Campus Policies

Scope

This policy is intended for all students, faculty and staff who manage or contribute to university-affiliated social media channels. The University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO) defines social media channels as accounts on social media platforms that speak on behalf of UNO, represent UNO entities, and have some oversight by UNO faculty or staff. These include, but are not limited to, channels for colleges, departments, schools, centers, institutes, programs, initiatives, majors, minors, and offices at UNO.

This policy does not apply to other social media communications and postings that individuals make on personal social media accounts as long as those communications do not indicate that the individual is speaking on behalf of UNO. Please see the “Guidelines for Employees’ Personal Use of Social Media” section of this policy.

Policy Statement

All official UNO-affiliated social media channels must adhere to state and federal laws and regulations, and university policies. In addition, all UNO-affiliated social media channels must comply with any approved applicable UNO and/or University of Nebraska branding standards and the procedures outlined in this policy.

Reason for Policy

All university-affiliated social media account administrators are expected to follow the guidelines in this policy in order to create consistent communication on behalf of the university and maintain the integrity of communication channels between the university and prospective and current students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the community at large. This policy is intended to be an evolving document, which will reflect UNO’s current needs and may be adjusted to future changes in social media.

Procedures

1. University of Nebraska System Social Media Community Guidelines:

The University of Nebraska System (NU) and its four campuses encourage interaction, discussion, comments, questions, and criticism. We ask that you keep comments and posts relevant and respectful. We reserve the right to delete comments or posts that:

• Advocate illegal activity
• Are clearly off-topic
• Are excessive in frequency
• Are abusive, harassing, or contain threats
• Contain defamation, nudity, partial nudity, obscenity, offensive comments that target or disparage an individual or group of individuals, personal attacks, profanity, sexual or violent imagery, or vulgarity
• Infringe on copyrights or trademarks
• Link to inappropriate sites
• Promote outside products or services or contain advertising
• Violate a state or federal law, University policy, or social media channels’ community terms of service
• Contain spam

We also reserve the right to block individuals who do not follow these guidelines or repeat offenders. Links to outside content or other websites by the University of Nebraska is not an endorsement of those organizations, or their views or content. Comments posted on University social media pages do not represent the opinions of the University of Nebraska System.

Requests for Removal or Modification of Content
The Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (OSMC) may ask social media account administrators to remove content or clarify a posting if the content is deemed inappropriate or the posting negatively impacts the reputation or public perception of UNO. This includes but is not limited to posts or comments that are spam, include links to inappropriate sites, are clearly off-topic, advocate illegal activity, promote particular services or products, support or oppose political organizations/candidates, promote positions on matters of public policy, or infringe on copyrights or trademarks.

If a member of the OSMC staff contacts you regarding a requested modification or removal of the above content, it is expected that action will be taken as soon as possible. Notwithstanding the foregoing, UNO is not obligated to take any such actions, and will not be responsible or liable for any interactions or content posted by any participant in any university-affiliated social networking forum, event, or service. In addition, UNO does not endorse content outside of that created by the OSMC staff.

2.  Authorized Communications:

Before creating a university-­affiliated social media account or posting on a social media account affiliated to UNO, please familiarize yourself with this document.

3.  New Account Set Up:

The following entities may be eligible to create a social media presence after meeting with the content manager to complete a social media plan. Eligibility does not automatically entitle an entity to a presence on a specific platform or multiple platforms. Additional steps may be required for final account approval. Information about each platform is included in the document below.

• UNO Colleges
• UNO Graduate Studies
• UNO Centers and Institutes
• UNO Schools
• UNO Departments

Other entities not on this list must be approved for a social media presence by the OSMC. A request may be emailed to socialmedia@unomaha.edu.

Note: The creation or maintenance of social media accounts is not a replacement for regular website updates or internal communication via platforms like Canvas. Entities who do not routinely update their website content or take part in internal communication efforts should not have a social media presence.

4.  Administration:

All UNO-affiliated accounts must have at least two administrators who are UNO faculty or staff members. Administrator contact information and UNO-affiliated account passwords must be on file with OSMC.  For Facebook, the Social Media Specialist must be added as an administrator. Please email socialmedia@unomaha.edu for additional information.

Note: Shared staff/faculty accounts should not be created for the administration of UNO-affiliated accounts. You do not have to publicly disclose team members on UNO-affiliated account pages or profiles.

5.  Naming Convention and Branding Guidelines:

All UNO-affiliated social media presences must adhere to the approved brand, design, and logo standards of the university to ensure consistency. They should:

• Reference UNO in their title (not the University of Nebraska at Omaha or UNOmaha)
• Include the official UNO campus icon, the UNO campus icon with entity name (templates available at brand.unomaha.edu), or an approved typesetting as their profile image
• Include the University of Nebraska at Omaha in their channel/page/profile’s biography or description

Note: Usernames should not begin with unomaha, and those that currently exist with this prefix may be asked to change.

