Creating New UIS Social Media Accounts
Department and unit representatives start the process of launching a new social media account by filling out the appropriate form. The requesting department or unit must provide the following:
- An explanation of why they want to create the account, their target audiences and provide ideas about content they plan to post on the account;
- Documentation confirming that the relevant department or unit leader has approved the launch of a new social media account;
- The names of a minimum of two faculty/staff/students who will act as social media managers for the new social media account ;
- Agreement to follow all UIS brand standards, especially those related to logos and marks, brand graphics, and naming;
- Agreement to follow best practices;
- Acknowledgment that administrative access to all social media accounts must be shared with Media Strategy.
Maintaining UIS Social Media Accounts
Departments and units represent UIS when posting on department and unit social media accounts. Social media managers should always be thoughtful and discerning when choosing what to post and engaging with the public on social media. Permission to operate a university social media account requires a commitment to advance the interests of UIS. Departments and units are required to adhere to the following to maintain their social media accounts:
- Post to each social account at least once per month. Media Strategy may shut down, suspend or assume control over social media account(s) that have not posted for greater than six months or are otherwise deemed by UIS to be insufficiently active.
- Actively monitor the social media accounts for comments/questions and respond in a timely manner, when appropriate.
- Maintain at least two social media managers on their social media accounts and keep the names current with Media Strategy (in a shared Box folder).
- Share administrative access to their social media accounts with Media Strategy.
- Follow UIS brand standards, especially those related to logos and marks, brand graphics, and naming.
- Use Media Strategy-approved department logos or university marks for their profile photos on their social media accounts. Approved logos, which meet UIS brand standards, are created by UIS Creative Services and are available to use free of charge. To request an approved department/unit logo or university mark for the social media account, email printing@uis.edu.
- Make sure content is accessible per state and federal requirements.
- Get approval from the department or unit leader prior to live-streaming content on social media accounts. Live-streamed content should not include copyrighted music (unless rights are obtained), foul language or other content violations listed above.
- Comply with the terms and conditions of the social media platform(s).
- Department and unit social media managers are prohibited from creating posts on UIS social media that:
- Are for personal purposes.
- Are not directly tied to the core administrative, academic research or teaching activities of the university, department, or unit.
- Disclose information that is proprietary, private or confidential by law, regulation or policy.
- Violate copyrights or trademarks.
- Contain discriminatory, hateful, obscene, defamatory, offensive, false, attacking, harassing or threatening language.
- Depict or incite violence.
- Target a person or group of people based on their race, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, political beliefs or other legally protected categories.
- Promote or advocate illegal activity.
- Are commercial solicitations for non-university related causes (including asking for donations) without prior permission from UIS Media Strategy.
- Are commercial solicitations for businesses and organizations not affiliated with the University of Illinois except pursuant to an approved sponsorship agreement or in support of UI Foundation activities
- Otherwise violate university policy or values, or the terms and conditions of the social media platform.
Terminating UIS Social Media Accounts
Department or Unit Initiated Actions:
Department or unit leaders or social media managers who no longer wish to maintain and operate the department or unit social media account should notify Media Strategy as soon as possible. Social media accounts should not be permitted to go dormant without notice to Media Strategy. Media Strategy may choose to assume or assign control of the social media account.
Media Strategy Initiated Actions:
All department and unit social media accounts are the property of UIS. As the unit responsible for the UIS brand, UIS Media Strategy retains complete discretion over whether to assume control of, disable or delete any UIS social media posts. A decision to assume control of, modify, disable or delete any UIS social media posts will be in the sole discretion of Media Strategy.
Violations
Social media managers are responsible for what is written or posted on a department or unit’s social media account. In addition to Media Strategy assuming control of, modifying, disabling or deleting social media content, individual employees may be subject to discipline for violation of this or other relevant policies.
Moderation Guidelines
UIS expects individuals to engage in its educational forums respectfully and truthfully. If public comments are permitted on a department or unit social media account, due regard will be given to freedom of speech and expression protections of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
Social media managers may remove comments that do not adhere to the Moderation Guidelines. Comments that are negative in nature but do not violate the Moderation Guidelines should not be deleted. If a user/follower/commenter has three or more violations of the Moderation Guidelines, they may be banned or blocked. Users who post threatening comments should be blocked and reported to the relevant social media platform.
Social media managers with questions about how to apply the moderation guidelines should contact the Office of Media Strategy.
Comments made to UIS social media must be relevant to the UIS community and the original topic posted.
- The following types of comments are not permitted and are subject to deletion:
- Comments that disclose information that is private or confidential by law, regulation, or policy
- Comments that violate copyrights or trademarks
- Comments defaming or harassing specific individuals or groups
- Comments that harass a person or group of persons based on their race, nationality, gender, religion, sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics
- Comments that contain obscene or sexually explicit language
- Comments that are threatening or incite violence
- Comments that promote or advocate illegal activity
- Spam comments
- Commercial solicitations for non-university related causes (including asking for donations) without prior permission from UIS Media Strategy.
- Comments that violate the terms and conditions of the social media platform.
Additional Resources
- Digital Assets Policy
- UIS Acceptable Use Policy
- Campus Web Policy
- University of Illinois Information Security Policy
- Protection of Electronic Information
- FERPA is the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The UIS Office of Records and Registration offers classroom and online FERPA training to help faculty and staff understand the act and learn how to comply.