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Social Media Procedure

Effective Date: November 1, 2023
Downloadable Version:
 PDF ICON Social Media Procedure
  This document is available in alternate format on request.

Purpose:

The Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning and the University of Guelph-Humber (hereinafter referred to as “Humber” or “the College”) aim to ensure the responsible use of paid and organic social media by the Humber community in order to build authentic engagement and social interaction in support of Humber’s mission, vision and values. The policy is intended to govern the creation, management and use of social media accounts belonging to the College, its Faculties, departments and sanctioned groups or clubs.

The purpose of the college’s Social Media Procedure is to outline the acceptable adoption and use of social media platforms across the college and to ensure that Humber community members understand their responsibilities when managing and interacting on social media platforms.

This document is available in alternate format on request.

Definitions:

Affiliated Professional Social Media Account: Social media accounts for Humber employees who post, interact and share information on social media platforms on behalf of Humber or related on- or off-campus activities and initiatives that are affiliated with/connected to their role at the College and include “Humber College” or Humber in the handle and/or name (e.g., @HumberPresident and @HumberVPSCE on X, formerly known as Twitter).

Affiliated Secondary Social Media Account: An official social media account that is owned and managed by a College department, academic area, program or another unit (e.g. @sustainhumber on Twitter, representing Humber’s Department of Sustainability).

Blog: A blog post is a regular entry of commentary, descriptions of events/activities or other materials such as graphics, photos or videos available online.

Hate Speech: There are three separate hatred-related offences in the Criminal Code of Canada: section 318 (advocating genocide), section 319(1) (public incitement of hatred), and section 319(2) (wilful promotion of hatred).

Live Video: A live video broadcast with enabled viewer interaction from a social media platform.

Personal Social Media Account: Social media accounts for Humber employees or students’ personal use, which do not represent the College.

Post: Any user-generated information or content shared on a social media site.

Primary Social Media Account: A single account on a social media platform that represents Humber as a whole rather than a College department, academic area, program or another unit (e.g., @HumberCollege on X, formerly known as Twitter).

Social Media Liaison: Individual(s) responsible for coordinating social media efforts on behalf of their Faculty, program, department, etc. Social Media Liaison activities include (but may not be limited to) managing and monitoring accounts, ensuring that the Social Media Policy and Procedure and the Terms of Service on each social media channel are followed, and are responsible for the content published by their social media account(s).

Social Media: Online platforms that allow users to generate and share content and information publicly. This includes, but is not limited to, platforms such as Discord, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Snapchat, Threads, TikTok, Tumblr, Twitch, WhatsApp, WeChat, VK, X (formerly known as Twitter), YouTube and blogs.

Terms of Service: This is the agreement between the social media site and the user. Almost all social media sites require users to acknowledge their acceptance of the terms of service prior to being given access to the site’s services.

Procedures:

