These guidelines were developed for faculty, staff and administrators at the Grossmont-Cuyamaca Community College District who create and administer social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or YouTube on behalf of the district or its colleges. The district supports the use of social media as a valuable tool to disseminate information and create a thriving online community.
These sites reflect on the district and its colleges and should therefore be written and structured in an appropriate, ethical, professional and lawful manner. If activity on a social networking site is offensive or violates district policy, it may result in disciplinary or legal action. Using the district’s official media sites and approved accounts indicates that you have read and will abide by these guidelines.
Setting up and monitoring social media pages
1. Before setting up a social media page representing a college or the district, employees must contact Anne Krueger, communications and public information director, at anne.krueger@gcccd.edu; Christianne Penunuri at Cuyamaca College at christianne.penunuri@gcccd.edu; or Lorena Ruggero at Grossmont College at lorena.ruggero@gcccd.edu
2. Consider your objectives before creating a social media page. Ask yourself:
3. The page should be used only for college or district-related purposes.
4. The employee responsible for posting to the social media site must regularly monitor the page. The sites will also be monitored by the Public Information Office.
5. Personal information should not be posted on social media sites, including but not limited to: student identification numbers, employee identification numbers, Social Security numbers, personal addresses or phone numbers, or driver’s license numbers.
6. Social media sites are not private, and the expectation of privacy is not conveyed to you as a user or administrator of the site.
Photo guidelines
Photos posted on social media pages should favorably portray the colleges and district and the persons depicted in the photos. The following guidelines should be used when posting photos:
Logo and titles
The name of the college should begin the title of any social network page associated with a single college. For example:
The college or district logo cannot be used on Facebook pages except on the official college page.
Administration
At least two site administrators are recommended. For student organizations, outgoing and incoming administrators should be overlapped to ensure a smooth transition.
Best practices
Freedom of speech must be exercised responsibly on the sites. These recommendations provide a roadmap for constructive, respectful, and productive use of social networking sites.
Standards for appropriate conversation
Although online conversations on social media sites are often casual, they must remain professional and respectful. Comments on the colleges’ official pages are monitored to ensure compliance with the social networking guidelines. Inappropriate comments will be removed.
Content that will be deleted includes:
Press inquiries
Postings may generate media coverage. If a member of the media contacts you about a social media posting or requests information about the colleges or district, contact Anne Krueger at (619) 644-7842, Christianne Penunuri (Cuyamaca College) at (619) 660-4039, or Lorena Ruggero (Grossmont College) at (619) 644-7842. You should also confirm that any information you post has been publicly disclosed.
Questions?
Questions about the social media guidelines should be sent to Anne Krueger at anne.krueger@gcccd.edu .