Social Media Usage Representing UWM

• Regent Policy Document 4-21
• Regent Policy Document 25-3
• UW System Administrative Policy 195
• UW System Administrative Policy 1245

Social media encourages interactions, sharing of information and builds a sense of community. UWM supports the use of social media to help students, faculty, staff, alums, parents, fans, donors, and the greater community build connections to the university. Social media at UWM is intended to supplement, not replace, other communication channels and should not be used as the sole form of communication for information critical to students’ and employees’ success. The Board of Regents, the Universities of Wisconsin, and UWM maintain policies regarding academics, privacy, copyright, health and safety, records technology use, and more. This policy does not act as a replacement for those other policies. This policy defines the rules and procedures for the use of official university social media sites and platforms to ensure that university accounts comply with UWM, Board of Regent, and Universities of Wisconsin administrative policies.

This policy applies to all users who utilize social media platforms to represent, or purport to represent, UWM including, but not limited to, UWM subunits, employees, vendors, and authorized contractors.

• Official university social media account: A social media account that has been approved under this policy and represents a UWM college, department unit, or program. Any other social media account, such as a student organization account, alumni affinity group or an employee’s personal social media account, is NOT subject to this policy, provided it does not profess to represent UWM or use UWM’s trademarks or logos.
• Professional account: An employee’s social media account that is officially tied to their position at UWM and has been approved as such under this policy. Most employees will not need a professional account. Examples of roles that may have a need for a professional account because of the nature of their work include chancellor, dean of students, basketball coach and other similar high visibility positions. Professional accounts should follow the best practices outlined in the Brand & Identity section of UWM’s website.
• Personal account: A social media account created for an employee’s personal use and not representing UWM or the employee in their capacity as a UWM employee. A personal account may reference an employee’s affiliation with UWM, provided it is clear the employee/account are not speaking on behalf of UWM.

I. Policy

A. Roles & Responsibilities

The Division of Marketing & Communications (MarComm) is the central department responsible for setting social media strategies, establishing best practices, and ensuring compliance across campus. At UWM, social media is structured as a hub-and-spoke model. Flagship accounts represent the university as a whole and are controlled by MarComm. Unit accounts, including those for schools and colleges, act as spokes, posting complementary content pertinent to their constituencies.

MarComm is responsible for monitoring content across social media platforms. If an issue or question arises, the MarComm communications and social media teams work with subject matter experts to craft a response to the user. UWM units should monitor their social media accounts for users contacting them directly. Responses on issues that could affect the reputation of the university should be prepared in partnership with the MarComm communications and social media teams.

Only UWM employees, including paid student employees, may have administrative rights to official university social media accounts since these are official communication channels. Accounts must have at least two administrators to maintain and manage the site during leaves and personnel transitions.

At least one of the two administrators must be a UWM academic staff, university staff or faculty member; an account cannot solely have student employees as administrators. Should the staff or faculty administrator leave their role, ownership must be transferred immediately to another academic staff, university staff or faculty member. When a new administrator is added to a social media account, the unit must contact MarComm’s social media team to update the official university-owned social media account list.

Passwords and account access should not be shared with those not employed by the university.

Account administrators must review passwords, password access and administrator succession plans at the start of each semester and provide documentation of this information to their supervisor or unit head. To ensure continuity and account access, a supervisor, unit head or designee who is not an account administrator must maintain information on how to access the official social media account.

B. Account Approval

It is a time commitment to manage a university-owned social media account. It takes time and attention to produce consistent, high-quality posts and become favored by platform algorithms. Thoughtful planning is needed to successfully create, launch and manage a UWM-branded, student-centric social media account. Requests for account approval must follow the procedures set forth in Section II.A below.

C. Account Deactivation

Deactivation of an account will occur when the account no longer is being or cannot be maintained. Deactivation procedures are set forth in Section II.B below.

D. Branding

All university-controlled social media accounts must comply with university branding standards found in the Brand & Identity section of UWM’s website.

E. Security

a. Protected Information

UWM-owned social media accounts should not disclose or share any confidential or protected information, including, but not limited to, information that is protected under FERPA, HIPAA, and state medical privacy laws; personal information; others’ proprietary information without their permission; or UWM-proprietary information without permission from an appropriate authority at UWM.

b. Passwords

To ensure the security of university-related social media accounts:

1. All accounts must follow the shared account guidelines set forth in UW System Administrative Procedure 1030.A: Information Security: Identity and Access Management Standard.
2. All account passwords must meet the password guidelines set forth in UW System Administrative Procedure 1030.A: Information Security: Identity and Access Management Standard.
3. Password access should be limited to account administrators and unit heads.
4. Passwords must be changed annually or immediately following personnel changes or suspected security breaches.
5. Passwords must be stored in a secure location. Ideally, this would be an encrypted password management system approved by the university. They must not be shared via email, messaging apps, or unsecured documents.
6. Suspected compromise of account credentials must be reported to University IT Services and MarComm’s social media team immediately.

