Brand and Marketing

Wright State University Social Media Guidelines

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Commitment to Free Expression

Wright State University supports the rights of our community members to exercise their freedom of speech, and to be active participants in conversations that take place in appropriate public forums, and using the community member's personal social media accounts. The University is not responsible for, and has no control over, the contents of any community member's personal social media accounts. Further, the University is not responsible for content generated by third-party users on these platforms. A Comment is the opinion of the commenter only. Publication of a Comment does not necessarily imply endorsement of, or agreement by, Wright State University. Comments and content should be understood to be entirely public, and users should not write Comments with any information that they consider, or would like to keep, confidential.

Scope

This document constitutes Wright State University's Social Media Guidelines (the "Guidelines"). As described below, the Guidelines apply to the following official social media platforms:

These Guidelines also apply to official and affiliated social media platforms that are now or will be listed in the University's Social Media Directory (wright.edu/social) that are intended to be used in a professional capacity for communications and/or marketing, excluding student organizations. Affiliated social media platforms are those created for official purposes by any University office, department, division, or other academic or administrative unit used to reach online communities in a professional capacity for communications and/or marketing.

The Guidelines do not apply to the following uses of social media:

  • Accounts created by employees for academic, research, or intra-departmental/intra-divisional purposes;
  • Accounts created by any person for purely personal use;
  • Accounts created by students for academic purposes; and
  • Accounts created for student organizations.

The University reserves the right to modify, remove, and otherwise maintain University-generated content on social media at any time.

Affiliated Social Media Platforms

Ownership: 

  • Wright State University is the owner of all social media accounts and digital properties created and/or used by any University office, department, division, or other academic or administrative unit that wishes to use social media to reach online communities in a professional capacity for communications and/or marketing.
  • All content posted on affiliated accounts is subject to University Policy.
  • The University's social media program director shall have administrative access and passwords for any University-owned or University-affiliated account.
  • If the acting account manager separates from the University, account administration rights must be relinquished to an internal successor and/or the University social media program director.

Establishing affiliated accounts: In order to use the Wright State University name or any derivative of the University's name, or any of the University's logos or other intellectual properties, an account must:

  • Be registered with the Office of Marketing; registered accounts will appear in the University's Social Media Directory.
  • Have a Social Media Manager, defined as a Wright State employee who is responsible for the maintenance of the account.
  • Have at least two University employees with access as account administrators/owners, one of whom must be the University's social media program director.
  • Have at least one administrator/owner on the Social Media Managers Group email list.
  • Use a University-approved social media profile picture.

It is the responsibility of each social media manager to act in accordance with:

  • Existing policies or guidelines for their college/school, division, department, profession, or bargaining unit
  • Copyright law
  • Fair use regulations
  • Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
  • Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
  • NCAA regulations
  • Terms of Use for each platform
  • Title IX
  • All other applicable laws, regulations, and University policies and procedures.

Affiliated accounts shall disclose prominently, and periodically, that they do not speak on behalf of the University, except where specific authorization to speak on behalf of the University has been approved in writing by the University's Director of Marketing or Director of Communications. The owner of an affiliated account shall promptly refer to the University's Office of Communications any third-party requests for public or official comment or spokespersons. 

In the event of a crisis, no university profiles other than those managed by the Office of Communications and/or Office of Marketing may distribute new content related to the crisis. This will help to reduce misinformation and content taken out of context. Affiliated accounts may, at their discretion, choose to reshare content that has already been released by Communications and/or Marketing.

Affiliated accounts shall not disparage the University or its Trustees, employees, or students, or disparage the University's operations, or make any statements that are contrary to the University's business interests, or that are illegal, or that might tend to adversely reflect upon the University's reputation.

University Branding in Social Media

All Wright State-affiliated accounts must adhere to the University's brand style guide and use an approved profile picture. Profile pictures with limited customization are available free of charge from the Office of Marketing. Only the University's primary social media accounts, which are operated through the Office of Marketing or the Office of Communications, have default permission to use the University bi-plane or three-line wordmark in their profile pictures. Exceptions may be requested in writing to the University social media program director.