6. Active, Inactive, and Overactive Accounts:

Social media channels at UNO must be continually updated and monitored, linked to an office­wide email address of unomaha.edu. To be considered an “active account” and avoid deactivation, entities must agree to post at a pace reasonable with the given platform. For information about additional platforms, please email socialmedia@unomaha.edu for guidance.

• Facebook: Twice per workweek
• Instagram: Multiple times per week
• LinkedIn: At least once per week
• Spotify/SoundCloud/Podcasts: At least once per month
• Twitter: Multiple times per day
• YouTube: At least once per month

Inactive Accounts:
Accounts that have been inactive for more than three months, or not posting consistently based on the pace outlined above, may be subject to deactivation or deletion. Deactivation or deletion would be carried out by contacting and working with the unit’s communications staff or the highest-ranking member of the unit. Sporadically posting once or twice within that two-month window does not prevent account deactivation or deletion.

Overactive Accounts:
Accounts should not post in excess or become overactive. This creates the perception that they are “spam accounts” and can negatively impact engagement and reputation. With the exception of the official UNO institutional-level accounts, and during special events, accounts posting in excess of the pace outlined below will be considered overactive.

• Facebook: More than three times per day
• Instagram: More than two times per day
• LinkedIn: More than two times per day
• Spotify/SoundCloud/Podcasts: More than five times per workweek
• Twitter: More than eight times per day
• YouTube: More than five times per workweek

7.  Existing Accounts (Those made prior to February 2021)

Social media accounts created prior to the approval of this policy are subject to audit by OSMC. Administrators will be asked to complete a social media plan. Changes to these accounts, or account deactivation, may be requested. Existing accounts should follow the guidelines outlined above for administration, naming convention, content focus, and account activity.

8.  Sharing of Content:

As a public voice for the university, the content on your university­-affiliated page should be informative and interactive with a wide ­variety of audiences including current and prospective students, parents, faculty and staff, alumni, and the community. Content shared should support the university’s strategic efforts of recruitment, retention, enrollment, or perception. The content should also be unique to the account’s mission and established or the desired audience.

The information presented there should be accurate, and should avoid:

• Implying endorsement of an opinion or entity by the university
• Functioning as an outlet for the personal opinion of one individual
• Linking to sites, “retweeting,” or “liking” pages or posts that contain inappropriate content
• When linking to or “liking” pages or posts, or “retweeting” (RT) or sharing items, these pages or their page titles are reflected in news feeds or the Twitter retweets (RT)

Events
Pages, accounts, or event listings for events that are university-­wide in nature should only be created by OSMC, or with the consent of OSMC. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Durango Days
• New Student Convocation
• Homecoming
• Commencement
• Signature university service days

Events that have no connection to the University or its academic or strategic priorities should not be promoted on UNO-affiliated social media accounts. This includes events that are hosted on campus but are not sponsored by a UNO entity.

9.  Endorsements:

Official university accounts should encourage engagement with and among followers; however, they should reserve the right to remove content that is spam, commercial, obscene, harassing or derogatory. Official accounts should post a disclaimer similar to this: “Third-party posts directed to this account do not imply endorsement of that content by the university. OSMC reserves the right to remove content that is spam, commercial, obscene, harassing, and/or derogatory.”

The University has exclusive contracts with some brands (such as Pepsi and First National Bank), so think twice before endorsing, mentioning, picturing, or linking to competing organizations. This is important, especially when taking photos or running contests with unique prizes.

10. Creating a Facebook Page:

• UNO’s Official Facebook Page
  The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s official Facebook page is located at @unomaha, and is managed by OSMC.
  
  
• Additional Pages
  The following entities are allowed to create a Facebook page after meeting with the social media specialist to complete a social media plan:
• UNO Colleges
• UNO Graduate Studies
• UNO Centers and Institutes
• UNO Schools
• UNO Departments

Note: The creation of additional Facebook profiles must be approved by OSMC. A request may be emailed to socialmedia@unomaha.edu.

• Facebook Groups:
  Groups should only be created under the direction of the college’s communicator and/or dean. All groups must be public-facing.

11. Creating an Instagram Profile:

• UNO’s Official Instagram Profile:
  The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s official Instagram profile is located at @unomaha, and is managed by OSMC.
  
  
• Additional Profiles:
  The following entities are allowed to create an Instagram profile after meeting with the social media specialist to complete a social media plan:
• UNO Colleges
• UNO Graduate Studies
• UNO Centers and Institutes
• UNO Schools
• UNO Departments

Note: The creation of additional Instagram profiles must be approved by OSMC. A request may be emailed to socialmedia@unomaha.edu.

