The UH Social Media Policy proposed in the outline below includes all updates made before March 2012, and is currently in review with the UH Policies & Procedures Committee. Because UH is committed to shared governance, the campus community is encouraged to submit feedback through the Policies & Procedures Committee. To be added to one of their review lists, please contact Peggy Levy.
Follow all applicable state, federal, and university laws, faculty and staff handbooks, regulations, and policies, such as FERPA, HIPPA, and NCAA Regulations. Any content and/or online activity created by a poster or site moderator that violates these ordinances, or contains/leads to the release of a student’s private personal information is strictly prohibited and should be removed.
Protect confidential information with privacy laws, especially FERPA: "The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education." (read more).
If you are en employee of the University of Houston or provide work for the University of Houston, do not engage in any conversations or post any information regarding student records. Some examples of student records include names, admission status, GPA, Social Security number, PeopleSoft number, and any/all other information that would be covered by FERPA. If students request help, you can direct them to a secure discussion platform, such as phone, email, or "Get Help"
Protect confidential medical records, as specified by HIPAA: “The Privacy Rule protects all "individually identifiable health information" held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral.” Examples of protected information include: “…the individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of health care to the individual, or, the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to the individual, and that identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe can be used to identify the individual.” See more...
The world of social media has changed the face of communication and recruiting in collegiate sports and all UH employees are asked to abide by NCAA regulations when interacting and communicating on social media platforms. In addition, we ask that all employees refrain from contacting (Tweeting and friending on Facebook) prospective student-athletes on social media until after they have signed a National Letter of Intent with the school.
Learn more about NCAA's social media regulations here.
The university does not endorse or use any social network Internet communication service or media sharing service as a secure means of communication for online business transactions or matters involving personal information. The university will not ask for, nor should an individual send, credit card or payment information, classified information, privileged information, private information or information subject to non-disclosure agreements via any social network internet communication service.
Find UH privacy guidelines click here.
Do not engage in personal affairs under the guise of your UH entity’s social site.
If there is a filter option for comments, disable it or set it to the lowest possible setting.
If there is an option to add information on your site, please add this disclaimer: All content posted here does not necessarily reflect the views/ opinions of the university.
If you photograph a student with the intent to publish that photo on a social media site, you need to have your subject sign a photo release form before you post the photo. Learn more about image release regulations here.
Regarding the posting of faculty and staff pictures in UH publications or mediums, it is recommended to exercise proper judgment and discretion in determining whether to post such pictures and to seek permission in any instance where faculty or staff would have some expectation of privacy. For example, group shots of university employees at university events should be fine. However, for the posting of employee pictures on the website, it is recommended to ask for permission. This can be done in writing, by email, or with the standard UH photo release form. The key is to be respectful of employees’ privacy considerations.
Respect copyright law. "Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed." (read more). Also see copyright policy information on uh.edu, as related to file sharing.
Fair use allows portions of certain works to be used without consent under specific situations however, "The safest course is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material." (read more).
Utilize available graphics to reinforce the university brand. Do not abuse logos. Your social media icon/profile image for your entity should comply with the UH branding standards. It should either be a photograph related to your entity, an approved logo for your entity, or another appropriately branded image. See the UH Graphic Standards.
UH employees who have authority to update UH social media sites should not post personal information or personal updates to UH social media sites.
Employees must adhere to regular employee policies and standards of conduct.
Please review the following:
Obey the terms of use for your social media platform. These rules are constantly changing so it is your duty to stay up to date. Here are links to policies for some of the more popular platforms:
UH social media sites should be accessible in some form to those with disabilities. Learn more here.
You are encouraged to link to your source material ANY TIME you are able. This will help reduce the possibility of misinformation and it will also drive traffic.
Protect your own privacy online by adjusting your privacy settings and publishing your updates only to the audiences with whom you wish to share your status.
If you maintain a forum where people can post to your site (i.e. Facebook wall, blog comments, LinkedIn Group posts, etc.) then you should include a link to our Social Media interaction guide. This guide outlines the kinds of commentaries that may have First Amendment protection and those that do not have First Amendment protection.
Think twice about the content you are about to post and double check EVERYTHING, with special attention to accuracy, spelling, and grammar. Think twice about the value of the content and consider whether or not it may potentially malign or polarize any person or group.
Be respectful. If an audience member posts a comment to your site that upsets you, give yourself some time to cool down before responding. Display good sportsmanship; do not malign your rivals. Treat others as you would like to be treated.
