Social Media Policy | Policies

PURPOSE OF THE POLICY

Teachers College comprises a myriad of units or divisions that may be funded by the College’s operational budget, endowment income, earned revenue and gifts, grants and sponsored awards.  These units or divisions include academic departments, centers, institutes, labs, publications, and projects, programs and administrative departments. The College does not serve either as fiscal agent or a fiscal sponsor, so all units, including those fully funded by external gifts, grants and sponsored awards are considered part of Teachers College and thus covered by these policies.

This policy reflects the Office of Institutional Advancement’s oversight over Teachers College’s presence on social media, and therefore, this policy supersedes any other guidelines, handbooks, or policies created by departments, programs, or others representing TC. Accounts operated by  TC units across the institution (i.e. affiliate accounts) are considered property of the College and contribute to its reputation, and therefore must adhere to this policy, as well as TC’s best practices and guidance.

Teachers College comprises a myriad of units or divisions that may be funded by the College’s operational budget, endowment income, earned revenue and gifts, grants and sponsored awards.  These units or divisions include academic departments, centers, institutes, labs, publications, and projects, programs and administrative departments. The College does not serve either as fiscal agent or a fiscal sponsor, so all units, including those fully funded by external gifts, grants and sponsored awards are considered part of Teachers College and thus covered by these policies.

WHO NEEDS TO KNOW THIS POLICY

Employees, faculty and students operating social media accounts on behalf of a TC office, department, program, center, institute or official student organization/group.

POLICY DEFINITIONS

Affiliate Accounts

Social media accounts operated by staff or faculty members on behalf of a department, program, center or other TC division or unit, including official student groups.

Official Teachers College Accounts

College-wide social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and other platforms that are operated by Institutional Advancement, are linked on the homepage of the TC website, and in most cases operate under the username of @TeachersCollege. These are the main social media properties of the College.

Individual Social Media Profiles

A public social media profile belonging to a faculty or staff member who may or may not publicly identify as employed by the College on that said profile.

Individual Use

The operation of an account by an individual in a professional or private capacity separate from Teachers College.

Social Media

The forms of electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (such as videos). Examples of social media platforms include but are not limited to: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, Threads, WeChat, Weibo, etc. Message board sites (i.e. Rate My Professor or Glassdoor) are not considered social media platforms. 

POLICY

Teachers College comprises a myriad of units or divisions that may be funded by the College’s operational budget, endowment income, earned revenue and gifts, grants and sponsored awards.  These units or divisions include academic departments, centers, institutes, labs, publications, and projects, programs and administrative departments. The College does not serve either as fiscal agent or a fiscal sponsor, so all units, including those fully funded by external gifts, grants and sponsored awards are considered part of Teachers College and thus covered by these policies.  Teachers College welcomes the responsible use of social media across its units to engage with students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, and the broader public as a means of sharing and promoting the College’s mission, work and impact. All communication affiliated with College offices, departments, programs, and centers must be done in a manner that is consistent with the College’s quality standards, branding and editorial guidelines and strategic positioning. Accounts operated by individuals in a personal capacity and do not express an affiliation with Teachers College are not subject to this policy.

TC Generation aims to amplify content from across the College. In pursuit of that shared goal, faculty, students, alumni, administrative staff and other members of the TC community are encouraged to share their content for use on the official TC social media channels, such as information to promote upcoming events, or photos from events, classes, conferences, and more.

To suggest content or request coverage, please complete the TC Generation Project Request Form. TC Generation has discretion over which content to post, but reserves the right to edit submissions to comply with the outlined policy and best practices.

Please see the below requirements for accounts affiliated with the College:

1. Cybersecurity - Properly maintaining the security of your social media accounts is an essential component of routine usage. All social media users must comply with the below recommendations:
   • Create and maintain accounts with your shared, departmental email address to ensure future accessibility and help facilitate a successful transfer of administrative control. Do not establish accounts with individual employee email addresses.
     • A shared departmental email address (i.e. digital@tc.columbia.edu or helpdesk@tc.columbia.edu) is an account designated for departmental, program or office use that multiple individuals have access to. Please Note: All Teachers College email correspondence must use the @tc.columbia.edu domain. Please see the Email Use policy for more information.
   • Notify TC Generation about the creation of new accounts for your area through the completion of a Project Request Form.
   • Use the College’s official password manager, LastPass, to store and share passwords with colleagues and help prevent loss of social media account access
     • Student organizations and groups are required to share their account passwords with the Office of Graduate Student Life & Development to help preserve the longevity of these entities. Accounts will only be accessed by TC staff in the event of an emergency, such as current student leaders of said group were not previously given access.
   • Use Duo or Okta to support two-factor authentication on platforms that do not offer their own (i.e. Twitter)
   • Adhere to TCIT’s best practices on passwords to avoid your accounts being compromised, and adhere to the College’s various data use policies.
   • Download your data for storage every six months in case of platform closures or changes.
   • Comply with proper guidance and recommendations from TCIT.
      
