Florida A&M University announced on Apr. 2 a new social media policy, UP-01-05, which sets standards and guidelines for the use of official university social media accounts by faculty, staff, students employed by the university, third-party vendors, volunteers, and appointees.
The introduction of this policy is significant as it addresses appropriate uses of social media while aiming to protect both individual expression and the reputation of the university. The guidelines are intended to ensure that interactions on official FAMU platforms align with university regulations and applicable laws.
According to Alonda Thomas, Ph.D., “The University strongly supports freedom of speech and expression, and we recognize that social media is a powerful tool for sharing ideas and staying connected with students, alumni, faculty, staff, colleagues, and the broader community.” The policy outlines prohibited conduct on social media such as unlawful activity or violations of professional standards. It also provides procedures for managing posts on official platforms and offers guidance to employees who communicate about FAMU online.
Community commenting guidelines specify that comments must be related to original posts. Comments may be moderated or removed if they are threatening; encourage illegal activity; contain obscene language; are discriminatory or harassing; include confidential information; violate laws; or make knowingly false statements that could harm FAMU or its employees. The policy also clarifies that comments reflect only the views of their authors—not those of Florida A&M University—and users agree to follow all relevant policies by participating in discussions.
FAMU reserves discretion over enabling comment features on its pages and reminds users that all content is subject to Florida public records law. Users engaging with FAMU’s content should be aware their information may become part of public record under state law.