12. Creating LinkedIn Pages:

• UNO’s Official LinkedIn Page:
  The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s official LinkedIn page is located at linkedin.com/school/unomaha

• Creating an Educational Institution (School) Page:
  The following entities are allowed to use the Educational Institution LinkedIn page type after  meeting with the social media specialist to complete a social media plan.
• All UNO Colleges
• UNO Graduate Studies
• All UNO Centers and Institutions

Note: Additional usage of the Educational Institution LinkedIn page type and the creation of accounts representing a UNO entity must be approved by OSMC. A request may be emailed to socialmedia@unomaha.edu.

• Creating a Showcase Page:
  At the discretion of the college’s communicator and/or dean, UNO schools, departments, or centers can be represented on LinkedIn using Showcase Pages. These pages are to be created under the hierarchy of the college’s LinkedIn Page, and are designed to highlight a unit, brand, or initiative. Each college can have up to 10 showcase pages.

• Creating Groups, Profile Pages, and Business/Company Pages:
• Groups should only be created under the direction of the college’s communicator and/or dean. All groups must be public-facing.
• LinkedIn Profile Pages should not be used to represent UNO entities.
• Business/Company Pages should not be used to represent UNO entities.

13. Creating a Twitter Account:

• UNO’s Official Twitter Account:
  The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s official Twitter account is located at @unomaha, and is managed by  OSMC,.
• Additional Pages:
  The following entities are allowed to create a Twitter account after meeting with the social media specialist to complete a social media plan:
• UNO Colleges
• UNO Graduate Studies
• UNO Centers and Institutes
• UNO Schools
• UNO Departments

Note: The creation of additional Twitter accounts must be approved by OSMC. A request may be emailed to socialmedia@unomaha.edu

14. Creating a YouTube Channel:

• UNO’s Official YouTube channel:
  The University of Nebraska at Omaha’s official YouTube channel is named UNOMavTV and is home to all UNO-affiliated, brand-reviewed, high-level content. It is managed by OSMC.

• Additional Channel
  The following entities are allowed to create a YouTube channel after meeting with the social media specialist to complete a social media plan:
• UNO Colleges
• UNO Graduate Studies
• UNO Centers and Institutes
• UNO Schools
• UNO Departments

Note: The creation of additional YouTube channels must be approved by OSMC. A request may be emailed to socialmedia@unomaha.edu.

• Personal YouTube channels:
  Personal Youtube channels should not be used as the primary host UNO-affiliated content for use on UNO websites and social media platforms. Some exceptions apply for performance material. Please contact socialmedia@unomaha.edu for guidance.

• Submitting Content:
  Want your video or videos to be included on UNOMavTV? Email socialmedia@unomaha.edu. To be considered, all submissions must support one or more of the following efforts: recruitment, retention, enrollment, or perception, meet brand guidelines and used licensed or authorized music and imagery.

15. Guidelines for Employees' Personal Use of Social Media:

The use of University computers and information systems for personal use, including personal social media activity, is governed by Executive Memorandum 16. Subject to the provisions and restrictions set forth in Executive Memorandum 16, Employees may engage in incidental personal use of social media in the workplace so long as such use does not consume significant time or resources, interfere with operations and productivity, or violate university or department policies. A disciplinary or other review may be initiated if an employee’s online activity violates law or University policy, or if the employee’s non-official or unauthorized online activity otherwise subjects the university to liability for such acts.

Clearly Identify your personal communications
Any communications made via an employee’s personal social media platforms or accounts should indicate that the employee is not speaking on behalf of the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). You are responsible for what you post on your own site and on the sites of others. In some cases, individuals maintain several social media channels, with some for personal use and others for official UNO business. Individuals must use care to separate the two uses and may not use UNO outlets to distribute personal communications.

For transparency, employees who use personal social media channels to talk about work or UNO-related matters are asked to disclose their affiliation with UNO. Employees should add a disclaimer to their social media accounts stating that their thoughts and posts are their own. For instance, on Twitter, users can use the “Bio” field to note that the views and thoughts expressed are their own and do not reflect the views of UNO.

Protected activity
Nothing in this policy should be read to restrict your ability to engage in concerted, protected activity under the National Labor Relations Act with your fellow employees regarding your wages, hours and other terms and conditions of employment. UNO encourages employees to use established processes and direct complaints or concerns about their job or working environment to supervisors, local or university administrators and human resources officers. This policy is not intended to govern or restrict personal presence on the web or to abridge or otherwise restrict principles of academic freedom.

Definitions

Social Media Channels: Accounts on social media platforms that speak on behalf of UNO, represent UNO entities, and have some oversight by UNO faculty or staff. These include, but are not limited to, channels for colleges, departments, schools, centers, institutes, programs, initiatives, majors, minors, and offices at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO).

Related Information

Executive Memorandum No. 16: Policy for Responsible Use of University Computers and Information Systems

University of Nebraska Social Media Community Guidelines

UNO Digital Communications Governance Policy

History

Policy approved by the Chancellor’s Cabinet on April 6, 2021.