GENERAL GUIDELINES

Sharing PPH news, events or promoting our work through social media tools is an excellent, low-cost way to engage the community and build our brand. Contributors are encouraged to repost and share information with their family and friends that is available to the public (press releases, articles in the PPH Record, Internet news, etc.). The best way to share PPH news is to link to the original source. When sharing information that is not a matter of public record, please follow the below guidelines.

Maintain Confidentiality

Do not post confidential or proprietary information about the PlantPure Houston, its Pods Leads or its members. Use good ethical judgment and follow PPH policies and federal requirements, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) of 1996 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Review HIPAA requirements for FERPA.

Maintain Privacy

Do not discuss a situation involving named or pictured individuals on a social media site without their permission. As a guideline, do not post anything that you would not present in any public forum.

Respect PPH Time and Property

It’s appropriate to post at work if your comments are directly related to accomplishing work goals, such as seeking sources for information or working with others to resolve a problem.

Do No Harm

Let your Internet social networking do no harm to the PlantPure Houston or PlantPure Communities or to yourself.

Understand Your Personal Responsibility

PPH contributors are personally responsible for the content they publish on blogs, wikis or any other form of user-generated content. Be mindful that what you publish will be public for a long time— protect your privacy.

Be Aware of Liability

You are responsible for what you post on your own site and on the sites of others. Individual bloggers have been held liable for commentary deemed to be copyright infringement, defamatory, proprietary, libelous, or obscene (as defined by the courts). Increasingly, employers are conducting Web searches on job candidates before extending offers. Be sure that what you post today will not come back to haunt you.

Maintain Transparency

The line between professional and personal business is sometimes blurred: Be thoughtful about your posting’s content and potential audiences. Be honest about your identity. In personal posts, you may identify yourself as a PPH Pod Lead or member. However, please be clear that you are sharing your views as an individual, not as a representative of the PlantPure Houston.

Correct Mistakes

If you make a mistake, admit it. Be upfront and be quick with your correction. If you’re posting to a blog, you may choose to modify an earlier post—just make it clear that you have done so.

Respect Others

You are more likely to achieve your goals or sway others to your beliefs if you are constructive and respectful while discussing a bad experience or disagreeing with a concept or person. Be a Valued Member If you join a social network, make sure you are contributing valuable insights. Don’t hijack the discussion and redirect by posting self/organizational promoting information. Self-promoting behavior is viewed negatively and can lead to you being banned from Web sites or groups. Ask yourself the following: Have I asked permission to post someone else’s image or information? Am I infringing on their privacy? Could I be hurting someone? Could I be subject to libel suits? Am I violating network use policy or HIPAA privacy rules?

Think Before You Post

There’s no such thing as a “private” social media site. Search engines can turn up posts and pictures years after the publication date. Comments can be forwarded or copied. Archival systems save information even if you delete a post. If you feel angry or passionate about a subject, it’s wise to delay posting until you are calm and clearheaded. Post only pictures that you would be comfortable sharing with the general public (current and future peers, employers, etc.).

—-

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES WHEN POSTING AS AN INDIVIDUAL

PPH uses social media to supplement traditional press and marketing efforts. Members are encouraged to share PPH news and events, which are a matter of public record, with their family and friends. Linking straight to the information source is an effective way to help promote the mission of the PPH and build community. When you might be perceived online as an agent/expert of PPH, you need to make sure it is clear to the audience that you are not representing the position of PPH or PPH policy. While the guidelines below apply only to those instances where there is the potential for confusion about your role as a PPH agent/expert versus personal opinion, they are good to keep in mind for all social media interactions. When posting to a social media site you should:

Be Authentic

Be honest about your identity. In personal posts, you may identify yourself as a PPH faculty or staff member. However, please be clear that you are sharing your personal views and are not speaking as a formal representative of PPH. If you identify yourself as a member of the PPH community, ensure your profile and related content are consistent with how you wish to present yourself to colleagues.

