Social Media Policy
Purpose
To ensure that institutional, state and federal privacy and intellectual rights policies are observed and to maintain a positive institutional brand image.
Definitions
This policy pertains only to those social media platforms for which a Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) related account has been created. This includes accounts created for M State campuses, programs, clubs, organizations and individuals in their official M State capacity.
Social media is defined as media disseminated through electronic and web-based social interaction and created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Examples include, but are not limited to, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. Employees and students of Minnesota State Community and Technical College are reminded that social media platforms can have a significant impact on the reputation of the institution and on the accuracy of information available to the public. Accordingly, employees and students should give full consideration to anything published on such sites.
Policy
Employees of M State are bound by the Federal Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) – as such we require permission from our students before publishing content about them. Similarly, privacy of employees and members of the larger M State communities must be respected. Confidential or proprietary information about M State, students, employees, or alumni should not be posted without their consent.
All content published by the college must be accurate and consistent. Any information distributed via social media must match the official information distributed through M State print materials and website content.
The names “Minnesota State Community and Technical College,” “M State,” and “M State Spartans” are the trademarked intellectual properties of the college and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. These names may not be used by third party groups or organization as the names of websites or of account names in any social media websites. Only authorized employees of the college, auxiliary enterprises, and designated student representatives of clubs and athletic organizations from the college may operate or maintain such pages and accounts.
Copyright and intellectual property rights of others and of the college must be adhered to in any social media connected to the college. Employees and students cannot use text or media (video, images, etc.) without the permission of its owner. In addition, sources must be cited (see Minnesota State College and Universities System Board Policy 3.26 and 3.27).
All social media efforts are subject to Minnesota State system Board Policy 1.C.0.1 Employee Code of Conduct, Subpart A. Conflict of Interest and Minnesota State system Board Policy 5.22 Acceptable Use of Computers and Information Technology Resources. Employees and students are liable for anything they publish online in affiliation with M State. Employees may be held accountable for content published in affiliation with M State that contains content which is defamatory, pornographic, proprietary, harassing, libelous, or that creates a hostile work environment. Students similarly may face disciplinary action for violations of student conduct as outlined in Chapter 3 of Minnesota State College and Universities System Board Policies.
M State will consider the removal of content from its social media presence upon request of individuals affected by content that compromises their privacy or when content is found as inaccurate. The college can make no guarantees that the content will not be cached and preserved online by a third party (such as Google).
Employees cannot misrepresent themselves when posting or interacting on social media (e.g., job title, educational background or duties assigned). All M State employees and students using college resources to use social media platforms are subject to the college’s acceptable computer use policy.
Associated Policies and Procedure
Minnesota State system Board Policy 3.26 Intellectual Property