  1. Social Media Account Request and Approval
    • 1.1. Creation of a new Affiliated Secondary Social Media Account must be approved by the Department of Government Relations, Marketing and Communications (GRMC). The requestor (i.e., Faculty, department, program or student group, etc.) wishing to create a Humber affiliated social media account must complete this form to present rationale for the use and need of a new social media account. Requestors must provide information on what type of content the account will publish, how content will be developed and who will monitor the account(s). GRMC must provide feedback to the requestor before any steps to create a Humber Affiliated Secondary Social Media Account are taken.
      • 1.1.1. Events should be promoted on existing program/department-specific social media accounts. If the program/department does not have a social media account, event-specific social media accounts should only be created if the event occurs on an annual basis and the social media account will be repurposed for future events.
      • 1.1.2. The use of Facebook groups, Slack, Discord and other social media tools or platforms that support conversations are permitted if the groups are kept private. If used for courses, the academic course lead must approve accounts that join the page and moderate commentary.
      • 1.1.3. The creation and use of academic course and/or assignment-specific social media accounts that are easily accessed by the public and not private, such as Facebook pages, is permitted if Humber branding is not used in the handle, name, bio/about sections and display photo/header images.
    • 1.2. Where an Affiliated Secondary Social Media Account is linked to an academic course, program or student group and designed primarily for Humber student use (e.g., an event, student club, etc.), a Humber employee must be designated as the Primary account administrator to ensure that the applicable Affiliated Secondary Social Media Account can be repurposed or closed when it is no longer needed. The designated Humber employee will maintain all login credentials and passwords. It is the designated employee’s responsibility to ensure the account follows emergency communication procedures when needed.
    • 1.3. The creation of a new Affiliated Professional Social Media Account (e.g. @HumberPresident) must be approved by GRMC. An Affiliated Professional Social Media Account:
      • 1.3.1. Is used by a Humber employee to share information on behalf of Humber or related on- or off-campus activities that are affiliated with/connect with their role at the College.
      • 1.3.2. May share aspects of personal and official use but is primarily used for work-related activities and content.
      • 1.3.3. Includes “Humber College” and/or “Humber” in their handle or name.
      • 1.3.4. Clearly identifies the account holder as a Humber employee in its bio.
      • 1.3.5. Must be transferred to a successor if the Affiliated Professional Social Media Account holder leaves Humber for any reason.
    • 1.4. GRMC must be provided with login information and/or administrative access for the Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Account in case of emergency, security breach or employee departure.
    • 1.5. All Primary and Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts that are approved by GRMC and follow the Social Media Procedure and Social Media Policy will be included as part of the Humber Social Media Directory.
  2. Branding
    • 2.1. The use of Humber brand standards, including but not limited to, logos and use of the Humber College name is reserved for approved Humber Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts and shall be used in accordance with Humber’s brand standards, including the Social Media Policy and Social Media Procedure (collectively referred to as the Social Media Playbook).
      • 2.1.1. Handles: It is recommended that all Humber affiliated social media accounts include Humber in their account handle, such as @Humber_FLA or @SustainHumber. Avoid using “H” or “HC” in the handle to reflect Humber. Where possible, use the same social media handle on all platforms so that users can easily find the accounts.
      • 2.1.2. Name: To help new audience members learn who you are, it is recommended that you include Humber in the name and spell out the full name for the program/Faculty/service, space permitting. For example, use “Humber Faculty of Media & Creative Arts” instead of “FMCA.” If the character limits prevent you from providing the full name for the program/Faculty/service, include the information in the bio/about sections.
      • 2.1.3. Bios/About Sections: Humber approved Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts must clearly state that they are an authorized Humber social media account and shall identify “Humber” on the account page and bio/about section. It is recommended to include the @humbercollege handle in the bio/about section.
      • 2.1.4. Website Link in Bio: Include a link to a Humber website so people can easily find more information about the program/Faculty/service. On platforms where users are unable to click links in social media posts, such as Instagram and TikTok, it is recommended that a “link in bio” tool is used. For more information, reach out to GRMC.
      • 2.1.5. Display Photo: The use of the Humber logo is permitted, but not required in the display photo. If the Humber logo is used, it must be used in accordance with Humber’s logo and brand standards.
      • 2.1.6. Social Media Assets (Photos/Videos/Gifs): The use of the Humber logo is permitted, but not required on social media assets. Humber branding will appear in the post through the handle, name of the account and display photo.
  3. Social Media Account Management
    • 3.1. The Social Media Liaison(s) are responsible for coordinating and monitoring social media accounts on behalf of their faculty, program, department, etc. GRMC is not responsible for creating and posting content, monitoring or analyzing performance on Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts, unless a formal agreement has been reached. GRMC is available to provide advice and information on best practices as needed.
    • 3.2. Should a Social Media Liaison leave Humber for any reason, or no longer be the Social Media Liaison for a social media account, the Senior Dean/Dean or Director must designate another employee as the Social Media Liaison and remove the former employee’s administrative permissions to use the social media accounts.
