Protecting your privacy
- Check the privacy settings of your social accounts – don’t assume that your default settings are set up to protect your privacy
- Don’t accept friend requests from people you don’t know
- Be careful of the personal data you share eg date of birth, home address, financial information or names of close relatives
Your responsibilities on social media
When using social media personally, remember that what you’re posting can still have an impact on the university or its associated individuals, even if you have not made specific reference to the University of Nottingham within your post.
You should refrain from posting:
- confidential information
- personal information about another person
- anything from a fake account or an account using another person's name
- content/comments that are illegal, threatening, harassing, discriminatory, obscene, indecent, defamatory or hostile
- any third -party materials (unless you have permission)
- the university logo or images in accounts that are not official UoN accounts. If unauthorised use of the logo is detected, External Relations will ask for it to be removed. Please see our university brand webpage for information
Please note, if you're on a course accredited by a Professional, Statutory and Regulatory Body (PSRB) (eg Medicine, Nursing, Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy), you need to make sure you comply with any additional requirements for use of social media in terms of their fitness to practise. This will be covered by your school.
Incidents and response
If you are being cyberbullied, you should first take personal action. Contact or speak to the person directly, explaining what you consider to be unacceptable about their behaviour, and ask them to stop.
If the behaviour persists, you should report the issue through our Report + Support system. By making a report through this system, you are not making an official report or complaint to the university. When we receive your report, someone from the university will be in touch to offer a meeting. This is so we can offer of support as well explaining next steps which may include a formal university investigation under our Code of Conduct. Please include as many details as possible so we can fully work through the best course of action.
You can also contact our Security team if you feel that your physical safety is at risk on campus:
- Phone: 0115 951 3013 for 24 hour security control
- Phone: 0115 951 8888 for emergencies only
Online safety
- Make sure you have strong and different passwords for each social media account you own
- Use two-factor authentication where available
- Set personal boundaries for social media use – take care that this doesn’t interfere with your wellbeing, relationships, work and study
Recommendations when posting online
Remember that anything you post can reach a wider audience than you originally intended. While it is encouraged for people to keep their online profiles under strict privacy settings where appropriate, using privacy settings does not necessarily prevent your content from reaching a wider audience (eg via screenshots, bystanders or compromised security). You should:
- pause and consider the potential consequences of your posts before sharing
- approach your online posts in the same way that you would in person – don’t post anything that you would not be willing/legally permitted to say in person to another individual
- always consider your audience and the potential audience – remember that posts can be forwarded on to other recipients
- be mindful of how your posts may be perceived by different audiences
- verify news, articles or information before sharing to your social media accounts
- when using social media in your studies, make it clear that views expressed are your own and not necessarily representative of the UoN, unless explicitly authorised to do so. It is recommended that you add the following suggested wording to your social media profiles in this instance: “The views expressed here are my own and do not reflect those of the University of Nottingham"
Potential penalties of unacceptable social media use
If you are found to have breached the Social Media Code of Practice, you may be asked to remove your post in the first instance. However, if the matter refers to the Student Code of Conduct, there are a range of penalties that may be imposed, including:
- Fines
- A formal warning
- Suspension from the university
- Expulsion from the university
Support
If you are in need of further support, please don’t hesitate to engage any of the relevant services below: