TSTC Visual Standard Guide 2020

COMMUNICATIONS / SOCIAL MEDIA
pages as themselves. The college guidelines for
communicators apply only to employees when they
are posting as an administrator on a TSTC-branded
social media site.
• Responsibilities of page editors and administrators
include:
a. Monitoring the site on a daily basis to be certain that
questions and posts are responded to in a timely
manner.
b. Posting regularly on the site to drive engagement
and to make the page a valid and important
communication outlet
c. Checking for negative and inappropriate comments,
spam posts, etc.
• Please review and follow the college’s guidelines
regarding content posted on the site.
a. You should have a statement saying that we reserve
the right to remove improper postings. Editors and
administrators should review the site often to make
sure postings are appropriate.
b. The Executive Director of Communications can help
add these statements to your site.
• Please also refrain from posting images that may not
put TSTC in a positive light.
• Please refer to the college as TSTC when mentioning it
on social media sites.
Recommendations for Effective Use of Social Media
• Be responsible in your communication. Make sure
your communications are in good taste. Be sensitive
about linking to content. Exercise good judgement
and common sense. Do not use profanity, slurs or
derogatory comments. Be civil.
• Be transparent and authentic; be yourself. Be honest
about your identity. If you are authorized by your
supervisor to represent TSTC on social media, say so.
If you choose to post about TSTC on your personal
time, please identify yourself as a TSTC faculty or staff
member when appropriate. Never hide your identity
for the purpose of promoting TSTC through social
media.
• Be accurate. Make sure you have all the facts before
you post. Cite and link your sources whenever
possible. If you make an error, correct it quickly and
visibly.
• Respect copyrights and fair use. Always give people
proper credit for their work, and make sure you have
the right to use something before you publish it. Only
those authorized by TSTC may use the college’s marks
and logos.
• Remember to protect confidential and proprietary
information. Do not post confidential or proprietary
information about TSTC, its students, alumni or
employees. Use good ethical judgement. Follow all
college policies and federal requirements, such as
FERPA.
• Productivity matters. Respect college time and
property. College computers and your work time
are to be used for college-related business. It’s
appropriate to post at work if you have been
instructed to do so or your comments are directly
related to accomplishing work. Maintain your personal
sites on your own time using non-TSTC computers.
• Do not use TSTC’s name to promote or endorse any
product, cause or political party or candidate. Be
careful when linking to other sites.
• Monitor comments. Sites should be set up so that you
have to review and approve comments before they
appear. If you choose to delete comments, you should
have a policy on unacceptable posts that is easy for
viewers to see, such as:
The following are subject to editing or rejection:
blatant profanity; racist, sexist or derogatory content;
VISUAL STANDARDS | COMMUNICATIONS 105