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Social Media Policy Contents

1. House Rules and Information for staff

2. Aberystwyth University Social Media Policy

3. Aberystwyth University Social Media Procedures

4. Social Media General Supporting Documentation

5. Supporting Documents: Departmental Twitter Account Form

6. Supporting Documents: Forming a departmental presence on Facebook

7. Current affiliated Facebook and Twitter accounts (screen shots)

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Section 1: House Rules on Social Media

This information is intended to help our users of all our Social Media channels. It covers information for users and staff.

Aberystwyth University welcomes contributions from all our community to our Social Media channels and we believe strongly that all of our community have the right to feel safe and happy whilst engaging with us on social media.

We encourage all users to engage in a respectful manner.

All of our social media channels allow visitors to engage in a range of topics and we are always pleased to see people interacting with us and with each other in areas such as studying with us, research, news, events and any other student, staff or alumni related activities. We are pleased that you would like to participate in our conversations. We ask that all those that choose to engage please take note of the following house rules:

We understand that users of our social media presences wish to express themselves and we will endeavour to be flexible and to encourage discussion and interaction at all levels (including videos, photograph sharing and discussions on forums). However, we will remove postings which we feel are inappropriate in any way.

Users cannot use the University name to promote or endorse any product, opinions, cause or political party. Stating that Aberystwyth University endorses your personal opinion is prohibited.

Persistent harassment, any form of bullying, libel, indecent language, slander, abuse, or obscenities could result in an individual being permanently banned. You should, as far as possible, avoid naming or identifying individuals in your social media posts.

Commercial content may also be subject to removal. Persistent posting, and what we consider to constitute spamming of our pages, could result in users being permanently banned.

We ask that those with personal social media accounts are mindful of who can view your profile and act accordingly. You may be friends with colleagues, students, prospective students or University partners and should therefore consider carefully before posting comments regarding Aberystwyth University and anything that could cause offence or be viewed as contravening confidentiality rules.

Aberystwyth University upholds the statement of rights and responsibilities administered by external social media websites and kindly request that our fans and followers do the same. We encourage all of our students, staff and associates to use the ‘report’ link when you find abusive content.

Aberystwyth University will not be held responsible for the comments, photos, wall posts or any interactions from the users on our Social Media pages. Our social media websites are administered and checked during the normal working week (Mon-Fri).


Information for staff:

1. Internet postings should not disclose any information that is confidential or proprietary to Aberystwyth University or to any third party that has disclosed information to the institution.

2. If an employee comments on any aspect of the University's activities, it is not enough to clearly identify themselves as an employee and include a disclaimer. Posts on social media sites should be professional and respectful in tone. If an employee is posting on behalf of the University, or even in the capacity of a member of staff affiliated with the University, that may reflect on the University’s reputation. Members of staff should be aware that as employees of the University they will influence and form part of the University's reputation online. Do not make offensive or derogatory remarks about students, members of staff or other individuals, and do not post obscene or derogatory images. The University reserves the right to take disciplinary action if appropriate and, in extreme cases, defamation can lead to legal action. Please also see the Information Services Policy: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/regulations/socialnetworking/

3. Employees should protect the University brand and when posting on an official University social media presence, employees are seen to be representing the University and therefore will have a responsibility to ensure communications are appropriate (for the audience and in keeping with other University policies). Staff should be accurate and respectful of others and the work that the University does.

4. Internet postings should not include the University logo or trademarks unless permission is asked for and granted by the Social Media Officer.

5. Internet postings must respect copyright, privacy, fair use, financial disclosure, and other relevant legislation.

6. Employees should neither claim nor imply that they are speaking on the University's behalf, unless permission is granted to do so by the Senior Management Team.

7. All Corporate blogs, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, etc., require agreement by the Social Media Officer when the employee is posting about the University.

8. Aberystwyth University reserves the right to request that certain subjects are avoided, certain posts are withdrawn, and inappropriate comments are removed.

9. The personal use of social media during working hours should be carefully undertaken and minimised. Be aware that colleagues are often aware of the time one spends on social media.

10. We advise that staff contact the Social Media Officer for advice and guidance when wishing to engage with Social Media channels.

