Social Media Use

Social media is an excellent tool for connecting and sharing information. Oregon Tech supports social media use for the exchange of ideas and information and for networking with peers and other professionals. Whether participating on behalf of the University, a university-related group, or as an individual, all users should follow the same code of conduct online as they would in person or elsewhere. All Oregon Tech community members share responsibility in maintaining Oregon Tech's reputation for excellence and should consider all content published online permanent, even if it is deleted.

The content on this page is specific to ensuring a respectful, welcoming, fun, and interactive environment for the Oregon Tech online community. The guidelines reinforce existing policies for regulatory compliance, copyright and fair use, and proprietary information of each platform.

The guidelines for establishing an account as a club or program representative can be found on TECHweb. Individuals or groups that post on behalf of Oregon Tech or any of its entities and do not have access to TECHweb should email marketing@oit.edu to request the Social Media Guidelines.

Engage With Oregon Tech

Connect with Oregon Tech's official social media accounts by clicking on the icons below.

Use the Oregon Tech hashtags #OregonTech, #OregonInstituteofTechnology, and #OregonTechAlumni

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL USE DEFINED

Personal use

Personal use is social media use on an account registered to an individual and a personal email address that is not for Oregon Tech business purposes.
Oregon Tech employees should not present themselves as a representative of Oregon Tech when posting personal opinions or feelings. When registering for accounts on social media or an external network for personal use, do not use @oit.edu email addresses.

Professional use

Professional use is defined as using social media as an authorized component of an employee's Oregon Tech job duties or as a representative of an Oregon Tech group. Examples of this are tweeting on behalf of an Oregon Tech-associated Twitter account or posting on a Flickr, blog, YouTube, or Facebook account on behalf of Oregon Tech. Recognize that professional opinions may be interpreted as a university policy or position. When possible, make it clear that opinions do not necessarily reflect those of Oregon Tech.

BEST PRACTICES FOR PROFESSIONAL ACCOUNTS

Be authentic and transparent. Establishing the role of the social media page related to the University is essential. Include the group or program's official name and contact details for the individual(s) administering the page.
Be professional and accountable. Be professional and accountable for the responsibility of posting on behalf of a program or group. An administrator is responsible for everything they do and say online on behalf of a University program or group.
Be confidential. Do not post information confidential or proprietary to Oregon Tech students, employees, or alumni. Follow federal requirements, such as FERPA and HIPPA, and university policies on behavior and ethics as outlined in the student handbook.
Check facts and sources, and respect copyrights. It is never acceptable to post copyrighted photos, text, or video content without permission of the copyright owner. Verify sources to ensure copyright is not violated. Do not post photos with watermarks that identify a copyright.
Respect your audience. There's no such thing as a "private" social media site. Comments can be forwarded or copied, and search engines and archival services can turn up posts years after publication, even if the content has been deleted. Think before posting.

Think strategically and post often, but wisely. Followers expect to see fresh, relevant content. Develop a strategy that is engaging, consistent, and timely. Post news, events, and relevant items to the target audience. Users will ignore or unfollow accounts posting information not relevant to them.

If an administrator cannot provide fresh, timely content on a university-associated account, consider removing or deactivating the account and publish updates through the main Oregon Tech social media accounts.
Respond to negative comments thoughtfully. Monitor accounts often and read comments thoughtfully before posting responses. Reduce harm by responding to negative comments in a kind and considerate fashion and look for opportunities to connect with commenters. If you would like assistance moderating a social media account, email marketing@oit.edu.
Follow Oregon Tech's brand guidelines. Altering Oregon Tech's logo dimensions, colors, or fonts is not permitted. Find Oregon Tech logo use guidelines at oit.edu/marketing/graphic-identity.
Control content. Ensure photos and written content do not include direct or indirect references to:
- drugs;
- partying including illegal activity, gambling, underage drinking, drugs, nudity, etc.;
- underage alcohol consumption;
- nudity or sexual content;
- hate speech or bullying;
- violent behavior or obscene language;
- political content, including protests and petitions;
- children under the age of 18 without a parent signature; and
- individuals who do not want or expect to have their photo/video shared.

Photo/video release forms are available by emailing marketing@oit.edu.

POST AND MODERATION GUIDELINES

Posting and moderating guidelines are developed according to the overall community standards of the social media platforms. Oregon Tech encourages comments, discussions, questions, and respectful criticism on university accounts; however, page administrators reserve the right to moderate and remove content deemed inappropriate, including:

illegal activity, gambling, underage alcohol consumption, drugs, nudity, etc.;
violent behavior or obscene language;
political content, including protests and petitions that are off topic;
comments that are off topic from the post or from the forum’s identified purpose;
advertising content whose primary purpose is to sell a product, a service, or other such practices (spam);
content that discriminates against an individual or group;
hate speech, bullying – any content that harasses, abuses, threatens or in any other way violates the rights of others;
pornographic, obscene, sexual, or otherwise inappropriate images or language;
advocating or promoting drugs, violence, or other illegal behaviors;
disclosure of sensitive personal identifying information or confidential information; and
content that violates copyright or trademark laws.

Oregon Tech reserves the right to block users and/or remove administrative access from users who violate these guidelines.

COMMUNITY STANDARDS

Users must adhere to each social media platform’s terms of service (TOS). Community standards listed in each TOS apply to all posts and comments made on Oregon Tech’s social media accounts and can be reason for moderation by administrators. Familiarize yourself with the standards and adhere to them to maintain an effective social media presence for Oregon Tech and yourself.

Click the icons below to learn more about platform-specific moderating guidelines. If you did not find what you are looking for on this page, contact Marketing, Communications, and Public Affairs at marketing@oit.edu.

The Facebook Community Standards outline what is and isn't allowed on Facebook and Instagram.

The Twitter Rules are to ensure all people can participate in the public conversation freely and safely.

LinkedIn Professional Community Policies encourage users to reflect the best version of professional life.