NJIT Social Media Policy

Introduction

Social media is changing the way NJIT communicates from both an institutional and personal perspective. NJIT is committed to engaging audiences through traditional channels as well as meeting them in the online social media presences where they are most active.

The Office of Strategic Communications manages NJIT’s official social media presences to ensure that messages and brand in these presences are consistent with university standards.

Terminology

The following terminology is used throughout this policy:

• "You" and "your" in this context are NJIT students, faculty, staff, contractors, and any other persons authorized to access our social media presences. "You" might also be an organization or a representative of an organization associated with NJIT.
• "We", "our", and "university" refer to the New Jersey Institute of Technology in general.
• "Social media" refers to any of the official internal or third-party sites listed below.
• "Use" likewise refers to accessing, adding content (text, photos, videos, audio, illustration, hyperlinks), and any other utilization of social media.

Scope

This social media policy applies to:

• Anyone creating a social media presence on behalf of NJIT or an organizational unit of NJIT; NJIT Research Centers; and NJIT-affiliated student organizations, limited to guidelines governing the use of NJIT logo and branding elements.

This social media policy does not apply to:

• Faculty and students engaged in electronic coursework with any presence in social media or other technologies
• Those engaging in social media as an individual separate from their official role at NJIT
• Organizations where NJIT is fiscal agent (e.g., NJEDge.net)

Policy Hierarchy

You must comply with all local, state and federal laws, including, but not limited to, laws regarding libel, harassment, privacy, copyright infringement, theft, and threats. You must be at least 16 years old to post any content on any NJIT-related Social Media presence.

You are legally bound by the terms of use for the official NJIT social media presences. Additionally, all of NJIT's policies extend and apply to your use of social media. NJIT's policies are at http://www.njit.edu/policies. Some additional policies from the Dean of Student's Office are at https://www.njit.edu/doss/policies/index.php. Some of the applicable policies more closely associated with social media are:

• Acceptable Use Policy for Cyber Resources
• Student Professional Conduct Code
• Faculty Handbook
• University Code on Academic Integrity
• Policy on Integrity in Scholarship
• Identity Theft Policy
• Copyright Policy
• Patent Policy
• Sexual Harassment Policy
• Supplemental Ethics Code

Official social media presences for NJIT affiliates

NJIT’s official presences are:

Governance

The starting point for any organizational unit wishing to start a social media presence is to contact the Office of Strategic Communications. Guidelines for social media are located at https://www.njit.edu/communications/services/socialmedia-guidelines.php.

Organizational units will be required to clearly define the responsible organizational members who will manage the presence and be responsible that all communications are held to appropriate university standards.

The Office of Strategic Communications monitors NJIT's official social media presences for active, engaging, appropriate and accurate content.  Sites with persistently stale or inaccurate content may be suspended or retired because such presences are more detrimental than no presence at all. Inappropriate content deemed unlawful, inappropriate or “spam” may be removed as necessary and may be reported to the site on which the content or comments appeared, in addition to any applicable disciplinary charges. 

Branding

The official university logo may not be used in any social media presence without the express permission of the Office of Strategic Communications as it is trademarked property of NJIT. Your logo or an approved logo that is distinct from NJIT’s official logo should be used, subject to NJIT’s Graphic Standards and Branding Guidelines and approval by the Office of Strategic Communications.

Content

By posting content (including photographs, videos and other graphics) on any NJIT-related Social Media Site, you grant to NJIT the right to reproduce, distribute, publish or display the content, the right to create derivative works from your content, and to edit or modify such content and use the content for any NJIT purpose.

NJIT-affiliated organizational units are responsible for obtaining photo release forms for new photographs when appropriate and to provide such to the Office of Strategic Communications prior to posting on social media sites.

Activity

NJIT reserves the right to monitor and your access to any NJIT-related Social Media Site, at any time, without notice and for any reason and in its sole discretion. NJIT may remove, delete, block, filter or restrict by any other means any materials on its official social media presences in NJIT’s sole discretion.

You understand and agree that NJIT may disclose your communications and activities with NJIT in response to lawful requests by governmental authorities, including OPRA requests, judicial orders, subpoenas, or for the protection of NJIT rights. You agree that in the event that NJIT exercises any of its rights hereunder for any reason, NJIT will have no liability to you.

By its very nature, a website and the Internet cannot be absolutely protected against intentional or malicious intrusion attempts. NJIT does not control the third party social media sites and the Internet over which you may choose to send confidential personal or health information or other content and, therefore, NJIT does not warrant any safeguard against such interceptions or compromises to your information. When posting any content on an Internet site, you should think carefully about your own privacy in disclosing detailed or private information about yourself and your family. Furthermore, NJIT does not endorse any product, service, views, or content displayed on social media sites. 

Any claim or dispute relating to your posting of any content on a Social Media Site shall be construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New Jersey without regard to its conflict of laws and provisions and you agree to be bound and shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the local, state or federal courts located in Essex County, New Jersey.

You may not provide content to a NJIT-related Social media Site that contains product or service endorsements or content that may be construed as political lobbying, solicitations or contributions or use the Social media Site to link to any sites or political candidates or parties.

This policy may be updated at any time without notice, and each time a user accesses an official social media site, the new policy will govern usage, effective on posting.