If you are maintaining a personal site that does not serve the purpose of representing or promoting the university, then it is recommended that you add this phrase somewhere on your site: Views expressed here are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
Photos: As mentioned above in the privacy section, you must get a photo release form form from any student identifiable in the photos you share. You should also be respectful
of UH employees by requesting written permission to release their image. This
can be done via written note, email, or the standard photo release form.
It is also recommended that all photos be edited to the following specifications: 72dpi resolution and 800x600 pixels in size. For
those in need of basic training on how to do this, please contact Jessica Brand.
Respond to comments, posts, mentions, and other interactions in a timely manner and with accurate information. Join the UH Social Media Alliance to build relationships with colleagues who will be able to help you formulate the best responses to any questions your audience members may post.
It is recommended that you review your site's effectiveness once a month. This will help you understand how you can improve your communications to provide your audience with content THEY want. This in turn will help you grow your audience. Many social media sites come equipped with native analytics, but there are also plenty of free tools out there that can help (i.e. Hootsuite, Tweetdeck, bit.ly, TwitterCounter, The Archivist, etc.).
If you do not post items of value, your audience will stop listening. Give them content they can share and/or that will help them succeed. Give them opportunities to flaunt their creativity or to do something fun. Every time you share a new post, ask yourself, "Would I find this valuable?" Also try to keep your language casual but professional. Ask yourself, "Would I speak to a friend like this?"
Cross-promote when you can! See the social media directory for a list of official university sites.
Follow all applicable state, federal, and university laws, faculty and staff handbooks, regulations, and policies, such as FERPA, HIPPA, and NCAA Regulations. Any content and/or online activity created by a poster or site moderator that violates these ordinances, or contains/leads to the release of a student’s private personal information is strictly prohibited and should be removed.
Do not divulge any confidential information you have access to as a UH employee (e.g., student information).
If you are en employee of the University of Houston or provide work for the University of Houston the university, do not engage in any conversations or post any information regarding student records. Some examples of student records include names, admission status, GPA, Social Security number, PeopleSoft number, and any/all other information that would be covered by FERPA. If students request help, you can direct them to a secure discussion platform, such as phone, email, or “Get Help”.
Protect confidential medical records, as specified by HIPAA: “The Privacy Rule protects all "individually identifiable health information" held or transmitted by a covered entity or its business associate, in any form or media, whether electronic, paper, or oral.” Examples of protected information include: “…the individual’s past, present or future physical or mental health or condition, the provision of health care to the individual, or, the past, present, or future payment for the provision of health care to the individual, and that identifies the individual or for which there is a reasonable basis to believe can be used to identify the individual.” See more…
The world of social media has changed the face of communication and recruiting in collegiate sports and all UH employees are asked to abide by NCAA regulations when interacting and communicating on social media platforms. In addition, we ask that all employees refrain from contacting (Tweeting and friending on Facebook) prospective student-athletes on social media until after they have signed a National Letter of Intent with the school.
Learn more about NCAA's social media regulations here.
The university does not endorse or use any social network Internet communication service or media sharing service as a secure means of communication for online business transactions or matters involving personal information. The university will not ask for, nor should an individual send, credit card or payment information, classified information, privileged information, private information or information subject to non-disclosure agreements via any social network internet communication service.Find UH privacy guidelines: http://www.uh.edu/legal-affairs/general-counsel/ferpa/index.php
Respect copyright law. "Copyright, a form of intellectual property law, protects original works of authorship including literary, dramatic, musical, and artistic works, such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software, and architecture. Copyright does not protect facts, ideas, systems, or methods of operation, although it may protect the way these things are expressed." (read more). See also, copyright policy information on uh.edu, as related to file sharing.
Fair use allows portions of certain works to be used without consent under specific situations, however, "The safest course is always to get permission from the copyright owner before using copyrighted material." (read more).
Obey the terms of use for your social media platform, and comply with applicable University policies, and applicable laws. The social media platforms terms of use are constantly changing so it is your duty to stay up to date. Here are links to policies for some of the more popular platforms:
Protect your own privacy online by adjusting your privacy settings and publishing your updates only to the audiences with whom you wish to share your status.
If you are maintaining a personal site that does not serve the purpose of representing or promoting the university, then it is recommended that you add this phrase somewhere on your site: Views expressed here are my own, and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.
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