8-7: Social Media

Policy Overview

This policy is established to ensure that Santa Fe Community College (SFCC or College) is effectively and appropriately promoted, protected, and presented on social media platforms to align with the College’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.

Scope and Applicability

This policy applies to social media accounts maintained by the Marketing and Public Relations Department as well as academic program and office accounts approved by the Marketing and Public Relations Department for the purpose of officially representing SFCC; it does not apply to personal social media accounts. This policy applies to students and employees.

Policy Statement

SFCC recognizes social media as an important communication tool to engage our students and community members and to enhance communication with our stakeholders. College programs and departments who utilize social media to communicate with prospective and current students, community members, and stakeholders must do so in a consistent, uniform, and effectual manner. The purpose of this policy is to represent the College in a fair, accurate, and legal manner in the realm of social media while protecting the brand and reputation of the institution.

Definitions

1. Affiliate A group or organization that is an extension of the College, such as the Training Center Corporation, Higher Education Center, SFCC Foundation, student organizations representing the College.
2. Employee is any member of the college workforce: all staff (regular full-time, regular part-time, term, temporary, probationary, sensitive position); all student employees; all faculty (full-time, part-time, adjunct, probationary); all administrators, including interim; all contract employees.
3. Social Media refers to an online or mobile content or application that allow for user-generated exchanges of information. For purposes of this policy, social media primarily includes virtual communities and publishing platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Whatsapp, Reddit, SnapChat, YouTube, etc. This definition does not apply to the College’s learning management systems used for academic or training purposes.

Policy Process

1. The College encourages open engagement on social media.
2. The Marketing and Public Relations Department is the entity authorized to create and administer official College social media
3. All students and employees who wish to establish social media accounts that represent the College must coordinate with the Marketing and Public Relations Department.
4. For social media accounts that are maintained and administered by members of departments or groups, at least one SFCC employee should be dedicated to ensuring that posts are current, consistent with the College brand (SFCC Policy 8-1 College Branding), relevant, and respectful to their target audience.
5. All social media accounts that represent the College and are not maintained by the Marketing and Public Relations Department must provide the Marketing and Public Relations Department with administrative access.
6. Changes to passwords and logins of these accounts must be shared with the Marketing and Public Relations Department to ensure college access.
7. The inappropriate or malicious use of SFCC social media, including derogatory or disparaging language, intentional misrepresentation of facts, threats, incriminating photos, or statements depicting inappropriate behavior may be subject to disciplinary action (SFCC Policy 2-2 Student Corrective Action and Disciplinary Action, SFCC Policy 2-3 Student Concerns and Complaints, SFCC Policy 4-2 Employee Corrective Action and Disciplinary Action, SFCC Policy 4-3 Employee Concerns and Complaints).
8. Participants who create inappropriate social media posts from official SFCC social media sites may lose their privileges to administer College social media.
9. All social media content and use must adhere to College policies and procedures.

Statement of Accountability and Responsibility

The President, through the Chief Communications Officer/Executive Director of Marketing and Public Relations and the Marketing and Public Relations Department, shall be responsible for enforcing social media and marketing policies and procedures. The Marketing and Public Relations Department shall work with the different departments and offices to comply with this policy and to develop procedures that will enforce this policy regarding awareness, prevention, and remediation.

Authority

Federal Accessibility Regulations
SFCC Policy 2-2 Student Corrective Action and Disciplinary Action
SFCC Policy 2-3 Student Concerns and Complaints
SFCC Policy 4-2 Employee Corrective Action and Disciplinary Action
SFCC Policy 4-3 Employee Concerns and Complaints
SFCC Policy 8-1 College Branding

APPROVAL

SFCC Governing Board approved: 11/19/2013
Revised and SFCC Governing Board approved: 2/20/2017
Revised and SFCC Governing Board approved: 5/22/2024

Associated Procedures

• Social Media – Procedures