post meaningful, respectful comments. No spam and no remarks that are off-topic or offensive.
  • Always pause and think before posting. But do reply to comments in a timely manner, when a response is appropriate.
  • Respect proprietary information and content, and confidentiality.
  • When disagreeing with others’ opinions, keep it appropriate and polite.