    • 3.3. Upon approval of the respective Senior Dean/Dean or Director, the temporary assignment of managing selected Humber Affiliated Secondary Social Media Accounts (I.e., a social media takeover) to a Humber student(s) or a third party is permitted. The temporary assignment must uphold the standards addressed in the Social Media Policy and Social Media Procedure. Once the temporary assignment is completed, the applicable Social Media Liaison shall be responsible for changing the social media account password and advising GRMC of the change.
    • 3.4. For security reassurance when managing Humber Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts, follow the steps outlined below:
      • 3.4.1. At least three (3) Humber employees must always have administrative access to every official Primary and Affiliated Secondary Social Media Account. Of the three (3) Humber employees, at least one (1) employee should be from GRMC.
      • 3.4.2. At least two (2) Humber employees must always have administrative access to every official Affiliated Professional Social Media Account. Of the two (2) Humber employees, at least one (1) employee should be from GRMC.
      • 3.4.3. To prevent loss of access to social media accounts, each employee should be given individual access to the social media account instead of using a shared login if the social media platform supports it. This is permitted on Meta Business Manager (Facebook and Instagram), LinkedIn and YouTube.
      • 3.4.4. Third-party administrators or employees who leave Humber must be removed from the specific social media account(s), and passwords must be changed once access/participation is no longer required;
      • 3.4.5. Create a strong unique password for each account to ensure that the account(s) remain(s) secure. All login and password information must be kept confidential;
      • 3.4.6. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) must be used if the social media platform supports it. If the social media platform also provides backup login code(s), like X (formerly known as Twitter) and Instagram, at least two (2) Humber employees should have access to the code. Of the two (2) Humber employees, at least one (1) should be from GRMC.
      • 3.4.7. Up-to-date log-in information for Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts must be shared with GRMC.
    • 3.5. Humber’s Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts represent the brand of Humber College. Social Media Liaisons should refrain from using the college’s Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts to legitimize or share personal opinions, particularly on matters that could negatively impact Humber’s interests and reputation, or alienate, offend or negatively impact the reputations and interests of our stakeholders.
    • 3.6. Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts should maintain consistent activity (approximately one post per week) to remain online or live. Inactivity and lack of consistent monitoring may affect Humber’s reputation. Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts that no longer have an identifiable Social Media Liaison or administrator should be deactivated.
    • 3.7. GRMC, in consultation with the applicable Social Media Liaison, can recommend the closure of an account deemed inactive, redundant or otherwise not required. Social Media Liaisons who wish to close their Humber Affiliated Secondary or Affiliated Professional Social Media Account(s) permanently must advise GRMC of their intention. GRMC will review the reasons for decommissioning and assist with identifying a plan to decommission, maintain or revive the account as needed.
    • 3.8. Where a Humber Department or Faculty is managing multiple Humber social media accounts at once, GRMC has tools available to support the management of these accounts. Please contact the Social Media Manager for more information.
  4. Privacy and Copyright
    • 4.1. In accordance with applicable privacy and copyright laws, consent must be obtained when taking photographs, shooting live video and/or recording testimonials of people for use in social media content on Primary and Affiliated Secondary Social Media Accounts. Consent forms are available at the following links:
      • 4.1.1. Photo Consent Form
      • 4.1.2. Minors Photo Consent Form
      • 4.1.3. In addition to receiving consent, GRMC has Event Photography Posters available that may be posted as a notice to Humber community members.
      • 4.1.4. An individual who has previously granted consent is permitted to request the removal of such posted content by directly contacting the applicable Social Media Liaison.
    • 4.2. When taking photographs and/or shooting live video of people for use in social media content on Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts, the Humber employee should seek verbal permission from individuals in the content prior to posting on social media.
    • 4.3. When working with external organizations and stakeholders, their privacy and copyright policies and procedures must be reviewed to ensure that the use of photos and videos in social media content does not violate their policies and procedures.
    • 4.4. All Humber Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts must refrain from committing copyright, trademark, or other intellectual party infringements. Do not distribute someone else’s intellectual property without permission, including copyrighted publications. Do not copy and paste or download an image or video that is not yours to supplement content, unless there is written permission or there is a copyright license that allows it, such as a Creative Commons license. This does not apply to retweeting and sharing content as the ownership is attributed to the person who posted the original social media content.
    • 4.5. Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts are prohibited from posting or disclosing confidential or proprietary information such as confidential information about students, financial data, contract terms, research, items under embargo, etc.
  5. Accessibility
    • 5.1. Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts should work towards making their social media content as accessible as possible.
      • 5.1.1. Visual: Use at least a 4.5:1 contrast between type or graphics and the background colours and choose legible, sans serif text fonts. As a best practice, limit text on images and ensure that any text on the image is legible when it appears on a mobile device.
      • 5.1.2. Technical: Provide alt-text on images and subtitles and/or captions on videos on Facebook, X (formerly known as Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and YouTube.
