I. COLLEGE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
The College recognizes that social media sites are useful technologies in communicating with College constituencies and in enabling transparent communication. All of the College’s social media shall follow established procedures and shall be registered with the College’s Public Relations Department. College employees shall exercise good, professional judgment when using official College social media sites to ensure that communications are appropriate, professional, maintain the security of the College’s network and comply with local, state and federal laws and with the College’s technology security procedures. All content generated on a College-operated social media site should support the mission of the College.
College employees whose responsibility it is to operate a social media account on behalf of the College shall be responsible for monitoring discussions and content added by third-parties, including comments. The College’s Public Relations Department has the right to remove any post or comment on any social media account operated by the College. Additionally, posts made on social media sites must be ADA compliant, adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Level AA (WCAG 2.0 AA). Employee administrators of social media sites must attend annual training regarding ADA compliance.
Social media accounts may be deactivated by the College’s Public Relations Department due to non-use or non-compliance with the College’s overall mission or goals. Social media accounts controlled by the College are subject to records retention regulations.
II. EMPLOYEE’S PRIVATE SOCIAL MEDIA SITES
When creating or posting material to a webpage or other Internet site apart from the College’s website or approved ancillary external site or page (i.e., social media site), employees should remember that the content may be viewed by anyone including community members, students and parents. When posting or creating an external website, students, faculty and staff are not permitted to use the College’s name in an official capacity or use the College’s marks, logos or other intellectual property.
Employees are to maintain appropriate relationships at all times with students and members of the public. Having a public personal website or online social media profile or allowing access to a private website or private social media profile is considered a form of direct communication with students and members of the public. Any employee found to have created and/or posted content on a website or profile that has a negative impact on the employee’s ability to perform his/her job as it relates to working with students and the community or that otherwise disrupts the efficient and effective operation of the College may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal.
III. Social Media Sites and Blogging
1. Blogging by employees, whether using the College’s property and systems or personal computer systems, is also subject to the terms and restrictions set forth in this Policy.
2. The College’s Confidential Information policy also applies to blogging. As such, Employees are prohibited from revealing any Montgomery Community College confidential or proprietary information, or any other material covered by the College’s Confidential Information policy when engaged in blogging.
3. Employees shall not engage in any blogging that may harm or tarnish the image, reputation and/or goodwill of the College and/or any of its employees. Employees are also prohibited from making any discriminatory, disparaging, defamatory or harassing comments when blogging or otherwise engaging in any conduct prohibited by the College’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment policy.
4. Employees may also not attribute personal statements, opinions or beliefs to the College when engaged in blogging. If an employee is expressing his or her beliefs and/or opinions in blogs, the employee may not, expressly or implicitly, represent themselves as an employee or representative of the College. Employees assume any and all risk associated with blogging.
Adopted: November 13, 2019