Interview in Library in front of large mural

The social media and communications manager, along with the Communications and Marketing team are responsible for assuring that all UT Permian Basin social media platforms comply with university editorial and graphic standards.

Guidelines

Social media pages bearing UTPB’s name may not be created without the approval of the university social media manager. All departmental social media accounts are considered property of the university.

When creating a social media page bearing UT Permian Basin’s name, the university social media manager must be provided all necessary passwords and editing credentials.

The social media manager, in coordination with the Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, is responsible to ensure that UTPB social media pages are within the bounds of UTPB editorial and visual standards. 

Social Media Policy

These guidelines are intended to serve as a basic outline for how to best use social media channels representing the University, but should not be viewed as a comprehensive list of policies. Ask your supervisor for further guidance, follow all local, state, and federal laws, and comply with other University policies. Communications and Marketing (Communications) is responsible for the enforcement of this policy. The University has the right to amend this policy at any time. 
 
Social media is official University communication. Social media sites at the University should be marked “official” in some way, where appropriate (for example, in a Twitter bio or a Facebook “about” section). Each academic or administrative unit at the University should evaluate what, if any, social media technologies are appropriate for their communication needs. When using social media on behalf of the University, do so with thought and purpose. Ask the following prior to creating any social media account:  

  • Will the use of social media support a clear objective that is consistent with the goals and mission of this unit? 
  • Is there sufficient time to devote to manage the social media account? Consistent and timely posts with original content are necessary to the success of a social media account. Does the social media manager have time to keep content current, respond to comments, and develop original, engaging content? 
  • Is the social media manager well-versed in the social media network? 
  • Is the social media manager familiar with UT Permian Basin media standards, logo usage, and the University’s acceptable use policy?  

Mandatory Policies for UT Permian Basin Social Media  

1. The University of Texas Permian Basin Official Facebook, Twitter & Instagram Accounts 
The University’s official Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts will be managed by Communications, who uses social media to supplement traditional media relations and marketing efforts. 

2. Setting Up Social Media Accounts 
Before setting up any social media account to use for official purposes of the University: 

  • Step 1: Obtain permission and guidance from your dean or department head. 
  • Step 2: Fill out the UT Permian Basin Social Media Agreement and Registration form
  • Step 3: Communications will respond to your request within 7 days. 
  • Step 4: If approved, you will receive information about securing a UTPB vanity email. Personal email accounts are not allowed when setting up University accounts (ex: doe_j@utpb.edu). 

3. Naming Social Media Accounts 
The title name on the social media account should associate with UTPB. Maintain consistency with social media naming across accounts when possible.  
  • Academic units
    • Upon approval, Communications will recommend the appropriate name/handle for social media accounts.
  • Student organizations: 
    • Before naming your page, the organization must establish whether they are a University sponsored student organization or registered student organization.  
      1. University Sponsored Student Organizations: Student Organizations sponsored by UTPB should indicate affiliation with the University and name their social media accounts without “at” in their title. (ex: @utpbstudentsenate) 
      2. Registered Student Organizations: Registered Student Organizations at UTPB may indicate that they are located at the University by including “at UTPB” (ex: American Association of Drilling Engineers at UTPB @aaed_at_utpb)  
  • Abbreviations may be used in usernames, but the full written name should appear clearly on the page (ex: FYE at UTPB – The First Year Experience program at UTPB).


4. Administrator Responsibility 
Communiations must have administrator access to Facebook accounts and username and password information for all other social accounts involving academic and administrative units and University sponsored student organizations. Communications is not responsible for maintaining your page. If needed, they will offer support and guidance to you in order to maintain a consistent brand across all platforms. Private groups used for official University communication are prohibited. Official UTPB accounts are subject to review and evaluation by Communications. Accounts that do not produce sufficient, regular content are subject to revocation.  

5. Moderating Facebook and Instagram Comments and Posts 

  1. The purpose of the UT Permian Basin social media channel is to share news, alerts, Falcon pride, and more to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, neighbors, and the West Texas region. Visitors may share input through direct messages or comments. Comments must be directly related to the topic of the post. The UT Permian Basin social media team may review and remove comments based on the following criteria.  
  2. Comments that commit the following may be subject for removal: 
    1. Comments that are not directly related to the topic of the post 
    2. Compromise the safety or security of UT Permian Basin community members, the public, or public entities 
    3. Contain harassing content that is severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive 
    4. Present a grave and imminent threat 
    5. Incite imminent lawless action 
    6. Contain true threats 
    7. Are fraudulent 
    8. Defame 
    9. Violate intellectual property rights 
    10. Promote a business or commercial transaction 
    11. Promote a candidate campaigning for election 
  3. The UT Permian Basin social media team may remove “spam” comments generated, or that appear to have been generated, by automated software. 
  4. Comments are also subject to Facebook’s polices and standards, which the UT Permian Basin social media team does not control. 
  5. UT Permian Basin is not responsible for comments placed on its Facebook or Instagram page by others. Visitors are personally responsible for their own comments, username and any information placed on this page by the visitor. 
  6. Bottom line: We ask that the Falcon community act with the tact and open-mindedness for which it is known.  

6. Compliance with All University Policies 
Communications on social media sites for University purposes must comply with all applicable federal and state laws and University policies. 
 
7. Representing UT Permian Basin 
Posting on behalf of the University as an academic or administrative unit or University sponsored organization is not a right; it can be rescinded at any time. Be responsible for your posts and remember, what you post is a reflection on the University and you.  

8. Media Interaction 
Social media may generate interest from the press (print, radio, television, online). If you are contacted in any way by a member of the media about a University-related posting, you are required to immediately contact Communications before responding. 

9. Protect Proprietary and Private Information 
Do not violate intellectual property rights of the University or any third parties, or disclose confidential or private information of the University, students or third parties. 

10. Third-party Advertising 
UTPB-associated social media sites cannot host advertising. On third-party social media platforms, if ads can be turned off on University pages, they must be. Do not endorse other brands, businesses or products without appropriate approval. 

11. Personal Social Media Accounts 
Employees are encouraged to share University news and events that are a matter of public record. It is strongly advised to link straight to the information source as the most effective way to pass along news on personal sites and to avoid issues with copyright infringement. University employees are personally responsible for the content they publish on their own social media sites and the sites of others. 

  1. Do not use personal social media accounts to communicate on behalf of the University by responding to comments, reviews, etc., made by the public on official University social media accounts. Only Administrators and approved editors have the authority to speak on behalf of UTPB. (ex. If someone leaves a poor Facebook review, do not reply on UTPB’s behalf. If you believe action needs to be taken, alert the Communications team); 
  2. Do not use the University logo or name to promote or endorse any product, cause or political party or candidate; and 
  3. Make it clear that you are speaking for yourself and not on behalf of the University. A disclaimer, such as, "The views expressed on this [blog; website] are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer," may be appropriate.  

Best Practices  

  • Sharing content from other University social media accounts is encouraged; however, a majority of content should be original.  
  • It is important to limit the number of administrators and publishers for social media accounts and to have rules in place for managing login credentials. Do not share your social media passwords. 
  • Make the biggest impact across all social media accounts by using our most-used hashtags: #UTPB, #UTPBFalcons, #FalconsUp, #WeAreFalcons, #FalconProud 
  • Not all social media platforms will best accomplish the goals of the academic or administrative unit or student organization; therefore, Communications may suggest appropriate alternative platforms. For example, a podcast may be best achieved through Anchor vs. Apple Podcast.  

If you have any questions or need assistance, contact communications@utpb.edu.  

Register a UTPB social media account