Social Media Guidelines

Basic Guidelines

• Interested in a social media presence? Contact the City Tech Communications Manager communications@citytech.cuny.edu to discuss which platform is best for your needs, your intended audience, and key messaging.
• Once this information is determined, submit your handle and administrator name(s) to ommunications@citytech.cuny.edu so your account is added to our social media directory.
• City Tech depts/programs should appoint a staff member to manage their social media, ideally designating a backup administrator to ensure consistency and continuity.
• When an admin is no longer an employee, make sure their name is taken off the account, and keep a record of usernames and passwords.
• Please share your access information with the City Tech Communications Manager as a precautionary measure to ensure business continuity and prevent potential loss of access to accounts should your administrators leave.
• It is crucial that all of our social media accounts operate in tandem with one another, tagging/ mentioning other City Tech social media and linking to College web pages. Just as we are a community on Jay Street, we are an online community as well, continuously amplifying and supporting our messaging, diversifying our audience, and growing our brand.
• Tag Communications official pages for optimal exposure @citytechcuny on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter/X; City Tech, CUNY on LinkedIn.
• City Tech's social media guidelines apply to accounts intended to represent official City Tech entities. We ask that social media users representing the College follow these guidelines:
• Uphold the College's mission and guiding principles-every City Tech social media account represents the College!
• Use good judgment about content and respect privacy laws (FERPA).
• Use the City Tech Branding Guide regarding both visual and written content.
• Do not use City Tech social media to endorse political candidates, or to promote products and/or services.
• Contact the Office of Communications if a media representative contacts faculty, staff, or students about content from your social media page.

Content & Imagery Guidelines

• Non-City Tech imagery, such as banner, cover, header, profile and wallpaper images, is at the discretion of the account owners and must adhere to image copyright laws.
• Obtain verbal approval from individuals to use their photos on social media.
• Permission must be obtained when using online material that includes direct or paraphrased quotes, thoughts, ideas, photos, music, recordings and/or videos. Include a link to the original material if available.
• Social media users acting on behalf of the College must adhere to all applicable City Tech and CUNY policies (human resources policies and policies regarding intellectual property, IT security and computer resources).
• In addition to City Tech's social media guidelines, all content is bound by the Terms and Community Guidelines for that service (Facebook, X, Instagram, etc).
• City Tech's social media accounts are for the dissemination of official college content. Do not use them for personal purposes.
• Personal Social Media: If you identify your affiliation with City Tech in your profile or comments, other users will naturally associate you with the college. Please indicate: "While I am an employee of City Tech, views expressed are solely mine and do not reflect the views of the college." City Tech's name or logo may not be used to lobby, endorse any opinion, product, private business or cause.

Community Management

• Carefully monitor public comments and replies to your social media posts.
• At your discretion, you can hide inappropriate comments, including offensive anguage and hate speech, and remove followers. Keep in mind that users may screenshot posts and notice when you hide inappropriate comments.
• Check the platform's community guidelines. Monitor engagement on posts and report community violations accordingly using the platform's reporting portals.
• If a commenter requires assistance (e.g., a question about financial aid, admissions or campus facilities), please respond and direct them to the appropriate office or department.
• Before responding to a problematic or incendiary post or comment, consult with colleagues or the Communications Manager and think through your response strategy rather than posting immediately.
• If you encounter threats of violence in public comments or direct messages, immediately screenshot and email the evidence to Public Safety. In addition, call 718-260-5555 to report.

Best Practices

• Use "City Tech" identification along with the name of your office/ program/ club. Avoid NYCCT and other abbreviations.
• Proofread!
• Social media is all about connecting-encourage discourse and respond to posts, including concerns.
• Adhere to Adhere to CUNY Accessibility Guidelines: https://www.cuny.edu/accessibility/content/social-media/
• If your content is inaccurate, correct it and acknowledge the correction.

View Social Media Guidelines in PDF version