Related Information

Cuyamaca College Social Media Guidelines

 

These guidelines were developed for faculty, staff, and administrators at Cuyamaca College by members of the social media work group. These guidelines are for those employees who create and administer social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter/X, Threads, or YouTube on behalf of Cuyamaca College. 

 

Social media platforms are valuable tools to disseminate information about the college and should reflect the mission, vision, and values of the organization.

 

Social media activity reflects on the college 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. Use of the college’s official social media sites indicates that you have read and will abide by these guidelines.

 

General Guidelines

 

  • Official social media pages should be used only for college-related purposes.
  • Creation of College-affiliated social media accounts identified with the College’s name must be registered with the College & Community Relations Department. Login credentials must be shared with College and Community Relations for security and continuity purposes, and to prevent instances of account lockout.
  • At least two site administrators are recommended. For student organizations, outgoing and incoming administrators should be overlapped to ensure a smooth transition.
  • Only those with an @gcccd email can act as an administrator for a Cuyamaca College social media account. The employee responsible for posting to the social media site must regularly monitor the page. 
  • The name of the college should begin the title of any social network page associated with the college.
  • A link to the Cuyamaca website must be included in the biography of every official college social media account. This link should provide users more information about this specific program, department, club, etc.
  • Brand colors should be used in all profile pictures/images so that it is easier for users to recognize College-affiliated accounts as being part of a coherent brand.
  • Personal information should not be posted on social media sites (in posts, comments, or direct. messages), including but not limited to: student identification numbers, employee identification numbers, Social Security numbers, personal addresses or phone numbers, or driver’s license numbers.
  • Social media sites are not private, and the expectation of privacy is not conveyed to you as a user or administrator of the site.  
  • To streamline accounts across campus, similar bios, hashtags, and profile pictures shall be employed. Users should be able to quickly identify official accounts by their consistent brand image, transparency, and accountability (official email address).

Photo Guidelines

 

  • Photos posted on social media pages should favorably portray the college and the persons depicted in the photos.
  • Photos of children/minors should not be posted without express consent from their parents, except photos taken at public events. Even then, use great caution when posting photos of young children.  
  • Photos of public events can be posted on social networking sites, but they must be appropriate. As a guideline, they should be photos that could be posted on the college's official website. Examples of photos that should be avoided include but are not limited to: photos involving alcohol, nudity, violence, and graphic scenes.
  • Photos taken on occasions that are not public, such as a workshop or class, must have a model release form signed by each person in the photo.

 

Best Practices

Freedom of speech must be exercised responsibly. These recommendations provide a road map for constructive, respectful, and productive use of social networking sites.

 

Be respectful -- Respect your audience and your colleagues. Take care not to engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable in the workplace. 

 

Get your facts correct -- Ensure that you are providing accurate information so that you are not misrepresenting the college.

 

Be mindful of your public image -- Consider the image you want to portray to the public on behalf of the college. Be mindful that what you post may be viewed by parents, students, administrators and community members, and may stay public for a long time.

 

Use your best judgment -- Remember there may be consequences to what you post, so consider your content carefully.

 

Standards for Appropriate Conversation. -- Although online conversations on social media sites are often casual, they must remain professional and respectful. Comments on the college's official pages are monitored to ensure compliance with the social networking guidelines. Inappropriate comments will be removed.Content that will be deleted includes:  

  • An advertisement for a commercial business
  • Libelous, slanderous, inflammatory or defamatory comments
  • Vulgar, racist or sexist slurs
  • Obscenities
  • Content pertaining to violence or hate speech
  • Incorrect information
  • Information that violates student privacy under FERPA
  • Comments that are not respectful
  • Comments that are not relevant to the topic
  • A commenter who is misrepresenting himself/herself
  • A single person dominating the conversation

Please direct questions to Michael Navarre, Director of College and Community Relations.