Social Media Policy for Faculty and Staff

Faculty and staff may maintain both personal and professional social media accounts. Whether sharing social media content in a private or professional context, any individual who identifies themselves as a Cumberland University employee is expected to ensure that all posts comport with the mission and values of the university.

Faculty and staff who disclose their CU affiliation in their public personal social media profiles should specify that their expressed opinions are theirs alone and do not represent the views of the University. Employees can do so by including the following statement, in their social media account’s bio, “views expressed are my own and do not represent the views of my employer.” Absent specific permission being granted by the university, no employee may speak for or otherwise represent any position of the University.

Remember, social media is about conversations, community, connecting with the audience, and building relationships. Listen before you speak and consider the power of silence. This section is intended to encourage the use of social media professionally and personally and to provide policies for eliminating any confusion concerning its use.

1. It is important for university employees to recognize that any time they are on social media, they may be viewed by others as representatives of the institution. Accordingly, as a best practice, your conduct and speech online should always reflect consistency with the University mission, vision and core values. Of course, any employee of the university is free to express personal opinions on social media, but should such positions or statements contradict the mission or values of the University, a disclaimer statement that makes clear the views are personal and not necessarily consistent with those of the university should be included. The inclusion of a disclaimer should not on its own be interpreted to waive or negate any personnel policy requirements imposed by the University.
2. Ensure that your social networking conduct is consistent with all institutional policies contained in Cumberland’s Policies and Procedures Manual and Course Catalog, Faculty and Human Resources Handbook (including the Confidentiality and Disclosure policy and Sexual Harassment policy), and Information Technology Acceptable Use Policies. You must also ensure your social networking conduct complies with FERPA requirements and NAIA regulations. Failure to comply with any of the aforementioned policies could result in disciplinary action being taken up to and including termination of employment.
3. Do not misuse the Cumberland brand. Do not use Cumberland’s logo, unless specifically authorized to do so by the Office of Marketing and Communications or in the case you are sharing an official University social media post. Rules and guidelines for acceptable use of the Cumberland brand can be found in the University’s Brand Manual Guidelines.
4. Discern whether information is public or private. Be mindful of information that is “for internal use only.” University proprietary information that has been deemed for internal use should NEVER be shared with anyone who is not employed by Cumberland. No exceptions. Messages from our president, deans, directors, managers or other University-authorized personnel to other employees are not meant to be shared with the media, any public organization, or individual, absent specific permission for such distribution.
5. You must defer to public relations officials for handling official University information and comment. University employees should never comment on Cumberland-related legal, administrative or procedural matters unless specific permission has been extended to you to discuss such items by the Office of Marketing and Communications. Do not use social media to address private or proprietary student enrollment data, future University changes, unannounced financial results or similar matters. Cumberland’s marketing team oversees and directs the release of all official University news and information to public audiences. Be sure any content you share online has been cleared to share with the public before making available to any external source. Breaking news must always be shared first by Cumberland’s marketing staff on official University accounts; do not release Cumberland-related news or information before the University has officially done so.
6. You must respect your audience. Do not use social media to threaten, libel, slander, defame, discriminate, or engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable on campus. When online, show proper respect for others’ privacy and for topics that may be considered objectionable or inflammatory.
7. You must follow the proper procedure for press inquiries. Any press inquiries received via professional or personal social media sites regarding the University must be immediately referred to the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications.
8. Immediately report a potential crisis situation. If you are made aware of information or content online that could be deleterious to the interests of the University, act quickly and notify the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, the Dean of Students, or other appropriate campus leadership.
9. Share content with integrity. Cumberland expects you to write knowledgeably, accurately and professionally. Respect differences and appreciate the diversity of opinions.
10.  All employees are expected to act in accordance with the Professional Conduct Standards set forth in Policy Document # StaffHR -- 109.

4. Using your personal social media to promote the University

Cumberland employees sharing content on social media is one of the most effective ways of growing the online reach of CU and its brand. University employees are encouraged to share, retweet and repost Cumberland content on their personal social media accounts—news stories, videos, tweets and photos alike. Linking to a relevant cumberland.edu webpage further increases the online presence of CU. Be sure to tag or mention Cumberland, too.

5. Recommended practices for interacting with students on social media

The following recommendations apply specifically to employee-to-student interactions in a social media environment.

1. Avoid initiating “friend” or “follow” requests with Cumberland students on social media. However, CU employees and faculty may wish to accept “friend” or “follow” requests initiated by students. Note: Employees and faculty are not obligated to accept “friend” or “follow” requests and are encouraged to determine a personal policy to either accept all requests from students or none. Avoid being selective and portraying favoritism by accepting requests from certain students but denying requests from others.
2. Employees should interact with students online with the same professionalism and appropriateness they would adhere to on campus. Always adhere to all universities policies related to employee standards of professional conduct when on social media.
3. Avoid using social media platforms to communicate with students about courses or assignments. If a student initiates these types of conversations online, let them know you’ll email them using your University email account or set up a time to talk during office hours.
4. If you’re uncomfortable with a student’s behavior, interaction or content on social media, discuss it with your immediate supervisor. If a student expresses on social media the desire or intent to harm him/herself or others, document and report what you’ve seen to your supervisor immediately as well as the Dean of Students.

6. Conclusion

In order to keep our social media accounts a space for civil discourse and information sharing, we’ve created the following reminders:

Social media is a public forum. Remember that anything you post may be seen by thousands of people worldwide, and that comments you read are attributable only to the individual who posted them. Comments, replies, and other responses do not represent the viewpoint of Cumberland University or any of its affiliates.

Always be respectful. Demonstrate respect for other people and the Cumberland community (Faculty, Staff, Students, Alumni, Donors, etc.) by keeping your posts civil.

Private information should not be posted. Do not publish or share personal information or FERPA protected information on social media, even in private messages.

Cumberland University is committed to fostering a safe community and workplace where everyone can learn, live, work and express ourselves. Comments, direct messages, and other forms of social media outreach directed at Cumberland University-affiliated accounts are not mechanisms for reporting concerns of discrimination or harassment. Cumberland encourages all community members to raise concerns, including discrimination and harassment through the many other and more appropriate options available to the University.