Social Media Policy

For purposes of this Policy, Account refers only to official social media accounts, unless expressly stated otherwise.

Official Social Media Account is any social media page, profile, or group that (a) has been approved in writing by the Director of Social Media Strategy or designee, and (b) is designated and operated to represent UNC Greensboro or one of its departments, units, centers, colleges, schools, or programs for official University communications.

Departments/Units are organizational segments of UNC Greensboro that may include academic departments, academic support units, administrative units, research centers, colleges, schools, or officially recognized programs.

Social Media refers to public channels on the Internet that are designed to facilitate dialogue with audiences and share relevant public information. Social Media channels include, but are not limited to, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, Bluesky, Threads, YouTube, Snapchat, TikTok, and platforms using interactive geo-location services and any other related systems.

Account Administrator is any University employee or contractor with login credentials who is designated as an administrator for an official social media account.

Director of Social Media Strategy is the person responsible for overseeing University Communications’ social media strategy and providing relevant direction to Account Administrators across the institution.

Social Media Team, led by the Director of Social Media Strategy, includes Account Administrators within University Communications and others deemed appropriate by the Director of Social Media Strategy. The team’s function shall be to review and recommend changes or additions to this Policy and Supplemental Procedures, advise University employees on them, and encourage compliance.

All official social media accounts must be approved by the Director of Social Media Strategy or designee within University Communications in consultation with Department/Unit leadership. Unauthorized accounts may not use University branding, resources, or materials beyond what is provided to the campus community at large for promotional purposes.

Official social media accounts are recognized as such by being listed in a public directory on the University Communications website. All departments and units with existing social media pages or profiles must seek recognition of them as an official social media account through the process described in Supplemental Procedures.

All official social media accounts must be administered by at least two non-student University employees, along with University Communications’ administrative access. Where possible, official social media accounts should be registered to a departmental or unit-level email address. Departments/Units may hire current students to help manage social media channels, but they may only grant students the access levels needed to fulfill their duties. 

University Communications is required to maintain a centralized list of Account Administrators, issue periodic account audits, and, when feasible, offer an enterprise-level social media management platform for official social media accounts to support strategic communications priorities, account administration turnover, crisis communication management, and capacity issues. With the exception of the Social Media Team in University Communications, Account Administrators should not share personal passwords or credentials and must configure access in accordance with University information security policy requirements around enterprise‑managed credentials: no shared personal logins, use of role‑based access via a social media management platform or SSO where supported; and enforcement of strong authentication (MFA on all platforms), least‑privilege role assignments, and immediate removal of access when employees change roles or leave the institution.

Administrative access to Official University Social Media Accounts may only be granted to University employees, supervised student employees or content creators, and University Communications. Non-University entities, including associated entities (affiliated foundations) and partners are prohibited from serving as administrators. Advertising agencies should only be granted the access levels needed to fulfill contractual obligations.

The posts of Account Administrators and any comments, messages, or content submitted or posted by others on official social media accounts are subject to the N.C. Public Records Act and may be disclosed to third parties when required by law.  Account Administrators must manage content in accordance with applicable University records retention schedules and guidance issued by University Communications and the Office of Institutional Integrity and General Counsel. See UNCG Records Retention Policy.

In addition to sanctions that may apply through application of University policies, the University reserves the right to remove, but is not obligated to remove, any postings, comments, or other content that it determines to be in violation of any law; that contain unauthorized or inappropriate solicitations (such as spam or phishing attempts) that have nothing to do with the content under discussion or may appear to pose a cyber-security risk; that are defamatory, obscene, or profane; that are considered unlawful harassment or are considered threats, which are defined as statements meant by the speaker to communicate a serious expression of intent to commit an act of unlawful violence to a particular individual or group of individuals; that serve as an unjustifiable invasion of privacy or confidentiality not involving a matter of public concern, or that substantially disrupt the function of the University.

Account Administrators have the discretion as to whether to open comment sections on their official social media accounts. When a comment section is maintained as open, commentary by users, even when harsh or critical of the University or others, should generally not be deleted. Account Administrators are required to follow UNC System policies that require institutions to remain neutral on the political and social controversies of the day.

With the exception of spam, Account Administrators should notify University Communications before they remove other users’ content from their pages. Prior to removal, posts or content must be documented or archived in accordance with public records requirements and any applicable records retention schedules, together with a brief notation of the reason for removal under this Policy. Those who need assistance addressing rude posts, derogatory comments, or other urgent matters should contact University Communications for guidance on a response or course of action.

In accordance with the Notification Policy, the emergency notification system and the Spartan Safe website will serve as the primary communication tool for general information and updates during a campus crisis or emergency. The University’s social media channels will be secondary.

All content published on an official social media account must be owned, licensed, or otherwise authorized by the University. Content owned by third parties shall not be posted without the express written permission of the copyright holder, a valid license from the trademark holder, or without falling under the “fair use” exception. Appropriate attribution to the source must be included where required. See the University’s Copyright Ownership and Use Policy, Copyright Compliance for Users of UNCG Technology Policy, and Fair Use Checklist.

All official social media accounts must follow the University’s Brand Guide, AI Guidelines, Name, Image, and Likeness Guidelines, Photo Release Process, and Licensing Policies. The University’s name, logos, or trademarks should not be used in personal social media or for private gain.  An exception to this is the distribution of University-provided visual assets and ambassador toolkits that are intended for promotion by campus community members and business partners.

No account administrator may engage in political activity on official social media accounts. Political activity means actions directed toward the success or failure of a candidate for public office, political party, or partisan political group including but not limited to, campaigning, political management, and soliciting financial contributions for political purposes.

All posts must comply with current UNC Greensboro and UNC System Policies. If there is any uncertainty about compliance, Account Administrators should consult the Office of Institutional Integrity and General Counsel before posting.

Official social media accounts may not endorse or promote non-University entities unless approved through authorized sponsorships. Accounts may, however, share information about community opportunities, programs, or resources that serve the interests of the University community. Such sharing should be informational in nature and must not create a real or perceived conflict with the University’s official sponsors, partners, or affiliated entities.

Social media promotions should follow the University’s Raffle and Giveaways Policy.

UNC Greensboro encourages responsible use of personal Social Media accounts. Administrators of official social media accounts must ensure clear separation between personal opinions and official University messaging to avoid conflicts of interest or unintended harm to UNC Greensboro’s reputation.

Confidential information about UNC Greensboro, its faculty, staff, or students may not be shared on official social media accounts. Account Administrators must also abide by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) as applicable.  Faculty are prohibited from requiring students to post FERPA-protected information on social media and specifically may not require a student to post to or interact with a social networking site as part of an academic assignment. Students who post to a social networking site may be waiving their rights under FERPA.

The University requires that all official social media accounts display the following statement, when possible:

“Notice to Students – Information that you voluntarily post to University social media accounts is generally not protected as an education record under the Family Educational Rights & Privacy Act (FERPA) because it is not maintained by UNC Greensboro. UNC Greensboro does not control this platform and cannot guarantee your privacy. Avoid posting sensitive personal information. For more information, visit the University’s FERPA Information Site.