2. Account Creation and Maintenance - The effective use of social media requires an ongoing, consistent dedication of time and resources. Staff members who administer TC accounts must be able to develop and publish content on a regular schedule, and to monitor and moderate user questions and comments in a timely fashion. Please see the “Better Practices” section below for additional guidance on proper maintenance.
   • Please consider whether existing TC accounts can be leveraged to communicate your message before the creation of a new account. Parties interested in creating a new account must submit a Project Request Form to TC Generation in order to discuss strategic goals before the creation of a new account. Approval must be provided by TC Generation for the creation of a new TC affiliated account.
   • Authorized page administrator(s) on Facebook and authorized users of other social media platforms must maintain the security of the password and identification. These individuals are fully responsible for all use of the account and any actions that take place on that account. Please contact TC Generation at digital@tc.columbia.edu any time a designated administrator is removed or added.
     • Students operating accounts on the behalf of offices, departments, programs, centers and institutes must be supervised by an employee of the College. All account and password information must be shared and managed by the supervisor. Supervision must also include regular review of planned content before it is posted on platforms.
        
3. Branding & Logos - Social icons and social media creative must follow our TC Brand Guidelines and its sub-architecture for offices, departments, programs, etc.
   • Any additional requests or design needs outside of the style guide must be executed in partnership with TC Generation by submitting the TC Generation Project Request Form.
   • While TC-affiliated social media accounts may make use of the College’s official logos and ligature (included in the branding assets linked to above), they may not display any other College logos or seals.
   • Columbia University logos—such as the Columbia crown—may not be used.
   • Profile pictures for the TC-affiliated account must follow the TC Brand Guidelines.
   • Questions or requests related to branding materials may also be directed through the TC Generation Project Request form.
      
4. Content Creation - All content posted to official and affiliated Teachers College accounts should promote the mission of the College and conform with the following guidelines:
   • Maintain Teachers College Confidentiality — Do not post confidential or proprietary information about Teachers College, its students, its faculty, its alumni or its staff. Use good ethical judgment and follow the College’s policies and federal requirements.
   • Maintain Privacy — Do not discuss named or pictured Teachers College community members on social media without their permission. As a general rule, do not post anything that you would not present in any public forum. Please review the College’s Privacy Notice. To share images of individuals, a written release [link] is preferred. For large events, TC Generation recommends visibly displaying the General Release
   • Be Thoughtful — Consider how your content may impact other units of the College or variables outside of your area — including but not limited to TC’s reputation, admission, and 501(c)3 requirements. Regularly consult with your supervisor to review how your content may relate to other areas, and contact TC Generation for additional guidance as appropriate.
   • Be Responsible — Account holders are responsible for their own content, which directly reflects on the College. Discuss with your supervisor the circumstances in which you are empowered to respond directly to users and when you may need approval.
     • Consistent with social media better practice, do not issue statements to members of the media or the general public on behalf of Teachers College. Please refer any requests for official comment immediately to Patricia Lamiell, Director of Media Relations (lamiell@tc.columbia.edu, 212-678-3979).
   • Be Accurate — Have all the facts before you post. It is better to verify information with a source first than to have to post a correction or retraction later. Cite and link to your sources whenever possible.
   • Be Accessible — To comply with the College’s Accessibility Policy, Provide “alt text” descriptions when possible and avoid text embedded in imagery to accommodate audiences with visual impairments. Caption all videos. Prioritize clear language to allow for easy translation.
   • Follow Legal and Ethical Guidelines -
     • Institutional Review Board - No research involving human subjects may be conducted at TC without IRB Research approved by the IRB may be subject to further appropriate review and approval or disapproval by officials of TC, and must follow IRB guidelines for soliciting subjects.
     • Students that work at certain TC centers are required to maintain strict confidentiality of their work. These centers are committed to practice the standard of HIPPA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) in dealing with the privacy of their clients. All contact with center staff as well as all records and information maintained by centers are kept confidential.
   • Be Cautious — If you identify issues related to health, safety or security of members of the TC community while using social media, bring them to the attention of Public Safety immediately. Always call 911 first in the case of an emergency. If you become aware of material online that prompts concerns about student health or safety or that someone in the TC community may present a danger to themselves or others, you should contact Public Safety (main number: 212-678-3111; emergency number: 212-678-3333, ext. 3333 from campus phones). Share screenshots of the material with publicsafety@tc.columbia.edu and digital@tc.columbia.edu. Information security issues should be reported to TCIT immediately. If you identify content which could pose reputational risk for the College, please contact Patricia Lamiell, Director of Media Relations, at pll20@tc.columbia.edu
      
