Social Media Guidelines

All new Ursinus College-affiliated social media accounts must be approved before creation. Unapproved accounts may be asked to rebrand or be taken down.

Approval Process

• Submit a request. Contact Connor Donohue (cdonohue@ursinus.edu) before creating any new account. Include your department/unit, intended platform(s), target audience, content plan, and the name of the responsible full-time employee.
• Receive approval. Marketing & Communications will review and respond within five (5) business days.
• Register your account. Once approved and the account is live, submit your handle and profile URL to cdonohue@ursinus.edu within five (5) business days so it can be added to the College’s official account directory.
• Formulate a plan. Before posting, establish your goals, target audience, content strategy, and posting frequency. Accounts without an active plan often go dormant.

Account Setup Standards

When setting up a new Affiliated Account:

• Use a generic College email address (e.g., yourdept@ursinus.edu) wherever the platform allows, rather than a personal email. This prevents loss of access if the account manager leaves.
• For platforms that require a personal account (e.g., Facebook Pages, LinkedIn Pages), create the page through your personal account, then add at least two additional full-time staff as admins. The page should not be dependent on a single personal account.
• Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on every account immediately upon creation.
• Ensure at minimum two full-time Ursinus employees have admin-level access at all times. Store login credentials securely (e.g., via the institution’s password manager) — never in email or shared documents.

Security reminder: Never share account passwords via email, text, or any other unsecured channel.

Designated Account Managers

Every Affiliated Account must have at least one designated Account Manager — a full-time Ursinus faculty or staff member responsible for content, monitoring, and policy compliance. Students may assist but may not serve as sole Account Manager.

• To ensure continuity, at least two full-time employees must have admin access at all times.
• Account Managers are responsible for reviewing these guidelines and any updates issued by Marketing & Communications.
• When a staff member with account access departs, their access must be removed immediately. Notify cdonohue@ursinus.edu any time an admin is added or removed.

Content Calendar & Posting Frequency

Consistent posting builds audience trust and institutional credibility.

• Aim for at least 1–3 posts per week on active platforms.
• Develop a content calendar with planned content for slow periods (summer, breaks). Pre-scheduling tools such as Meta Business Suite, Hootsuite, or Sprout Social can help maintain consistency.
• Avoid posting more than 2–3 times per day, which can fatigue followers.

Inactive and Dormant Accounts

An account that goes silent reflects poorly on the College and may confuse your audience. Accounts with no posts or activity for 120 days or more are considered dormant. Marketing & Communications reserves the right to request that dormant accounts be closed or temporarily unpublished.

If maintaining an active posting schedule is no longer feasible, contact Marketing & Communications. We may be able to share your unit’s news through the main @UrsinusCollege accounts.

If you decide to close an account:

• Set the account to inactive or unpublished.
• Remove all admin access from departing employees.
• Notify cdonohue@ursinus.edu so the account can be removed from the directory.

Student Takeovers

Takeovers — where a student or guest temporarily leads content on an Affiliated Account — can be effective when planned carefully. Before scheduling a takeover:

• Vet the participant and review expectations in advance. Students must read and acknowledge these guidelines before receiving access.
• Set a clear start and end date. Provide login credentials immediately before the takeover begins; change the password and revoke access as soon as it ends.
• Review and approve all planned content before it goes live, where possible.
• Brief the participant to ensure compliance with the college’s code of conduct.
• Coordinate with Marketing & Communications before scheduling any takeover.

Voice and Tone

Affiliated Accounts represent Ursinus College to the public. Posts should reflect the College’s voice: professional, warm, accurate, and in good taste. Informational content generally performs better and reflects more credibly on the College than overtly promotional posts.

Identifying Yourself and the College

• Include your name, title, and department where appropriate on profiles.
• Make it clear the account is an official Ursinus unit. Use the College logo or wordmark per Brand Hub guidelines for profile images and cover photos.
• If you link to or share third-party opinion or editorial content, include a disclaimer in your account’s About section and/or directly in the post: “Views expressed or shared do not necessarily represent the views of Ursinus College.”

