Administrative Guideline 934

Adopted: October 11, 2022

ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINE TYPE: Marketing

ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINE TITLE: SCC Social Media Account Management Guidelines

DEPARTMENT RESPONSIBLE: Marketing

I. Statement of Purpose

This guideline pertains to the use of official Southeastern Community College (herein referred to as SCC) social media accounts managed by the SCC marketing office and all others acting on behalf of SCC.

II. Users Governed

This guideline applies to employees and students who assist them with managing official SCC social media accounts.

III. Expectations

This guideline governs the:
Communication from SCC-affiliated accounts should represent the mission, vision and values of the college. Staff, faculty, and students should assume all postings are in the public domain and may be re-published and discussed in all forms of media in perpetuity.
The following policies apply when publishing on behalf of SCC, partner agencies, or organizations.
- SCC’s Acceptable Use of Technology Services Policy
- The SCC Employee Code of Conduct
- Student Code of Conduct
Do not post confidential information about SCC or SCC students, employees, or alumni. The following regulations are in force when managing social media:
- HIPAA
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy (FERPA)
- NJCAA
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)

IV. Establishing Official Social Media Accounts

One official, primary SCC account shall exist per social network platform, which will be created by the marketing office. This account is managed by the marketing office and will be the predominant venue for general college interaction on that particular.
On all platforms, the handle is @SCCIowa. Official accounts for departments or organizations within the college will be secondary to this account and may only be created with approval from the marketing office.
Upon creation of the social media account, the SCC staff administrator must review and complete the Social Media Content Owner Agreement form (document included).
SCC staff administrator(s) will meet with the marketing office regularly for an evaluation of current account status (document included).
Official secondary social media accounts (e.g., SCC- Keokuk Campus, Blackhawk Athletics) must have at least one SCC staff and one marketing office staff as administrators at all times. Should an administrator of an account leave the college or no longer wish to be an administrator, it is the responsibility of the remaining administrator to remove the that employee’s administrative permissions, designate a replacement, and notify the marketing office.
Administrative rights for student life accounts for clubs and small groups (e.g. SCC Iowa Music, SCC Computer Technology) must be held by the club advisor and the marketing office staff. An appropriate student leader may have editor rights. Club advisors are in charge of removing inactive page administrators and are responsible for working with club members to ensure compliance with guidelines.

V. Restraints

SCC social media cannot be used to advance personal views, political views, political candidates, or political parties.
SCC social media cannot be used to promote commercial products or services. This prohibition does not include the announcement of upcoming appearances or events by public speakers, official partners/sponsors of programs, events, or SCC Foundation.
Posts regarding fundraising for the club, organization, or sport are allowed. This includes posts for events, T-shirts, food sales, and similar sales. The post description must state how funds raised will be used.
In no way shall SCC social media be used in the harassment of others.
Unless otherwise directed by the marketing office, staff do not have the authority to speak on behalf of the college on any social media platform.
Before posting photos or videos on any social media account, secure appropriate consent from any individual who is clearly the subject.

VI. Best Practices

Know your audience and write for that audience.
- Facebook is primarily men and women over age 35.
- Instagram is primarily male and females aged 13-34.
- Twitter is primarily male ages 26-41.
- We don’t advise creating accounts on other social media platforms at this time.
Link back to scciowa.edu at every opportunity. Leveraging social media to drive traffic to our websites is key.
Be precise. Errors of fact, bad grammar, and inaccurate spelling reflect poorly on SCC.
Publish regularly. Accounts should have at least one post per week year-round. Failure to post regularly may result in suspension or termination of the account by the marketing administrator.
Respect content originators (including those at SCC) by publishing an author or department credit whenever possible.
Delete inappropriate content promptly. When in doubt consult the marketing office.
Accept appropriate criticism of SCC decisions, actions, and policies. Deleting critical content undermines the legitimacy of a publication and sabotages the sense of community that is the hallmark of social media. Personal attacks on members of the SCC community are not considered appropriate criticism.
Monitor comments. SCC is responsible for all postings, including those made by visitors. Pay extra attention to visitor postings made in the hours and days following a potentially controversial posting.
Be cautious when using content from video host sites such as YouTube or Vimeo. Where possible, protect SCC by tracing a video back to its originator. Look for a specific embedding or linking code.
Post original photos. If a photo is not available, make sure to choose royalty-free photos.

VI. Evaluation

Meet with the marketing office in September and April for an evaluation of social account.
- Social Media Content Owner Agreement Form
- Social Media Account Management Plan
- Action Plan for Next Review

Social Media Content Owner Agreement Form

As a designated social media content owner, I, ______________________________, agree to:

Adhere to all policies and procedures outlined in the Southeastern Community College Social Media Accounts Guidelines.
Regularly monitor my social media account(s), promptly respond to user questions and comments, and address or remove inappropriate or questionable content or communications.
Frequently post relevant, engaging, accurate content to prevent stagnant conversation
Follow naming conventions and guidelines for visual identity (i.e., @SCCIowaXYZ). Furthermore, refrain from using the college’s logo unless given consent from marketing.
Designate at least two SCC employees (in addition to one marketing staff member) as administrators at all times to ensure adherence to this policy.

SCC account I administer: ______________________________

If I fail to follow these terms, my SCC social media presence will be subject to suspension or termination, as determined by the marketing office.

Signature: ______________________________

Date: ______________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

For office use only:

Dept./Group: ______________________________
Facebook: ______________________________
Instagram: ______________________________
Twitter: ______________________________

Social Media Account Management Plan

For regular review

Account Name: ______________________________

Account Administrators (SCC staff plus marketing):

_____________________________ ______________________________

Date of Review (includes policy review): ______________________________

Content Owners Agreement on file: yes / no

Branding: Brand and logo usage, profile and headline photos, page type/category,“About” section

Content: Frequency of posting, type of content posted

Engagement Metrics: Best performing post, worst performing post, average engagement

Action Plan for Next Review

Account Owner Tasks and Responsibilities (includes due dates):

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Marketing Administrator Task and Responsibilities (includes due dates):

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Follow up review date: ______________________________

We look forward to satisfactory progress towards the goals and action items outlines in this plan. Per the social media content owner’s agreement, failure to maintain, monitor, and manage social media accounts per the social media account guideline, as well as this plan, will result in suspension or termination of the account by the marketing administrator.

Signatures:

Account owner(s) :______________________________ Date: ______________________________

Marketing Administrator:______________________________ Date: ______________________________