Join the UC Davis social network
UC Davis social media guidelines
UC Davis recognizes the vital role that social media* plays in communicating, collaborating and interacting with students, faculty, staff and the general public. We encourage you to use social media to connect with the UC Davis community at-large in order to foster a place for vibrant and thoughtful engagement as it relates to UC Davis.
As a university committed to the highest standards of freedom of speech and expression, we encourage everyone to get involved and participate in social media.
These guidelines apply to members of the UC Davis social media community, including, but not limited to, students, faculty, staff, administrators and members of the greater community.
Here are some guidelines to help guide your participation on UC Davis-hosted social networks or online in your official capacity tied to the university.
Protect personal information
For safety and security reasons, please refrain from posting personal contact information (home and cell phone numbers, mailing or home addresses, personal email addresses, etc.) on social media sites. Remember that everything you post on social media is public and can live on forever.
Respect intellectual property laws
It is critical that you adhere to laws governing copyright and fair use of copyrighted material owned by others, including UC Davis’ own copyrights, trademarks and brands. Personal Web pages and social media accounts (of faculty, staff or students) may not use UC Davis logos, seals or other campus trademarks (read more here).
In the spirit of sharing on social networks, it's best to link to others’ work and give them the proper credit, rather than to reproduce it.
No endorsements
We encourage you to use social media to share information about your work at UC Davis. However, any advertising, solicitation or overtly favorable acknowledgements or endorsements of third-party products and services is not permitted, except with express written permission of the university, in compliance with university policy.
Stay on topic
Remember to stay on topic. It can be difficult and frustrating for users to find information and/or to meaningfully contribute to the discussion when there is too much additional commentary unrelated to the topic of the posting.
Be transparent
Be honest about who you are. Clearly identify yourself and fully disclose any affiliation you may have with UC Davis; this can be a simple reference in your bio or an online statement. When referencing UC Davis online, make it clear that you're sharing your personal opinion and are not communicating on behalf of the university.
Inspire Dialogue
We strive to create an online environment that is welcoming, mutually respectful and inclusive, consistent with the University’s Principles of Community. Civil and respectful dialogue promotes productive conversations with different ideas and points of view.
You are free to discuss and disagree with others regarding topics relevant to the purpose of the social media platform, but please don’t use ethnic and racial slurs, hateful speech, personal attacks, abusive language, nudity or pornography.
UC Davis reserves the right to block or remove the content of any post that violates UC Davis policies. Please be aware of the following policies:
- UC Davis Policy and Procedure Manual, Section 400-01, Freedom of Expression
- UC Policy on Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment
- UC Policy on Student Conduct and Discipline
- UC Policy on Nondiscrimination and Affirmative Action Policy Regarding Academic and Staff Employment
- UC Faculty Code of Conduct, Academic Personnel Manual 015
- UC’s Electronic Communications Policy
- UC Davis Campus Policies: University Communications (Chapter 310)
Be aware of the Social Media Privacy Act
The Social Media Privacy Act, passed by the California Legislature in September 2012, prohibits public and private college employees and representatives from requiring or requesting a student, prospective student or student group to disclose, access or divulge personal social media account information.
All content, information and views expressed on social media belong to the individual posting the content and do not necessarily reflect UC Davis’ official policies or positions. The university is not responsible for unanswered posts or inaccurate information posted by others.
For questions, comments or to report abuse, send a message to socialmedia@ucdavis.edu.
*Social media includes, but is not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Google+, Reddit, YouTube, Pinterest, LinkedIn, Flickr, Yelp, blogs and more.