Social Media

USNH understands the impact of social media as a method of communication. USNH marketing and communications departments have established guidelines for official social media use at USNH.

Social media accounts

Official USNH colleges, departments, organizations, and entities may work with their institution's marketing and communications departments to set up and run social media accounts that bear their names.

Official USNH social media accounts should:

  • Use an approved university social media logo as its icon/avatar
  • Include the institution’s acronym (KSC, PSU, UNH) followed by the entity name or by an underscore and the entity name. If that name is not available, work with marketing and communications to find a suitable name
  • Be owned by a university faculty or staff member or student with a backup faculty or staff owner
  • Not duplicate or significantly overlap an existing social media channel

  • Use a shared email inbox for login- not a personal email address; an additional Faculty member or admin should have access to the email address

Content guidelines

A few top guidelines for those maintaining USNH-owned social media channels:

  • The same professional standards expected of you on the job should be applied to your conduct in USNH-related social media. Post meaningful, respectful comments that are relevant to your position at USNH.
  • Use common sense and courtesy in creating University system-related social media content. If you have even the slightest doubt, ask if the content is appropriate—BEFORE you post.
  • If the public shares an opinion that you disagree with on a USNH-owned social media site, keep your response appropriate, professional, and polite. Sometimes, it's best not to respond at all.
  • Post unique content on a regular basis (either original posts or shares/retweets from outside organizations) as well as sharing from other USNH social media. If you’re only sharing content posted by other USNH social media channels, then you probably don’t need a separate channel.
  • Never comment on anything related to legal matters or pending litigation.
  • Any advertising, promotion, or endorsement of third-party products or services is not permitted.
  • Review copyright rules for images and videos you post. If an image or video you take will be used for promotional purposes (anything other than a news story), you may need to obtain a photo release.
  • Always obtain consent from parents before posting photographs of children
  • Communicate with other web/social media administrators in your institution if there's big news going out via social media.

Support and training

For questions regarding social media, please contact your institution’s communications or marketing department. To add your site to the social media directory or submit an item to post:

Responsibility for content

Official USNH social media channels are maintained by members of the University system community acting as official representatives of the University System of New Hampshire. Channel owners are responsible for obtaining permission for using any copyrighted material on their sites, and any necessary releases for any photographs they took of individuals. In addition, they are responsible for complying with all relevant laws, USNH policies and this standard.

Violations

If inappropriate content is reported, the institution’s communications or marketing department will contact the channel owner to discuss the issue. Unacceptable entries also may cause social media channels to be removed. Reports regarding inappropriate content may be sent to:

USNH reserves the right to request from a social media platform the removal of any social media channel that it considers to misrepresent itself as an official university system channel; that infringes on university system trademarks, logos, or marks; or violates this standard or any other USNH policy.