Accuracy and Corrections

• Verify information before posting. Cite and link to sources whenever possible.
• If you post incorrect information, correct it quickly and visibly. Acknowledge the error clearly — this builds credibility rather than undermining it.
• Do not post college information that has not yet been officially announced.

Confidentiality and Privacy

Employees are responsible for protecting the privacy of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and other members of the community.

• Do not post confidential or proprietary college information on any social media channel.
• Be mindful of FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which restricts sharing identifiable student information without consent. When in doubt, do not post identifying details about students.
• Do not post photos or tag individuals without their knowledge and consent.
• Do not present false or misleading information.

Comment Moderation

When an Affiliated Account posts publicly, it may create a public forum. Monitor your accounts consistently and respond to comments and messages in a timely, professional manner.

• You may remove or hide comments that contain obscenity, harassment, defamation, spam, or content that violates platform community standards.
• If a discussion involves sensitive subjects or an individual’s private matter, direct the person to a private channel (email or phone).
• Contact your supervisor or Marketing & Communications when discussions involve sensitive institutional topics.

Crisis and Emergency Communications

During an active campus emergency or sensitive institutional situation, do not post original commentary on Affiliated Accounts. Defer to:

• The main @UrsinusCollege accounts (managed by Marketing & Communications)
• Ursinus Campus Safety for safety-related updates

You may reshare or repost content already released on official channels. Avoid speculation or “breaking news” posts that may spread misinformation. If you are unsure whether to post, wait and ask Marketing & Communications first.

A.Think Before You Post

Privacy does not exist on social media. Search engines surface posts years later; comments can be screenshotted and shared. Before posting, ask: “Would I be comfortable if this appeared in the student newspaper or on a billboard?” If you’re uncertain, consult your supervisor or Marketing & Communications.

B. Be Respectful

Responses to comments or criticism should be constructive and professional. Do not use ethnic slurs, personal insults, profanity, or engage in conduct that would be unacceptable in a face-to-face setting. You are more likely to achieve your goals — and represent the College well — by staying civil.

C. Be Active and Consistent

Social media presences require ongoing care. An effective account requires regular updates, fresh content, and genuine engagement with your audience. Listen to feedback and use it to adjust your strategy.

D. Personal Accounts: Identify Your Views as Your Own

If you identify yourself as an Ursinus employee on a personal account, make clear that your views are your own and not those of the institution. A disclaimer such as “Views are my own and do not reflect those of Ursinus College” in your bio is recommended if you regularly post about higher education or your professional field.

E. Accessibility

Make your content usable by everyone. Accessibility best practices include:

• Write descriptive alt text for all images and graphics.
• Add closed captions to videos — most platforms support auto-captions, but review them for accuracy.
• Use CamelCase for multi-word hashtags (e.g., #UrsinusCollege, not #ursinuscollege) so screen readers parse them correctly.
• Avoid using excessive emojis or placing them mid-sentence.
• Ensure sufficient color contrast on any text overlaid on images

F. Branding

Affiliated Accounts must follow the Ursinus Brand Hub for logo use, color, and visual identity. Do not use Ursinus marks on personal accounts or to endorse outside organizations, products, or political candidates.

G. Metrics and Analytics

Take advantage of built-in platform analytics (Meta Insights, LinkedIn Analytics, TikTok Analytics, etc.) and tools like Bitly for link tracking. Regular review of metrics helps you understand what resonates with your audience and informs your content strategy. Report notable performance data to Marketing & Communications as requested.

H. Assume Everything Is Public

Platform privacy policies change frequently and are outside the College’s control. Treat every post as potentially public — regardless of privacy settings — and do not share anything you would not want seen by any audience.

• All posted content is subject to review by Marketing & Communications.
• Everything online has the potential to become — or remain — public indefinitely.
• Privacy policies change often. Stay informed about the platforms you manage.
• Blog comments and direct messages should be responded to within a reasonable timeframe.
• Effective social media content is informational rather than overtly promotional.
• Twitter/X is a conversational platform, not simply a broadcasting medium.
• Obtain written permission before publishing copyrighted or licensed content on an Affiliated Account.
• When in doubt about a post, ask your supervisor or Marketing & Communications before publishing.