F. Communications

a. Official University Statements

Only the chancellor and their designees have the authority to approve statements representing the university and expressing the views and opinions of UWM. Any questions about university-issued statements should be directed to MarComm’s communications team.

b. Civil Discourse

The university respects the dignity of others and is committed to civil and thoughtful discussion of opposing ideas. Adherence to these ideals is expected of everyone who represents the UWM community.

Comments on posts that violate the law, falsely defame a specific individual, constitute genuine threats or discriminatory or sexual harassment, unjustifiably invade substantial privacy or confidentiality interests, are otherwise directly incompatible with the functioning of the university, or solicit on behalf of an agency other than UWM can be hidden or deleted from university accounts. Comments that violate the terms and conditions, guidelines, or rules of a specific social media page or social media site may also be removed. However, such removals must be consistent and based on objective and reasonable factors unrelated to viewpoint. “Auto filters” may not be used. Administrators must consult with MarComm’s communications and social media teams before deleting any comments. Administrators must take screenshots of posts prior to removal for record-keeping purposes.

G. Public Safety

In the event of an emergency on campus, such as inclement weather or a campus crisis, affiliated university accounts should defer to and actively share content from the university’s flagship and UWM Police Department accounts, which are connected to RAVE alerts and serve as the official voice of the university during a campus emergency.

H. Professional and Personal Accounts

When registering for a personal social media account, employees should not use their uwm.edu email address.  Employees should not link their uwm.edu email to a personal account.

A uwm.edu email may be used to create an official university social media account or a professional account (see definitions above).

As a state entity, UWM is subject to UW System Policy 4-21: Commitment to Academic Freedom and Freedom of Expression and UW System Administrative Policy 195. Employees managing university social media accounts must follow UW System policy guidance for posting on social media.

I. Public Records

UWM accounts must comply with Wisconsin Public Records Board guidelines on social media management. This includes maintaining social media records in accordance with the applicable records schedule and not using social media as the primary or only source of university announcements. Announcements should first be posted on a UWM web page and then a link shared via social media.

J. Sponsored Posts

No UWM program, unit or employee may accept compensation for promoting a company, organization or product on a UWM-affiliated social media account without written permission from the vice chancellor for Marketing & Communications.

K. Digital Accessibility

Content on UWM accounts must comply with all policies and laws related to digital accessibility.

II. Procedures

A. Account Approval:

a. New Accounts:

All UWM units, including schools, colleges and academic departments, must submit a request to MarComm for approval to create new UWM-branded social media accounts. The request may be made via email to uwm-digital@uwm.edu or by completing the Request a New Social Media Account form in the MarComm section of the UWM website.

Requests must include the following information:

1. Account Management:
   1. The platform(s) for the proposed account.
   2. Names of account administrators.
2. Rationale:
   1. The primary reason for creating the account, including defined goal(s).
   2. Explanation of how progress toward the goal(s) will be measured.
3. Content Production:
   1. Description of the content users will find on this account.
   2. Frequency of posting.
   3. Identification of other UWM social media accounts that could share content to amplify messaging.
   4. Existing UWM accounts that may collaborate on content.
   5. Identification of who will produce the content.
4. Account Rules:
   1. Any proposed terms and conditions, guidelines, or rules for the account in addition to those set by the platform vendor (e.g., acceptable post content and comment policies).

Account administrators will be notified via email whether the vice chancellor for Marketing & Communications has approved the account. Alternative communications methods, suggestions and recommendations will be given to the requestor if the request is denied. Units may not open any account if approval is denied.

Once an account is approved, the account administrators must meet with MarComm’s director of digital marketing and social media manager before starting the account. During the meeting, they will review goals for the account, how UWM’s flagship accounts can support those goals, the content production plan for the account, and ideas for keeping the account engaging over time. Following approval and this meeting, the account will be added to the social media directory.

B. Account Deactivation:

a. Inactive Accounts

MarComm’s social media team oversees the university’s social media directory. The directory is available upon request. The team will conduct audits of the directory in January and July, looking at the time of the last post. If an account has not posted within six months, the vice chancellor for Marketing & Communications or their designee will request, through the dean or division head, account deactivation or a plan to bring the account into compliance. Deactivations should be completed in accordance with best practices as outlined in the Brand & Identity section of UWM’s website. If the account is not deactivated or brought into compliance within six weeks or an agreed upon timeline, MarComm will initiate a deactivation plan, up to and including contacting the social media platform to request the account be removed.

b. Discontinuing Accounts

Account administrators who cannot maintain their accounts and wish to voluntarily deactivate them should notify MarComm’s social media team at uwm-digital@uwm.edu before deactivating the account.

c. Professional Accounts

Professional accounts (see definition above) must be deactivated when the employee leaves the UWM position associated with the account

C. Exceptions:

Exceptions to this policy may be granted by the Vice Chancellor of the Division of Marketing and Communications or their designee in their sole discretion.