Harper College offices will be closed Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day.
Social media has become increasingly important to how Harper College communicates with its students, alumni, supporters, friends and community members.
Taking advantage of social media sites like Facebook, X, Instagram and LinkedIn gives campus units a unique opportunity to engage constituents while supporting the college’s mission, vision, philosophy, core values and strategic plan.
Like all official communication from Harper College, messages shared on social media need to be consistent, accurate and professional. This document outlines rules and best practices for employees who oversee college-owned/managed/supported social media accounts, so that successful social media plans can be implemented.
These Harper College Social Media Rules and Best Practices were developed by the Office of Marketing Services and through collaboration with campus stakeholders. Questions about this document should be directed to mbarzacc@harpercollege.edu or 847.925.6510.
Note that all social media activity is subject to the following rules authored by the Marketing Services department at Harper College.
Adhere to all applicable manuals, procedures, and handbooks, including the Board Policy Manual and Student Handbook.
Protect confidential and proprietary information.
Do not post confidential or proprietary information about Harper College, students, employees or alumni. Employees must follow applicable federal requirements such as those under FERPA and HIPAA. Adhere to all applicable College social media use, acceptable use, privacy and confidentiality policies.
Respect copyright and fair use.
Be mindful of the copyright and intellectual property rights of others and of the College. For guidance, consult the Copyright and Fair Use section on the College’s website.
Don’t use Harper College logos for endorsements.
Do not use the Harper College logo or any other College image or iconography on your social media site. Do not use Harper College’s name to promote a product, cause or political party or candidate.
Respect College time and property.
College social media accounts, computers and time on the job are reserved for college-related business as approved by supervisors. For guidelines, consult the Acceptable Use Policy.
Terms of service.
Obey the terms of service of any social media platform employed.
Fundraising.
The Harper College Educational Foundation is the only agency authorized to seek gift support using the College’s name. All solicitations, by any method, including through any Harper College social media sites, must be coordinated with and approved by the Harper College Education Foundation through the Development office.
Photography.
Generally speaking, it is permissible to capture university photographic images of people in public places performing public activities. For staged photography set-ups or photos that feature one or more people or students who will be identified, Harper College staff should obtain signed release forms from the subjects. While photographing, Harper College staff must respect anyone’s request not to be photographed. If the individual is a minor, parental or guardian consent is required. If a request is made to stop using a photo/image of a person, you must abide by that request.
Crisis communication.
If faced with a crisis of safety or concern on your social media site, do not respond. Take a screen shot and alert the crisis communication team at crisiscomm@harpercollege.edu. If faced with an immediate threat, contact the Harper Campus Police at 847.925.6330.
Advertising.
All digital and social media advertising is coordinated through Harper College Marketing Services Center. For questions, contact Donna Harwood at dharwood@harpercollege.edu.
All Harper College staff, faculty and students should look to these tips on how to participate in social media in positive, meaningful ways that reflect well on the College and its four core values: respect, integrity, collaboration and excellence.
Respect
Integrity
Collaboration
Excellence
Harper College social media accounts are broken down into four main categories: Official, Departmental, Student Organizations and Independent. Each category determines how and at what capacity the College is associated, and each have their own set of required parameters to follow.
Official
Official accounts are recognized as the accounts of Harper College. They are the go-to sources for information and communication between the college and its constituents. These accounts include:
Departmental
Departmental accounts represent departments and divisions of the College that appeal to a large portion of students or community members. These accounts work closely with Marketing Services on the rollout, strategy and branding of their accounts.
Student Organizations
Student organization accounts represent student groups recognized by the Student Engagement office. Student officers generally operate these accounts independently form institutional channels, but they should coordinate with Marketing Services to promote approved events.
Independent
Independent accounts represent specific interests or areas of study and operate independently from the institutional channels. For example, individual accounts for students in specific courses, degree programs, or unofficial student groups.
Naming Conventions
All accounts are advised to follow these naming conventions. Before starting an account, please contact Kevin Prchal with Marketing Services at kprchal@harpercollege.edu.
Channel |
Naming Convention |
Example |
Facebook page name |
Unit Name at Harper College |
Student Involvement at Harper College |
Facebook URL/handle |
HarperUnitName |
@HarperCollegeStudentInvolvement |
Twitter handle |
@HarperUnitName |
@HarperCollegeCE |
Twitter name (Displays to users) |
Unit Name at Harper College |
Continuing Education at Harper College |
|
@HarperUnitName |
@HarperCampusRec |
Facebook and LinkedIn Groups |
Begin name with “Harper College…” |
Harper College Alumni |
Account Criteria
|
Official |
Departmental |
Student Organizations |
Independent |
|
Managed by Marketing Services |
x |
|
|
|
|
Approved by Marketing Services |
x |
x |
|
|
|
Compliant with Social Media Guidelines and Best Practices |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Adhere to all Harper College policies, employer and student code of conduct |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Monitoring for crisis situations during standard business hours |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Responsible for providing official statements during crisis situations |
x |
|
|
|
|
Monitoring for customer service inquiries during standard business hours |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Can use Harper College logo |
x |
|
|
|
|
Can use social media for fundraising |
x |
with written pre-approval from Foundation |
with written pre-approval from Foundation |
with written pre-approval from Foundation |
|
Must obey Terms of Service of each social media platform |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Must have more than one administrator with access to login credentials |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Account administrator must be a current Harper College faculty or staff member |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Provide login credentials to Marketing Services |
x |
x |
x |
Recommended |
|
Must adhere to basic spelling and grammar |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
Must attend regular user groups |
x |
x |
|
||
Meets Harper College brand and editorial standards |
x |
x |
|
||
Cross-promote main channel whenever possible |
x |
x |
x |
x |
Interested in creating a social media account to meet your marketing needs? Please take the following steps: