Guidelines for the Use of Social Media

Last updated: October 2025

Purpose

These guidelines outline best practices and expectations for employees and affiliated units across the University of Alaska system who manage or contribute to social media. They reflect current norms and tools, emphasize responsible use, and align with the individual social media policies of the University of Alaska Anchorage (UAA), University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and University of Alaska Southeast (UAS).

Scope

This document applies to:

  • Official social media accounts managed by any University of Alaska entity, including system administration and individual campuses
  • Employees posting on behalf of the university in any capacity
  • Employees referencing their UA employment in personal social media posts

These guidelines provide a baseline framework to support consistent, ethical, and accessible communications across the system. Units may supplement these with campus-specific or department-specific guidelines.

General Principles

  • Be accurate, respectful, and clear
  • Use social media to support the university’s mission
  • Don’t share protected or private information (FERPA, HIPAA, employee data, etc.)
  • Always get consent before posting names or identifiable images of others
  • Avoid defamatory, obscene, discriminatory, or harassing content
  • Reflect a constructive, respectful tone in all posts
  • Comply with applicable laws and UA policies.
  • Use university branding only with appropriate approval: www.alaska.edu/opa/logo/
  • You should participate in personal social media conversations on your own time and in accordance with the University of Alaska policy on ethics provided by General Council.
  • University employees are also bound by the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act, which prohibits you from taking certain actions in conflict with the university’s interests and from using certain information you developed or were exposed to as a university employee that has not been disseminated to the public.
  1. Personal Use*: Students, Staff, and Faculty are prohibited from using university-owned devices (i.e., laptops or other university computers, University cell phones) to access personal TikTok accounts and software for non-university-related activities.
    1. Personal use means accessing the TikTok website or mobile app to create or review non-University-related posts or content for non-University-related reasons.
    2. Avoid using your @alaska.edu email address as the registered address for your personal TikTok account.
  2. Official Use: Current and future official uses of TikTok using university-owned or administered accounts and personal accounts remain subject to our existing policy and guidelines on official social media use.  Official use of TikTok includes things like:
    1. Marketing, outreach, dissemination, and recruitment efforts in line with the existing social media policy on your personal or UA-owned device. Relevant employees responsible for marketing, advertising, or outreach efforts for your University or one of its units should ensure all current and future accounts align with current guidance and policies on official UA social media. Use an @alaska.edu email address for registering accounts that are exclusively for such use.
    2. Academics and assignments, including viewing TikToks, grading coursework, research, or other activities conducted on your personal or UA-owned device. Faculty who choose to incorporate TikTok into their coursework may use their personal accounts to do so, and do not need to create accounts registered with an @alaska.edu address for those purposes.
    3. Research and investigation for discipline, HR, or law enforcement purposes undertaken in line with current policy and guidelines on your personal or UA-owned device.
  3. The University will not block connectivity to TikTok via our wireless network(s). OIT continues to monitor developments and may adjust the response as needed; specific network blocks or access controls may be implemented and enforced as deemed necessary to protect sensitive or controlled information (i.e., information subject to security clearances, and sensitive research data).
  4. None of the above impacts personal use of TikTok on personal devices. As with all social media platforms, University community members are encouraged to take reasonable precautions to limit the amount of sensitive, personal information shared on TikTok and other social media platforms.

*Personal use of University information resources is governed by R02.07.053 of University Regulation.


Guidelines for Official UA System Office Accounts

  • All social media content must be accessible to users of all abilities, in compliance with UA accessibility standards and federal regulations.
  • Provide alt text for all images to describe visual content for screen readers.
  • Ensure video content includes accurate captions, either automated with editing or manually uploaded.
  • Use CamelCase or underscores for multi-word hashtags to improve readability by screen readers (e.g., #KnowYourUA or #know_your_ua).
  • Avoid using text-heavy images or color combinations with poor contrast.
  • When linking to documents or web content, ensure linked pages are mobile-friendly and accessible.

Refer to alaska.edu/accessibility for systemwide accessibility guidelines. For social media-specific accessibility guidance, consider referencing:

  • Assign at least two trained administrators per account
  • Use shared, not personal, email addresses for registration
  • Promptly remove access when personnel changes occur
  • Use high-quality visuals, clear captions, and accessible formats (e.g., alt text)
  • Avoid excessive promotion. Focus on storytelling and public value
  • Post consistently
  • Monitor comments and engage appropriately. Respond when needed to clarify facts or acknowledge questions, and avoid fueling unproductive arguments.
  • Escalate harmful or threatening content to supervisors or legal/safety personnel
  • As a public institution, UA is subject to the First Amendment and may not remove comments solely because they are negative, critical, or offensive. All moderation actions must be viewpoint-neutral and consistently applied.
  • Do not hide or delete comments just because you disagree with them. Only content that contains threats, unlawful material, commercial spam, or clear violations of platform rules or UA policy may be hidden or removed.
  • It is acceptable to turn off comments entirely or use built-in profanity filters.
  • Document and apply moderation decisions consistently. For further examples and additional clarification, consult with the Office of Information Technology or the Office of Public Affairs.
  • Use two-factor authentication
  • Never reuse passwords across platforms
  • Store credentials in a secure password manager

Guidelines for Personal Use by Employees

When you might be perceived online as an agent/expert of UA, you need to make sure it is clear to the audience that you are not representing the position of UA or UA policy.  

If you reference UA employment, include a disclaimer such as:
“Views are my own and do not reflect the University of Alaska.”

  • Don’t use UA logos or branding for personal projects, political activity, or private promotions
  • Don’t discuss internal matters or identifiable individuals publicly
  • Do not speak on behalf of the university unless authorized
  • Assume anything you post is permanent and public
  • Use good judgment — your online presence reflects on your professional role

Safety & Privacy Tips for Social Media 

When using social media channels:

  • Set privacy settings to help control who can look at your profile, personal information and photo. You can limit access somewhat but not completely, and you have no control over what someone else may share.
  • Limit how much personal information you share. Not everyone will respect your personal or physical space. 
  • Don't assume that posts you have deleted are not chached or screenshot elsewhere. Posted material can remain accessible on the Internet until you’ve completed the prescribed process for removing information from the caching technology of one or multiple (potentially unknown) search engines.
  • Ensure you have the proper permission to post content so you don't break copyright or other laws.
  • Ensure equipment has spyware and virus protections installed. Remember to back up your work on an external source in case of destructive attacks.

Resources and Support

For questions or to request an account review, contact the Office of Information Technology (OIT) at www.alaska.edu/oit.

Note: These guidelines are reviewed regularly to reflect platform changes, communication trends, and evolving best practices by the University of Alaska System Office Public Affairs team.