Use a Disclaimer

If you publish content to any website outside of PPH and it has something to do with the work you do or subjects associated with PPH, use a disclaimer such as this: “The postings on this site are my own and do not represent PPH’s positions, strategies or opinions.” Don’t Use the PPH Logo or Make Endorsements Do not use the PPH wordmark, athletic logo or any other PPH marks or images on your personal online sites. Do not use PPH’s name to promote or endorse any product, cause or political party or candidate.

Take the High Ground

If you identify your affiliation with PPH in your comments, readers may associate you with the PPH, even with the disclaimer that your views are your own. Remember that you’re most likely to build a high-quality following if you discuss ideas and situations civilly. Don’t pick fights online.

Don’t Use Pseudonyms

Never pretend to be someone else. Tracking tools enable supposedly anonymous posts to be traced back to their authors.

Protect Your Identity

While you should be honest about yourself, don’t provide personal information that scam artists or identity thieves could use. Don’t list your home address or telephone number. It is a good idea to create a separate e-mail address that is used only with social media sites.

Does it Pass the Publicity Test

If the content of your message would not be acceptable for face-to face conversation, over the telephone, or in another medium, it will not be acceptable for a social networking site. Ask yourself, would I want to see this published in the newspaper or posted on a billboard tomorrow or ten years from now?

Respect Your Audience

Don’t use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any conduct that would not be acceptable in PPH’s community. You should also show proper consideration for others’ privacy and for topics that may be considered sensitive —such as politics and religion.

Monitor Comments

Most people who maintain social media sites welcome comments— it builds credibility and community. However, you may be able to set your site so that you can review and approve comments before they appear. This allows you to respond in a timely way to comments. It also allows you to delete spam comments and to block any individuals who repeatedly post offensive or frivolous comments.

A common practice among individuals who write about the industry in which they work is to include a disclaimer on their site, usually on their “About Me” page. If you discuss higher education on your own social media site, we suggest you include a sentence similar to this: “The views expressed on this [blog, Web site] are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the PPH.” This is particularly important if you could be perceived to be in a leadership role at PPH.

—

SOCIAL MEDIA GUIDELINES WHEN POSTING ON BEHALF OF THE PPH

Online collaboration tools provide low-cost communication methods which foster open exchanges and learning. While social media tools are changing the way we work and how we connect with the public and other higher education institutions, the PPH policies and practices for sharing information remain the same. In addition to the general guidelines discussed above, when you creating or posting to a social media site on behalf of PPH you need to: Seek Approval Any messages that might act as the “voice” or position of the PPH must be approved by the PPH or their delegate.

Be Accurate

Make sure that you have all the facts before you post. It’s better to verify information with a source first than to have to post a correction or retraction later. Cite and link to your sources whenever possible — that’s how you build community.

Be Transparent

If you participate in or maintain a social media site on behalf of the PPH, clearly state your role and goals. Keep in mind that if you are posting with a PPH username, other users do not know you personally. They view what you post as coming from the PPH.

Be careful and be respectful

What you say directly reflects on the PPH. Discuss with your supervisor the circumstances in which you are empowered to respond directly to users and when you may need approval Be Timely Assign an administrator who can regularly monitor postings and content. Aim for standard times for postings and updates. The recommended minimum frequency is once to twice a week. But be sure not to overload your updates. Followers will stop paying attention if you overload them with information.

Be Responsible

What you write is ultimately your responsibility. Participation in social computing on behalf of PPH is not a right but an opportunity, so please treat it seriously and with respect. If you want to participate on behalf of the PPH, be sure to abide by its standard practice guidelines.

Respect Others

Users are free to discuss topics and disagree with one another, but please be respectful of others’ opinions. You are more likely to achieve your goals if you are constructive and respectful while discussing a bad experience or disagreeing with a concept or person.

Be a Valued Member

If you join a social network like a Facebook group or comment on someone’s blog, make sure you are contributing valuable insights. Post information about topics like PPH events or a book you’ve authored only when you are sure it will be of interest to readers. In some forums, self-promoting behavior is viewed negatively and can lead to you being banned from websites or groups.

Be Thoughtful

If you have any questions about whether it is appropriate to write about certain kinds of material in your role as a PPH employee, ask your supervisor before you post. Use of the PPH Logo If you create a social media site on behalf of the PPH, use simple graphics that represent the PPH brand.

—