8.1.11 Social Media Sites

Policy Tracking	Date
Approved	February 4, 2015
Revised	September 2,2020
Reviewed

Social media is a form of online publication or presence that allows end users to engage in multi-directional conversations in or around the content on the website. The most common examples are Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Flickr. The Director of Marketing and Communications is responsible for posting content on primary Blue Ridge Community College social media sites. Primary sites are:
- Blue Ridge Community College Facebook page (www.facebook.com/BlueRidgeCommunityCollege)
- Blue Ridge Community College Twitter Page (www.twitter.com/BlueRidgeCC).
Employees who want to establish a new social media site using the College’s name and/or is administered by a College employee to support or promote a College program or area must follow the following steps:
1. The employee will submit the completed Blue Ridge Community College Social Media Notification Form. The form will need approval from the appropriate dean/ director, vice president, and the Director of Marketing and Communications.
2. Those administering social media sites should have at least one other college employee designated with secondary user access to the site in the event site access needs to be gained and the primary user and/or creator is not available.
Responsibilities of Social Media Site Administrators:
1. Social media sites must be monitored and updated on an ongoing basis by the responsible administrator to enable rapid response to any problems that may arise and to ensure an engaging, interesting environment for visitors. Minimally, pages should be reviewed on a daily basis.
2. Administrators should assure that communications on social media made on behalf of Blue Ridge are consistent with institutional values, administrative policies, the Student Code of Conduct, and all applicable laws concerning privacy (i.e. FERPA), confidentiality, and copyright or trademark infringement.
3. Administrators are expected to follow each social media site’s respective rules.
4. All administrators should remember that communication through College-approved social media is considered a public record under G.S. 132 and is subject to public records requests. Any content maintained in a social media format related to college business, including communication posted by the College and communication received from citizens, is a public record. The Department maintaining the site is responsible for responding completely and accurately to any public records request for social media content.
5. If something needs to be deleted from a social media site, a copy of the removed post, removal reasons listed, and removal date should be kept on file with the Department maintaining the site and a copy provided to the Director of Marketing and Communications.
6. The College reserves the right to delete comments or block users if the following guidelines are not followed:
  1. Do not attack someone personally.
  2. Do not share inflammatory content.
  3. Do not use profanity, racist or other abusive language.
  4. Do not spread false information.
  5. Do not advertise on College page's without prior approval.
Employees Use of Private Webpages and Social Media Sites
1. When creating or posting material to a webpage or other Internet site apart from the College's website or approved ancillary external site or page (i.e., social media site), employees should remember that the content may be viewed by anyone including community members, students and parents.
2. Employees are to maintain appropriate relationships at all times with students and members of the public. Having a public personal website or online social media profile or allowing access to a private website or private social media profile is considered a form of direct communication with students and members of the public. Any employee found to have created and/or posted content on a website or profile that has a negative impact on the employee's ability to perform his/her job as it relates to working with students and the community or that otherwise disrupts the efficient and effective operation of the College may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.