11. Requests for information to be posted out to Aberystwyth University run social media websites should be made to the Social Media Officer: [email protected]

12. Requests for removal of content from an Aberystwyth University run social media website should be made to the Social Media Officer: [email protected]

13. Requests to set up a presence on a Social Media website should be made to the Social Media Offcier: [email protected] (Please also see below for our Social Media Policy)


http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/social-media-policy-by-Russ.doc

http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/is/regulations/socialnetworking/

14. Permission to Remove, Comment and Post on behalf of the University and all its departments is granted by the Social Media Officer, who in turn has been granted permission to do so by the Senior Management Team. All requests should be made through this contact.

The current Rules of Conduct in Employment: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/pandp/conduct/


http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/hr/pandp/conduct/

Section 2: Aberystwyth University Social Media Policy

This document describes the Aberystwyth University’s policy on the use of externally hosted social media web sites for official University business.

In this document the term ‘social media’ will be used to encompass social networking unless otherwise stated.

1. Procedures and guidelines relating to the use of social media web sites will be overseen by the Social Media Group, reporting to the Web Steering Group and Recruitment Committee.

2. All proposals to establish new social media presences with an anticipated life-span of over 4 months must be submitted to the Social Media Officer for consideration and where necessary reviewed by the Social Media Group.

3. All proposals to establish new social media presences related to learning and teaching, with an anticipated life-span of under 4 months, must be submitted to the Social Media Officer & and where necessary reviewed by the Social Media Group.

4. Neglected or redundant social media presences will be reviewed by the group and appropriate action taken where necessary.

5. Core social media presences which reflect the University as a whole will be directed by the Social Media Group and maintained by the Social Media Officer & Web Team at an operational level.

6. Peripheral social media presences which reflect the activities of a particular department or direct their content at specific target audiences will be supervised by the Social Media Officer and maintained by staff from the parent department.

7. The Social Media Group will carry out its duties with the following objectives;

a. to ensure resilience of social media procedures so that a consistent and uninterrupted service is provided,

b. to encourage good practice in terms of social media conventions,

c. to protect the University, its staff and students,

d. to ensure compliance with legislation,

e. to ensure compliance with University policies,

f. to provide guidelines to assist those staff responsible for social media,


g. to promote effective and innovative use of social media.

8. This policy will be reviewed on an annual basis


Section 3: Aberystwyth University Social Media Procedures

Introduction

This document describes the Aberystwyth University’s procedures relating to the use of externally hosted social networking and social media web sites for official University business.

In this document the term ‘social media’ is be used to encompass all social networking unless otherwise stated. The phrase ‘social media presence’ is used to describe a node on a social media site (e.g. Facebook Page, Facebook Group, Twitter account, YouTube page).

Social Media policy is overseen by the Social Media Officer and the Social Media Group (see Social Media Policy).

1. New Social Media Presences

a. All proposals to establish new social media presences must be submitted to the University’s Social Media Officer for consideration and where necessary this will be taken to the Social Media Group.

b. All proposed University social media presences must have a clear strategic objective which is not already met by an existing social media presence belonging to the University.

c. A plan for the maintenance of the presence must be provided including the following;

i. the frequency with which the presence will be maintained

ii. the planned levels of staff resource to be allocated to its upkeep

iii. other resources (e.g. images, videos) which may be required

d. A brief description of the criteria and plan for the eventual decommissioning of the social media presence must be provided.

e. Two designated administrators must be nominated to be responsible for the content of the new social media presence.

f. It is strongly recommended that the Social Media Officer is granted access to the new social media presence in order to minimise the danger of access being lost due to unforeseen staff changes.

g. Social media must not be used for University business in areas where formal legal or regulatory procedures are place (e.g. job applications, student admissions, etc).


2. Existing Social Media Presences

a. A record of University social media presences will be kept by the Social Media Officer on behalf of the Social Media Group. This will include the contact details of those members of staff responsible for their upkeep.

b. A regular review of University social media presences will be undertaken and reports made at meetings of the Social Media Group. Notable activities such as good practice, successful campaigns or neglect will be raised with the Group.

c. The Social Media Group will provide guidelines for those staff administering University social media presences offering advice on good practice. These guidelines will be regularly reviewed to ensure that they remain current and in-step with social media trends.

d. The administrators of University social media presences established prior to the introduction of the Social Media Policy will be required to provide the details described in items 1.a to 2.b of this document.

