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Regulations and Policies

Regulations & Policies

Public Relations


I. OBJECTIVE & PURPOSE

To set standards for online communication at the University of North Florida and to establish the responsibilities of the Internet Presence Committee (IPC) to uphold those standards. Online communication encompasses both web pages and social media. Please refer to University's Social Media guidelines for guidance in establishing official sites.

II. STATEMENT OF POLICY

Online communication is an important medium that can and should be used to inform, educate, communicate and promote the University to its internal and external constituents, including students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, benefactors, legislative bodies and the general public. It is in the best interest of the University that we adhere to the highest standards of quality and responsibility in the development and presentation of online communications while promoting a consistent image and brand identity to its constituencies. Therefore, anyone developing Official Online Communications or Unofficial Online Communications (both as defined below) ensure the accuracy and currency of the information presented.

III. STATEMENT OF PROCEDURES

ommunications that are not in compliance with the Visual Identity Standards or any Web pages that do not follow the approved Content Management System (CMS) template(s) must be brought to the Internet Presence Committee for review.

Newly developed or existing Official Online Communication found to be in violation of policies or guidelines will be notified of the non-compliance by the chair of the IPC and required to correct any deficiencies. Failure to correct deficiencies may result in removal. Decisions of the IPC may be appealed to the President.

Members of the IPC will be appointed by the President. The IPC will revise, update and create policies affecting Official Online Communications and will review online communications for compliance with University regulations and policies.

A. Definitions:

The University recognizes two classifications of online communication: Official Online Communications and Unofficial Online Communications.

  1. Official Online Communications shall include the University's Home Page (http://www.unf.edu), related pages, and the pages and social media sites of all officially constituted colleges, divisions, departments, centers, schools, offices, programs, committees and associations of the University. Official Online Communication speaks for the University and its colleges, divisions, departments, and other units. Official Online Communications that are web pages must reside in the University's Web CMS using the IPC-approved template(s) and are subject to review by the IPC.
  2. Unofficial Online Communications shall include personal pages and social media sites of students, faculty, staff, and student clubs or organizations.

Any Unofficial Online Communications published by individual faculty members are the responsibility of the individual faculty member and therefore are not required to reside in CMS nor must they use the IPC-approved template. However, Unofficial Online Communications published by individual faculty members must still comply with section IV of this Policy.

Advertising, Partnerships, Endorsements, Sponsorship and Acknowledgements: Advertising, partnerships, endorsements, sponsorships and acknowledgements are permitted on Official Online Communications only if any logo or name is smaller in size than University's.

Advertising, partnerships, endorsements, sponsorships and acknowledgements in the form of a simple listing of company names are permitted, but third party logos or other icons, graphics or photos must be approved by the third party in writing and in advance of being used in Official Online Communications.

IV. APPLICABLE REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

Official Online Communications and Unofficial Online Communications must comply with the University's Network Acceptable Use Policy [i.e., must comply with all applicable Federal, State, and local laws and regulations, including, but not limited to copyright and trademark laws, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, applicable licensing laws, commercial discrimination laws as enacted in Chapter 540, F.S., the Florida Computer Crimes Act as enacted in Chapter 815, F.S., obscenity laws as enacted in Chapter 847, F.S., and all Florida Board of Governors and University regulations and policies. Existing University policies applicable to the use of computing and information technology resources, University logos, trademarks, and other indicia of the University, and standards of behavior (e.g., discrimination/harassment policy, disruptive behavior, academic integrity code, use of campus facilities, student conduct code, regulations and policies) are incorporated in this policy by reference]. Publishers of all Official Online Communications and Unofficial Online Communications must comply with the University's Code of Ethics. The University reserves the right to take appropriate action with regard to any Official Online Communications or Unofficial Online Communications that violate any of the above.


Formerly 9-3.006


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