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Best Practices for Personal Social Media Accounts

We've compiled several best practices for University of Mississippi employees who maintain personal social media accounts.

Read the UM Social Media Policy
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The following best practices applies to all employees of the University of Mississippi who choose to launch personal social media accounts. Employees who wish to launch Official University Social Media Accounts should refer to guidelines for university employees who run those accounts.

Before launching your personal social media account, be sure to familiarize yourself with related official University of Mississippi policies.

Best Practices

Following the best practices shared below will protect you as an individual and also protect the University of Mississippi.

Do not post confidential or proprietary information about the university, its students, employees, patients or alumni. Employees must follow applicable federal requirements, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). All University of Mississippi employees should also abide by all NCAA regulations governing interactions between the institution and its employees and prospective student-athletes. All employees should refrain from contacting prospective student-athletes prior to the student-athlete signing a National Letter of Intent to enroll at the University of Mississippi. Please visit the Ole Miss Compliance website and consult with officials if you have questions about content before posting.

Employees who share confidential information do so at the risk of disciplinary action, including and up to termination.

When posting, be aware of the copyright and intellectual property rights of others and of the university. Please refer to the UM policy on Copyright (Intellectual Property). Questions about fair use or copyrighted material should be directed to the Office of General Counsel.

Comply with the terms of service of any social media platform used.

All employees should refer University Marketing & Communications for questions about university marks, logos and images.

It’s important to be accurate when posting on social media. When possible, link back to original source material on olemiss.edu websites. When linking to a news article about the university, check first to see whether you can link to a release on the official UM news website, instead of to an external publication or other media outlet. If you must link to an external original source of information, outside of the university website, be sure to verify and confirm its accuracy.

As employees at the University of Mississippi, the things we say and do reflect directly upon not only our personal reputations but also the university’s. It is sometimes difficult for external audiences to distinguish the difference between an individual’s opinion and an official position of the university, especially when we identify ourselves as UM employees. On your personal accounts, please be clear in declaring your views as your own if you identify yourself as an employee of the university. A simple disclaimer should suffice.

Ex: “The views expressed on this {blog, social media page, account, etc.} don’t reflect those of The University of Mississippi.”

Ex: “Views are my own, not necessarily those of my employer.”

Ex: “Opinions are mine.”

Ex: “All views, posts and opinions are my own.”

Be constructive and respectful when discussing differing opinions online. We should strive to uphold the UM Creed, and our voices on social media should reflect those values.