3. Compliance

a. All University social media presences are bound by United Kingdom Law.

b. All University social media presences are bound by University regulation and policy. Of particular note are the following;

i. Collegiate Identity Guidelines

ii. Web accessibility policy

iii. Equality Scheme

iv. Dignity & Respect at Work Policy

v. Information Services Regulations

vi. Data Protection Policy

vii. Policy on the Use of Copyright Material

4. Learning, Teaching & Research

a. The use of social media for academic collaboration is encouraged

b. Unless essential to the learning outcomes social media should not be used in teaching where existing supported learning technologies (e.g. Blackboard) offer equivalent functionality


c. Projects with a life-span of less than 4 months where a social media presence is required for learning & teaching purposes will be considered by the Social Media Officer and if necessary referred to the Social Media Group.

5. Miscellaneous

a. The University may refer to social media and networking sites when investigating breaches of discipline (e.g. harassment, cheating, etc) appropriate action will be undertaken by the appropriate authority.

b. The University may monitor forums and blogs to gain indirect feedback on University services and facilities. Response to such material will be considered by the appropriate authority.

c. These procedures will be reviewed on an annual basis.

6. Guidancea. General guidance on the use of Social Media can be found through this Website:




Appendix A

Core Social Media Presences and Peripheral Social Media Presences

A full list of our presences can be found on the following weblink: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/social-media/

It is the responsibility of the Social Media Officer to review these regularly and to report annually on the impact of Social Media to the Recruitment Committee.


http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/social-media/

Section 4: Social Media Supporting Documentation

Background Social Media is often referred to as the ‘read/write’ web. It allows users to access information and also to contribute to it. The read/write web means that our brand is increasingly what people say it is. The read/write web allows creative, community thinking which is open and transparent which can be very successful. It can also be difficult to manage especially if we do not have the procedures in place to engage safely. Aberystwyth University is engaging in Social Media and this document sets out to safeguard the University on Social Media and protect its users and staff from threats or actual cases of bullying, harassment, libel and other internal policies on behaviour. Why AU engages Aberystwyth University students are frequent users of social media environments and are often proud to be a student at Aberystwyth University. It is very common for prospective students, current students and applicants to engage on our pages. They ask each other questions, share experiences and celebrate achievements. We want to help build communities for those who wish to engage with us in the Social Media environment. It is our intention to provide added value to our followers and fans and enrich their conversations, relationships and communities. Our brand is moving from what we say it is to what people say it is. It is therefore important that when we do engage in social media environments we do so with a common voice and with clarity in our messages.

1. Specific Services

Facebook: (http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/social-media/facebook/) I. AU has engaged with Facebook for several years, in order to:

II. Build on AUs brand and reputation as an internationally competitive and teaching and research University.

III. Play a full part in the social development of Wales, including support for the Welsh language through pages which facilitate only through the medium of Welsh and also bilingual pages.

IV. Allow students, applicants and prospective students the opportunity to share experiences, engage in communities of specific interest, converse, receive quick and responsive answers to questions, gain knowledge of the University and its activities and we also aim to encourage communication across all levels for all stakeholders who choose to engage with us.


Dr Russell Davies Marketing Manager 01970 62 2065 [email protected] Ian Harris Digital Marketing

Manager01970 62 2065 [email protected]

Rosemary Mills Social Media Officer 01970 62 2065 [email protected] Marshall Web Manager 01970 62 2459 [email protected] Shipman Web Assistant 01970 62 2459 [email protected]

V. AU has a policy for users and staff members of our Social Media pages which can be found at the following web link: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/social-media/

VI. Units, Faculties, Staff and Departments (as of June 2011) should aim to develop pages or groups in consultation with the Social Media Officer. This allows for best practise to be communicated across the University.

VII. The University adheres to internal policies on behaviour, including Respect and Equality at work and Bullying. We aim to provide our users on Facebook with a safe environment to communicate openly and take on the responsibility to remove any material which is deemed offensive, or in conflict with external legislation (including defamation, libel, data protection and copy write, etc)

VIII. Our policy is built on mutual respect and those who wish to engage with us on Facebook can expect to be treated fairly, openly and with honesty. In return we expect the same.

Twitter I. AU is linked to a number of Twitter Feeds which can be found at: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/social-media/twitter/ II. We have a supporting guide for the Aberystwyth University Twitter accountsIII. Units, Faculties, Staff and Departments (as of June 2011) should aim to use a # (a way of linking a particular theme on Twitter) for departmental use. This allows the main feed to have a consistent voice and consistency of message. IV. It is recommended that staff use personal or professional profiles (avoid mixing both) for Twitter and we ask that students and staff do not make use of the University or the University brand in personal accounts, unless agreement has been granted by the Social Media Officer.