      • 5.1.3. Social Media Post Copy: As a best practice, any important information within an image should also be described in the post copy. To increase readability, use camel case text in hashtags rather than all lowercase or all uppercase letters (e.g., use #MyHealthyHumber instead of #myhealthyhumber). Place hashtags and account mentions at the end of the post copy where possible.
  6. Prohibited Conduct, Activity and Negative Posts
    • 6.1. Humber College encourages open dialogue on its Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts. For more information, refer to Humber College’s Upholding Free Speech (Policy Statement).
    • 6.2. GRMC does not recommend deleting or hiding comments, unless the post:
      • 6.2.1. Is abusive, hateful, homophobic, racist, discriminatory, malicious, aggressive, threatening, violent, sexist, harassing, inflammatory, indecent, tortious, defamatory, knowingly false, misleading, deceptive, vulgar, obscene, offensive, scandalous, sexually explicit, profane;
      • 6.2.2. Incites hatred, racism, bigotry, discrimination or physical harm of any kind against any individual or class of individuals based on a protected ground in the Ontario Human Rights Code, including: ancestry, colour, race, citizenship, ethnic origin, place of origin, creed, disability, family status, marital status, gender identity, gender expression, receipt of public assistance, record of offences (in employment), sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding) or sexual orientation;
      • 6.2.3. Is unsolicited or unauthorized, such as unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, promotional material, junk mail, spam, chain letter, pyramid scheme or any other form of solicitation (commercial or otherwise);
      • 6.2.4. Is in violation of any law, rule or regulation or any third-party right, or promotes illegal activity or conduct that would contravene any law, rule or regulation or third-party rights;
      • 6.2.5. Includes personal data or information about themselves or others; or
      • 6.2.6. Includes personal attacks on students, staff, faculty or anyone else.
    • 6.3. Negative and/or controversial comments, complaints or posts that are potentially defamatory should be brought to the attention of GRMC for appropriate action.
    • 6.4. Comments or posts that are a potential security risk must be forwarded to the Department of Public Safety.
    • 6.5. Comments or posts that may constitute a breach of the Code of Student Community Standards must be forwarded to the Office of Student Community Standards for appropriate action.
    • 6.6. Comments or posts that may constitute a breach of the Human Rights Policy must be forwarded to The Centre for Human Rights, Equity & Inclusion.
  7. Emergency and Crisis Communication
    • 7.1. In the event of an operational disruption resulting in campus closure such as a power outage, inclement weather or any other event forcing Humber campuses to close, social media communications will be led by GRMC. Approved messaging provided to administrators of Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts should be prioritized over regular and/or scheduled content and posted in accordance with GRMC instructions.
    • 7.2. In the event of a crisis or emergency, crisis-related social media communications, as directed by Humber’s Department of Public Safety and Emergencywill take priority on all Humber Primary Social Media Accounts.
    • 7.3. During an emergency or crisis, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts are to receive direction from GRMC on what type of content is safe to publish and at what frequency. It is suggested that Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts share Humber’s Primary Social Media Accounts’ posts for emergency-related information and updates, unless otherwise instructed.
    • 7.4. In the event of an emergency or crisis, the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Management can call for a temporary cessation/suspension of outbound communications by any or all Humber Primary, Affiliated Secondary and Affiliated Professional Social Media Accounts.
  8. Terms of Service
    • 8.1. Almost all social media platforms or applications will ask users to acknowledge the Terms of Service prior to accessing the site’s services. This is an agreement between the social media site and the user. Humber community members who choose to use social media are solely responsible to read, understand and acknowledge the Terms of Service. All Humber community members shall comply with the Terms of Service and use of the applicable social media platform to the extent it does not materially conflict with Humber’s policies.
      • 8.1.1. If you have questions regarding the use of social media platforms, please contact Humber’s Social Media Manager.
      • 8.1.2. If you have questions regarding the Terms of Service, please contact Humber’s Legal and Risk Management department.
  9. Personal Social Media Use
    • 9.1. Humber College does not intend to restrict the personal use of social media for Humber employees or students. A Personal Social Media Account:
      • 9.1.1. May have affiliation with Humber College (for example, listing a job title on LinkedIn), but opinions and content shared are not a direct representation of Humber College.
      • 9.1.2. Does not require official approval or registration.
      • 9.1.3. Does not include Humber College in their handle or name.
      • 9.1.4. Does not use Humber College logo or branding in its profile without prior written authorization from GRMC. This does not apply when sharing content from Humber College’s Primary and Affiliated Secondary Social Media Accounts.
    • 9.2. When using a Personal Social Media Account, Humber employees should take reasonable steps to ensure audiences do not confuse personal statements and opinions with Humber’s statements and opinions. If choosing to identify as a Humber College employee online, include a disclaimer indicating that the opinions expressed do not reflect the opinion of Humber College (for example, “Opinions are my own” or “These views are my own and do not reflect the views of my employer” in the bio section). However, this does not remove an employee’s obligation to adhere to Humber College’s Social Media Policy. As per Section 7 of Humber’s Social Media Policy, individuals found in violation of the Social Media Policy may be subject to remedial action and such violations will be reviewed by the respective manager and Human Resources Department in accordance with applicable collective agreements and/or terms and conditions of employment.

References:

Acceptable Use Policy for Digital Services

Copyright Act

Human Rights Policy

Humber Brand Standards

Humber Photo Consent Forms

Ontario Human Rights Code

Policy Statement on Upholding Free Speech

Privacy Act

Related Policy:

Social Media Policy