Social Media Protocols and Best Practices

The use of online social networking/media has become a common manner for individuals and groups to engage, interact, and maintain communications.

Recognizing that social networking/media sites are being used by staff, faculty, and administrators in their capacity as Cerro Coso employees, and student clubs and organizations, the college is committed to ensuring these sites are a positive forum for sharing information.

Purpose

This guideline applies to the use of the college’s name, likeness, logo, and information about Cerro Coso Community College on social media platforms such as or similar to Facebook, You Tube, Twitter, Snap Chat, and Instagram. The intent of this guideline shall remain intact although the platform may change over time.

Responsible Parties

The Public Relations/Advancement Office is the registrar of the college’s social media pages. Those who wish to start a social media account that has the name or logo of Cerro Coso Community College must register the site with the Public Relations/Advancement Office.

Examples of those who need to register their site

• Those who wish to use the college’s name, likeness, or logo on any social media sites
• An employee or student group on campus that seeks to create a social media site affiliated with an official college group
• Athletics: The college will maintain one official college athletic team social media site, per the California Community College Athletic Association Bylaws. The site will identify as the college’s official site, with a disclaimer regarding the existence and accuracy of the information about their athletic program.

Content

Although the college encourages lively discussion, the college is not responsible for content created by students or employees on unofficial social media sites.

However, if a situation involving offensive or unlawful content arises, the college reserves the right to remove content from the official college pages or require the site that bears the college name and logo to remove content.

Content created by site administrators on Cerro Coso’s-affiliated social media sites must relate directly to college business, programs, services, or related interests. Content placed by site administrators cannot promote nor link out to individual opinions or causes. If an officially affiliated site is established, it must adhered to existing district policies governing employee and student behavior, in addition to any and all policies required by the social media site. Users must comply with all federal copyright regulations, including the TEACH Act.

College social media sites that do not follow these guidelines will be required to remove the site.

See also

• Cerro Coso branding terms of use and restrictions of use at the bottom of:
• KCCD Board Policy – Institutional Code of Ethics (formerly 7E)
• KCCD Acceptable Use Policy
• Student Conduct Policy
• California Community College Athletic Association Constitution

Request a Social Media Account

Use the Request Social Media Account form to request an account.