YouTube I. AU has a presence on YouTube. (http://www.youtube.com/user/aberystwythuni) II. To discuss YouTube please liaise with: James Bradbury-Willis (01970 628728) III. Only official branding may be used on the AU channel.

Other Services I. We are also developing a further presence on Social Media sites such as Flickr, GooglePlus and Foursquare and respectfully ask that any users or staff members that wish to engage with any type social media look at the following weblink: http://www.aber.ac.uk/en/undergrad/social-media/onlinesafety/


Section 5: Departmental Twitter Account Guide (adapted)

User Guidelines

Persona: How do you want to “sound?”

Friendly? Savvy? Fun? Intelligent?

Tone: Are you a solo member of staff or representing a department or institute? Add and remove as you see fit.

You should ‘role play’ as the University Always sound informed and in control Use ‘we’ not ‘I’

URIs

When tweeting about an event or news item including a URI is a very good idea. If you don’t have a URI to point people at think carefully about whether the tweet is worthwhile.

When including a URI always snip it. If it’s an Aberystwyth hosted web page you are linking to, you can use the Aber Jump service: http://jump.aber.ac.uk/

If the link is external you can use an external jump link, like Bit.ly.

@ Signs

When responding to or addressing a specific user start your tweet with the@ character followed by the user’s twitter ID. When alluding to a specific user do the same thing, but mid-sentence. E.g.:

Looking forward to seeing U2 at the Arts Centre next year. Not sure how they'll fit in the Great Hall. See @aberystwytharts for ticket info.

Hash Tags #

Where appropriate use hash tags to mark-up a tweet. For example;

“Aber Uni is closed today because of heavy snow. Please stay at home & play! #uksnow”

OR

“Aber Uni is closed today because of #uksnow”

Here the hash tag is #uksnow. You can use multiple hashtags, but don’t unless it’s relevant as it will take up space.


http://jump.aber.ac.uk/

Use the specific hashtags like #AberWelcomeWeek or #AberOpenDay for events. Use general hashtags for others for example: the department of #Psychology.

DMs (Direct messaging)

As a default you should reply in the same way you receive Tweets. Either by @ reply or DM.

Look out for opportunities which may need a wider response. For example, if lots of people are asking about a date, consider sending out a tweet but also replying directly.

For personal tweets consider an @ response like “Thanks for your questions, we’ll DM you with a response now.”

For controversial tweets check with the team before a response is given. If you DM, the likihood is they will make it public anyway, so a good, strong public response is better.

RTs (Re-Tweets)

Always use the new style of Re-tweets (just click the button) Re-tweets should be able to stand alone as a tweet and should be linked to Aberystwyth and have the same level of thought and consultation given to them.

Grammar and Spelling

We recommend copying your tweet on to Word to check your spelling. It is always a good idea to check your tweet with somebody before you tweet it.

You can delete a Tweet but often it is too late to do so, remember that spelling and grammar should be perfect before you tweet it.

Don’t abbreviate to the point where a tweet is difficult to read. Avoid acronyms and text speak if possible.

We do not like “2” instead of two, too, to or “U” instead of you. Make sure you get their and there right.

You are part of a virtual team and we are all here to help each other. You can get advice, support and translations for tweets through: [email protected], our social media support page and by emailing [email protected]. Make sure you are 100% sure on an answer before you tweet it.

Frequency of Tweets

Two or three tweets a day should be about right for an institutional Twitter account. Weekend tweets can be scheduled using Cotweet .

Normalcy

Basically, don’t do weird stuff.

Use sentence case

Is your spelling and grammar correct?

Don’t treat a tweet like a press release.


mailto:[email protected]


There is no concept of a heading, so don’t try and make one

URIs conventionally come at the end of a tweet (unless hash tags are used)

Do you know what a # DM RT and @ reply are? If you don’t you should!

Use exclamation marks sparingly

Don’t use uppercase.

Finish your sentence

Read what you write

Read what you have written. Is it worthwhile? Does it make sense? Could it be clearer?

Content of tweets

Does the Tweet relate to your Twitter account? Is the content linked to Aberystwyth University? What are you trying to do with the tweets?

Co-Tweet or Hootsuite (Consider using a tool if there is a team of you using the same Twitter account)

@AberUni have a schedule, could you use a schedule?

Web Team: For general enquiries on Twitter: 9-5 Monday to Thursday and 9-4 on Friday. Marketing Team: Early mornings (before 9) and evenings (after 4). Office hours: Online to assist with any queries and problems.

For more contentious issues you can get advice, support and translations for tweets through: [email protected], or on our social media support page (Rosemary Mills [email protected]) and by emailing [email protected].

Remember to take a moment to check if a colleague has already answered a question before you answer it.

Jargon Buster

Twitter: Free social networking and micro-blogging service

Tweet: A message posted to Twitter

Hash Tag: Tweets may be tagged with one or more hashtags which are words or phrases prefixed with a hash symbol (#)

Tag: A tag is a non-hierarchical keyword or term assigned to a piece of information

URI: Most people would think of a URI (Uniform Resource Identifier) as a web address. The term URL is similar (technically a URL is a type of URI).



Useful Resources

URI Shortening

For Aberystwyth URI shortening use http://jump.aber.ac.uk/

For non-Aberystwyth URI forwarding usehttp://bit.ly/

Twitter Photo Services (log in as the Twitter Account)

http://twitpic.com/

Always use CoTweet (You can use this to schedule tweets.)

http://cotweet.com/

Always consider SECURITY. Don’t allow the account to be compromised.


http://cotweet.com/

http://twitpic.com/

http://bit.ly/

http://jump.aber.ac.uk/

Section 6a Facebook for Departments

Background

The notion to create a departmental Facebook Fanpage or Group has been identified. The challenge is to create and develop a presence for this department on Facebook to create a community of interest whilst at the same time, allowing the central messages of both the department, faculty and the University to be voiced.

Current formats (If any)

Recommendations and Considerations

It is recommended that;

A single Facebook Fanpage/ Group/ Event is set up.

All the relevant departmental staff are given access to this page as Administrators.

A group is created for the administrators of the presence to discuss ideas and share best practice or where necessary they should join the current Social Media Support group.

Some ground rules are deciphered for the users and the staff (feel free to use those already mentioned)

Access is permitted to the Social Media Officer who can help with any issues that may arise and the Back-Up profile is added.

It is worth Considering;

Privacy settings. Will staff need a separate Facebook profile or can they ensure their current Facebook profile is adequately private?

Content. Consider the content at certain points of the year. Applications, Admissions, Exam times, essay deadlines, dates of reading week and module information. Don’t just focus on text. Pictures, blogs, videos and games are more interesting. Perhaps you could create a document of items that you will post and give somebody the responsibility of ensuring these are actively engaged with.

Management. It is recommended that the task of maintaining the page is allocated to one member of staff that can check it daily in the morning and send bilingual updates. This colleague will post under the departmental profile. It is also advisable that when other staff members wish to post information or to answer questions, they do this as themselves. This means that the timing of content can be safeguarded and will avoid duplication. The allocation of roles within the Social Media team is important.

Boundaries. How many hours will you spend on the page? When is it ok to use the page? How quickly will you get back to questions? Are Staff ready to switch over and become more digital? Don’t ignore questions that are unrelated to your area. Respond to everyone in a friendly tone.


Understanding. Tell everybody in the department about the Facebook page. It’s important everybody knows what is going on. You might like to consider shifting responsibilities to accommodate for Facebook.

Marketing. Consider a launch. We can tell people about this page through:

1. The Weekly Email

2. Virally through Twitter and Facebook

3. Through Staff promotion

4. As an email footer

5. By telling students about it through a departmental email.


Section 6 (part 2)

Name and Contact details: Please write the names of your selected staff below, along with a position of their responsibility:

The ‘persona’ of the social media should be:

What is your approach to social media in relation to time and resources? Who is going to be your main Facebook contact?

How will you ensure your social media presence adheres to internal policies?

As well as written content what other types of online social engagement do you envisage?

You cannot control social media, only facilitate it. Expect users to behave in different ways, allow it, respond to it and encourage it. Post regularly and more importantly respond regularly; both to the negative and the positive comments.

Give the users something special. They are your Fans & your natural Ambassadors and could have a serious influence on your department and the Institution. Consider posting exclusive information to Facebook like “You’re the first to hear of our new programme” Write one idea you might like to do:

Focus on the audience. Share user relevant information.

Always check your spelling and grammar.


Finally, enjoy it. It should be fun and this is a fun step to engage with applicants and students in a new way!

Please contact Rosemary Mills on 01970 628483 or [email protected] for any more information.

Section 7