5. Individual Use - Faculty and staff with A) a public social media presence and B) who identify themselves as affiliated with Teachers College on their profiles are expected to make it clear that they are not speaking for or on behalf of TC. Disclaimers should be included in social media profile bios and personal sites. Teachers College branding is not permitted on the individual social media profiles. Do not use Teachers College’s name to promote or endorse any product, cause or political party or candidate. Social media profiles are subject to rules surrounding proprietary information and confidentiality.
   
   
6. Moderation -
   1. Teachers College reserves the right to remove posts or comments that are obscene, defamatory, offensive, threatening, abusive, consisting of spam and/or advertising, or are unrelated to the content under discussion. The College also reserves the right to remove posts or comments that interfere with an individual’s dignity and rights to privacy; promote dangerous or unsafe activity; violate applicable laws including, but not limited to, copyright and trademark; or those that violate the use policies of the applicable social media provider.
      1. If a social media post comes to the attention of TC Generation for review, staff will contact the respective social media manager for more information and may request an edit or deletion of the post. The supervisor of the social media manager will be included on such communications.
      2. The College will act to protect its intellectual property, including official marks and copyrighted material, from misuse or abuse.
      3. The College also will act to prevent any person or group from misrepresenting their affiliation with the College.
      4. Violation of these social media guidelines will be enforced in accordance with Teachers College’s Acceptable Use policy. 
   2. Affiliates are encouraged to not engage or respond to negative comments, in most cases, to align with best practices. Comments that include the following material may violate platform terms and conditions, and should be reported to the platform for further review:
      1. Comments of discrimination against a person or group based on race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, economic status, marital or partnership status, citizenship or immigration status, caste, military status, pregnancy and genetic predisposition and  other diverse backgrounds. Solicitation of products or services that are unrelated to the Teachers College community, and/or do not align with the College’s goals or community standards.
      2. Harassment of other users or individuals.
      3. Harassment in this context is based on the definition provided by the U.S. Equal Opportunity Commission, which defines it as behavior that would be considered “intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.” Harassment includes:
      4. Personal attacks on individuals
      5. The release of private or personal information of individuals (also known as “doxing”), including personal social media profiles. 
      6. Criticism and/or feedback is not considered the same as harassment. (See more below.*)
      7. Profanity or explicit material.
      8. Proprietary and confidential College information.
      9. Content that violates platform terms and conditions, which could infringe upon the operations of Teachers College on these platforms.
      10. *If you receive comments that include feedback, harassment, criticism, reports of code of conduct violations, etc., please share screenshots and links with TC Generation for guidance and review.

BETTER PRACTICES

• Value consistency and quality in content production - Consistent, high-quality content volume over time will benefit performance — while sporadic jumps in activity followed by inactivity will hinder it.
  • Prioritize on-brand visuals to maximize impact. If questions arise, please feel free to submit a Project Request Form.
  • Please consider the below cadence recommendations by platform:
    • Instagram - Post on the grid at least 3 times/week, while Stories should be posted 5 days per week
    • Facebook - Post once a day
    • LinkedIn - We encourage users to submit content to TC Generation via the Project Request Form to be posted on the College’s main account. In the event that you already have a grandfathered LinkedIn account or group, posting once a day is recommended.
    • Twitter/Threads - Post 2-3 times a day.
• Respond to positive questions, comments and messages to help encourage engagement and growth, ideally within 24 hours of messages.
• Do not respond to negative comments via social media. If the material includes a complaint or matter of concern from an alum or student, please surface the comment with TC Generation for guidance on next steps by emailing digital@tc.columbia.edu.
• Ask questions if you don’t understand something or want further guidance.

APPENDIX

Cybersecurity refers to the state of being protected against the criminal or unauthorized use of electronic data, or the measures taken to achieve this.

Social media refers to any internet-based website, app or platform that is used to communicate with others through content such as posts, photos, videos, etc.

TCIT refers to Teachers College Information Technology.