Wright State University monitors social media for all brand and related keyword mentions. Any content posted to affiliated accounts that violates University policy or branding must be removed upon request from the Office of Marketing or the Office of Communications. The Office of Marketing must be consulted before launching new campaign or identity graphics or messaging.

Engaging with Comments and Posts

The social media platforms promote and disseminate information about Wright State University news, initiatives, events, media, and other announcements, and are limited public forums for discussion with and among users about the posted news, initiatives, events, media, and other announcements. 

Wright State University does not discriminate based on viewpoint, but may remove comments, messages, and other communications (hereafter "Comments,") and restrict access to users who violate these Guidelines. 

To facilitate the purposes of the social media platforms, the University may remove Comments that contain, constitute, or link to:

  • Malicious or harmful software;
  • Non-University advertisements, promotions, spam, off-topic content, or solicitations;
  • Confidential, personally identifying, or private information (as defined by state law);
  • Profanity, nudity, obscenity;
  • Threats of violence or threats to public safety;
    • Users who make threats of violence or threats to public safety may be reported to the Wright State University Police Department, Office of Student Conduct, Wright State Human Resources, and/or other local or state authorities for investigation.
  • Copyrighted materials in violation of state or federal law;
  • Disruptively repetitive content; or
  • If the comment materially interrupts University business or interferes with the opportunity of other students to obtain an education.

Profanity Filter: The University shall have the right in its discretion to activate platform-provided profanity filter tools that automatically hide Comments that use profanity. Individuals whose Comments have been automatically hidden through filters may request a review of the Comment by emailing socialmedia@wright.edu. Hidden comments may be unhidden pending review by the University.

Removed Comments: Removed Comments cannot be restored, as they are no longer accessible to the University. An individual whose post has been removed may review Comment Guidelines and post a new Comment in a way that does not violate Guidelines.

Hidden Comments: Hidden Comments are typically the product of one of three scenarios. One: The platform itself has an algorithm or other display methodology that the University cannot control. Two: An individual has platform settings or privacy settings that affect Comment display and availability. Three: A Comment has been hidden through an automatic profanity filter. The University cannot unhide or alter the display of Comments as arranged or determined by the platform itself or an individual's settings as outlined in the first two scenarios. Individuals whose Comments have been hidden through automatic profanity filters as outlined in the third scenario may request a review of the Comment by emailing socialmedia@wright.edu. Hidden Comments due to a profanity filter may be unhidden pending review by the University. 

Rules

The following rules apply to the social media platforms:

  • Any content removed pursuant to these Guidelines will be photographed via screen shot and retained for a minimum of 60 days.
  • An individual's user profile may be temporarily or permanently restricted from accessing the official and/or University-affiliated social-media profile if they repeatedly and consistently violate these Guidelines, or as a result of a single significant violation that is disruptive to the University's activities.
  • To contest the restriction of access to a social media platform, the user must submit to the Office of Marketing Social Media Team at socialmedia@wright.edu a written statement stating grounds for reinstatement. Requests shall be responded to on a reasonably timely basis, and access shall be restored if it is determined that the grounds for reinstatement are sufficient. A statement that the user will abide by these Guidelines in the future shall be sufficient, except when a user has already violated these Guidelines after having already made such a statement.
  • Individuals may contact the Office of Marketing at socialmedia@wright.edu at any time (though such communications may only be monitored during the University's regular business hours) to identify Comments or other conduct in violation of these Guidelines. 

Inactive Accounts

A Wright State-affiliated account is considered to be inactive if no new content has been posted within the prior 12 months. The following actions may be taken with regard to inactive accounts:

  • Removal from the Social Media Directory;
  • Set the account to an inactive/unpublished state; and
  • Delete or request deletion.

Marketing, Office of

Enrollment Management
Location: 
210 Medical Sciences
Hours: 
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Phone: 
937-775-3345
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