@NCStateVetMed Social Media

RESPECT OTHERS

Don’t post material that is profane, libelous, obscene, threatening, abusive, harassing, hateful, defamatory or embarrassing to anyone. NC State encourages freedom of expression and recognizes the value of diverse opinions. Social media users are free to discuss topics and disagree with one another, but please be respectful of others’ opinions. You are more likely to achieve your goals if you are constructive and respectful while discussing a bad experience or disagreeing with a concept or person.

BE ACCURATE

Make sure that you have all the facts before you post. It’s 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 — that’s how you build trust.

REALIZE YOUR POSTS ARE PUBLIC

There is no such thing as a private social media site. Search engines can turn up posts years after the posting date. Comments can be forwarded or copied. Archival systems save information even if you delete the post. In addition, as an employee of a public university, your social media accounts are subject to the North Carolina Public Records Act. Be sure that you won’t regret tomorrow what you post today.

BE TRANSPARENT

If you participate in or maintain a social media account on behalf of the department or unit, clearly state your role and goals on the account. Keep in mind that if you are posting with a university username, other users view what you post as coming from the university. Your posts directly reflect on NC State and the college. The line between professional and personal business is sometimes blurred.

BE RESPONSIBLE

What you write is ultimately your responsibility – but remember that it reflects on NC State and the College of Veterinary Medicine. Participation in social media on behalf of NC State is not a right, but an opportunity. As a representative of NC State and the college, you have more responsibility than average users about what you post on social media. Realize that there can be consequences for things that you communicate online.

BE A VALUED COMMUNITY MEMBER

If you use your social media account to comment on someone’s blog or other social media site, make sure it is appropriate for you to comment in your capacity as a representative of NC State and that you are contributing valuable insights.

KEEP YOUR PERSONAL VIEWS SEPARATE

Uphold the university’s mission and values in your activities. Don’t include political comments or comments on social issues, and do not conduct any political activities on behalf of any party or candidate. Do not represent your personal opinions as being endorsed by the university, the college or any of its organizations.

BE THOUGHTFUL

If you have any questions about whether it is appropriate to write about certain kinds of material in your role as an NC State employee, contact CVMCommunications@ncsu.edu before you post.

RESPECT TRADEMARKS AND COPYRIGHT

Always give people proper credit for their work, and make sure you have the right to use something before you share it. Secure written permission prior to using/incorporating any copyrighted or proprietary materials except when such material is covered under Fair Use provisions. If you are unsure whether certain content is protected by intellectual property laws, contact the director of the Copyright and Digital Scholarship Center or the Office of General Counsel.

KEEP IN MIND OTHER UNIVERSITY POLICIES

These guidelines do not affect other university policies, regulations or rules that might apply to the use of social media, including but not limited to the Computer Use Policy; Computer Use Regulation; Copyright Regulation; Use of the University’s Names, Marks, Symbols, Images, and Copyrights; Trademark Licensing Rules; University Record Retention and Disposition Regulations; and Equal Opportunity and Non-Discrimination Policy.

• No pictures of any animal within the college, including client-owned animals, surgery patients, TAU animals, anatomy cadavers, or cadavers/cadaver parts used in wet labs, may be posted to any website or social media application. 
• The CVM social media policy is in place to protect our college, our students, and the animals we care for or learn from.  Posting pictures of our patients violates our professional relationship with our patients and clients. Additionally, posting pictures of teaching animals or cadavers can easily be misinterpreted and damage the college’s reputation and good will. 
• Any violation of this rule is considered evidence of non-academic misconduct and will result in referral to the College Committee on Academic Performance and Student Conduct and Success, with the possible result of dismissal from the DVM professional program.
• Students are free to re-share content in posts from the official @NCStateVetMed accounts.

• All information relating to NC State Veterinary Hospital clients is confidential, insofar as the information is obtained through and in the course of a patient’s Veterinary Hospital visit or treatment.
• The confidential information may include, but is not limited to, the nature of the patient’s illness, its cause, its treatment, any information disclosed by the client relating to the patient’s treatment, anything learned from the patient’s examination, the client’s reactions, all client financial and billing information, and any other personal client information.
• Even the knowledge that the patient is being treated at the Veterinary Hospital shall be considered confidential and shall not be volunteered or acknowledged by Veterinary Hospital staff, except as authorized or required by law.
• Distribution or display of any client information relating to a patient’s Veterinary Hospital treatment is prohibited, except for approved, internal educational purposes or approved communications purposes. In this situation, specific client or patient identifying information will be removed. Such distribution or display includes, but is not limited to, photographs, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or any other form of written or electronic media.
• Client authorization is required for any non-educational distributions or displays (e.g. marketing.)

To help university units make effective use of social media, NC State adopted a social media policy in June 2015. The policy establishes procedures for launching social media accounts for an NC State unit, obtaining official university recognition and managing accounts in accordance with existing campus and state policies. Read the full policy at policies.ncsu.edu, but read on for highlights.

• The university’s social media policy does not apply to student organizations as they are independent of the college and the university.
• Social media accounts cannot be used for political activities.
• Identification, promotion or endorsement of commercial goods and services provided by non-university organizations or individuals on department or unit social media accounts is strictly regulated. See section 5.3 of the full policy for details.
• Contacting Brandon Bieltz, director of communications and marketing, is the starting point to any CVM unit/group seeking to launch a social media account on behalf of the college. CVM Communications and Marketing manages all recognized social media accounts for the college.