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Social Media Policy

Social Media Policy

CT State Community College Gateway recognizes the value of social media in providing opportunities to share faculty, student, and staff creativity, viewpoints, and experiences with various constituencies, while also providing access to current topics and issues. Online social utilities allow individuals, or groups of individuals, to create a place for a group of people to come together online to post information, news, and events. College pages are intended to provide the college community with a venue to share thoughts, ideas, and experiences through discussions, postings, photos, and videos. Publication guidelines are similar to any other media. It is further understood that CT State Community College Gateway will have its own internal approval processes.

It is critical that we ensure that CT State Community College Gateway’s social media accounts are used to support CT State Community College Gateway’s mission, goals, and programs. Because everything that we do ultimately reflects on the College’s organizational and professional reputation, CT State Community College Gateway employees should use caution when using social media platforms, as these platforms create messages and information that are immediate and permanent. If an employee has questions about whether it is appropriate to write about certain kinds of material in an approved college site, he/she should consult with a supervisor beforehand.

This policy is intended to properly portray, promote, and protect the College, as well as assist faculty and staff at CT State Community College Gateway who are responsible for managing social media sites on behalf of the College and its departments. They do not apply to student clubs, student-funded organizations, and other student groups.

Officially recognized CT State Community College Gateway social media accounts must be reviewed and approved through an authorization process. Once they are approved, CT State Community College Gateway's Public Relations and Marketing staff will work with you to ensure account administration continuity and establish optimum workflow. Departments seeking to establish social media accounts that have training needs should contact the Public Relations and Marketing Office.

If the CT State Community College Gateway logo is to be used, it must be approved by the Director of Public Affairs and Marketing, or its designee, who must be notified of its exact use. No portion of the logo may be altered; colors and fonts must remain as in original file sent from the Director of Public Affairs and Marketing or designee. The logo may not be placed on a background that impairs readability of the mark. The CT State Community College Gateway logo should not be used on any personal social media sites.

Because the technology that drives web communication changes rapidly, this policy may be adjusted to reflect issues that may arise in the management and implementation of the page, or for any other reason that supports the college's priorities for the page.