Social Media Guidelines
UT Dallas’ Social Media Guidelines are intended to provide support and guidance for schools, departments, programs and organizations in the creation and management of their social media channels.
Social Media Development and Strategy
For departments aiming to deepen their communication with current and potential students, social media can be effective. But it requires starting with a clear strategy and maintaining the channel to make it relevant.
The following questions will help you. Contact the Social Media team if you require additional assistance.
Do you have enough content to sustain a social media channel? Or, would it be better to collaborate on promotions with the primary UT Dallas accounts?
Successful UT Dallas accounts post on Facebook at least once a week, X (Twitter) a few times each week and Instagram once a week. If you don’t think you can maintain a consistent social media presence, the Social Media team that oversees UT Dallas’ primary social media accounts will be happy to offer advice and assistance in promoting your message, event, school, etc.
What is the main goal of your page?
Are you trying to bring attention to your department, program or a service? Promote a campaign? Engage students or the UT Dallas community at large?
Who is your audience?
Defining your target audience will help you strike the right tone in your posts. Concentrate your efforts on one social media channel first. Learn from experience how to engage, educate and inform on one channel. Transparency and customer service are of the utmost importance.
Guidelines for Creating a Social Media Account
Select an appropriate profile picture
It’s best to use an image and not text for your profile picture (also called an avatar). To stand out among UTD’s many accounts, choose an image that relates to your account, perhaps a specific building or campus landmark. You can use our photo library or take your own photograph. You may also choose to use the UT Dallas monogram for your profile image, or you can download the Social Media Unit Icons Illustrator file and replace the word “UNIT” with your information. The customized Social Media Unit Icons should only be used for application in social media and should not be used as a substitute for the School, Center & Unit Lockups. Please avoid using the version featured on UTD’s primary channel. Do not add text around the monogram or alter the file in any way. Do not use the UTD emblem; the reduced size on mobile devices will render it unreadable, violating the minimum size requirements. It is unnecessary to add your department, center or group’s name to the profile image because that text is always listed on your profile and beside every published post.
Examples:
Choose your images thoughtfully
Don’t misuse any UT Dallas logo/monogram. Keep in mind how the image you select will look as a thumbnail. Refer to the University’s brand standards and/or collaborate with the Social Media team for help and ideas.
Include “UT Dallas” or “UTD” in the account name
The University of Texas at Dallas is a strong brand that people recognize. Including “UT Dallas” or “UTD” in your name helps prospective followers know that you are a part of the University. It gives you automatic legitimacy.
Maintain consistency with social media account naming across accounts
Examples:
- instagram.com/jindal_utdallas and twitter.com/jindal_utdallas
- twitter.com/utdurec and facebook.com/utdurec
Biography and links
All social media channels have bio/about me sections. Fill. Them. Out. If your account has a blank bio, potential followers are less likely to follow you because they don’t know what you are. Also, include a link to your website or department/organization page.
Create a team for your channel(s)
It’s in your best interest to have at least two people handle your social media channels because employees take vacation time, get sick, leave the University, etc. Your team is responsible for creating and posting content, moderating comments, answering direct messages and looking at metrics. Monitoring your channels may require off-hours work.
Social media directory
Once you’ve set up your social media channel(s), contact the Social Media team to have it listed in the University social media directory.
Guidelines for Closing a Social Media Account
Keep UTD Tidy
If your account is no longer needed, make sure to decommission it to avoid potential cyber threats. This includes not only closing the account, but also looking through any updateable media that you control — such as web pages — for references to the now-closed social media account(s) and removing those references.
Be Mindful of Previous Partnerships
If you have ever partnered with another unit (ex: Web Services) to achieve a web or digital marketing solution, please make sure to let your partners know of any major changes that may impact previously commissioned marketing solutions. For example, if your department or organization is listed on the official UTD social media directory but the account(s) are being closed, let Web Services know so that we may decommission relevant materials.
Guidelines for Being a Facebook Page Administrator
Be prepared to answer questions and comments
Current and prospective students often post questions on any number of University-related topics. It’s best to answer questions privately (ask them to send you a private message about their question). Avoid answering questions of a personal nature publicly, as it could violate Federal privacy laws. FERPA and HIPAA policies apply.
Be current
If your social media channel doesn’t post at least once a month, it may be removed from the social media directory.
Don’t mix the personal and the professional
Don’t engage in UT Dallas-related communications on your department’s Facebook using your private persona. Similarly, don’t conduct personal affairs in any social media channel using your department’s persona.
What about my personal Facebook?
If you self-identify as a faculty or staff member of UT Dallas, you render yourself subject to disciplinary action if you share private information or make derogatory or offensive comments about the University, other faculty or staff, or students.
Moderating Facebook Comments and Posts
The purpose of the UT Dallas social media channels is to share news, alerts, Comet pride and more to our students, faculty, staff, alumni, parents, neighbors and the North Texas region. Visitors may share input through direct messages or comments. All viewpoints are welcome and will not be removed as long as they comply with the below policy. However, the UT Dallas social media team may review and remove comments based on the following criteria.
- Comments must be directly related to the topic of the post.
- Comments that commit the following may be subject for removal:
- Compromise the safety or security of UT Dallas community members, the public or public entities
- Contain obscenities
- Contain harassing content that is severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive
- Present a grave and imminent threat
- Incite imminent lawless action
- Contain true threats
- Are fraudulent
- Defame
- Violate intellectual property rights
- Promote a business or commercial transaction
- Promote a candidate campaigning for election
- The UT Dallas social media team may remove “spam” comments generated, or that appear to have been generated, by automated software.
- Comments are also subject to Facebook’s polices and standards, which the UT Dallas social media team does not control.
UT Dallas is not responsible for comments placed on its Facebook page by others. Visitors are personally responsible for their own comments, username and any information placed on this page by the visitor.
Bottom line: We ask that the Comet community act with the tact and open-mindedness for which it is known. Whoosh!
Guidelines for Being an X (Twitter) Administrator
Think before you post
Unlike other social media channels, you can’t edit once you press “post.” It’s always a good idea to double-check your posts for spelling errors and correct links before you send it.
Who to follow and what to like
It’s highly recommended that you follow other X (Twitter) accounts affiliated with UT Dallas:
It’s also a good idea to follow media related to your field. Example: the School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences follows @PsychologyToday.