These procedures are for social media administrators to follow when deciding how to handle user discussion and conversation on official University social media sites.

Hosting discussion and open discourse: UNLV hosts numerous social media accounts to engage in two-way communication with our audiences and actively solicit feedback. Criticism is part of open conversation between our public University and its community. As a social media administrator, your role is to host conversations and interact with users, even when they voice complaints or disagreements. In various circumstances, it may be appropriate to take the following actions:

• Refer them to specific services that can help their needs.
• Pass on the complaint or concern to your supervisor and/or the specific department or unit it concerns. The first sign that an issue exists may be through social media, giving the University the opportunity to address it.
• Acknowledge incorrect information in a professional and respectful manner and direct the user to a website for clarification.

Deleting posts: See the Social Media Policy for types of content that may be deleted. Unlawful communication, political endorsements or promotions, and spam is content that directly violates the social media policy and can be deleted or hidden immediately. Document all interactions and retain records for the current fiscal year plus one year.

In some cases, a user may post questionable content that’s not directly in violation of the social media policy which should not be deleted or hidden. Depending on the context of the comments, social media administrators can choose to reply to the user with a link to the social media policy asking that the user be respectful of it. However, in some cases it’s best to allow self policing by the community and to not engage in the discourse. Review these templates and resources for thoughtful social media discussion.

Blocking users: See the Social Media Policy for types of behavior that may warrant blocking a user. Provide one notice before formally blocking a legitimate user from any social media sites. Notify the user that they may appeal the decision by sending an email to socialmedia@unlv.edu.

Blocking shall be done on a temporary basis, starting with a period of 30 days. If the offending behavior recurs after the first 30 day period passes, the social media administrator may provide one additional notice before blocking the user for a second time for a period of 60 days. If the offending behavior still continues, the social media administrator can choose to permanently block a user. Before blocking a user, the administrator of the social media account shall consult with the Division of Integrated Marketing and Branding, and they will consult with the Office of General Counsel and the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX as needed. Spam or bot accounts may be blocked without warning and permanently.

Social media administrators should review each platform’s list of blocked users and accounts every month. Document all interactions and retain records as follows:

• 30-day and 60-day blocks: Current fiscal year plus one year
• Permanent block: Permanently retain records

Reporting users: See the Social Media Policy and review a site’s Terms of Use for types of content or behavior that may be reported. If comments or behavior violates a social media site’s Terms of Use, social media administrators should use each site’s functions to report it. This can be done in addition to deleting posts and blocking users depending on the severity of the content. Document all interactions and retain records for the current fiscal year plus one year.

Documentation: In the event of a policy or guidelines violation, screenshot all comments and correspondence, including both public and private messages. In addition to screenshots, note the date, poster information, what was removed, and the basis for removal with a reference to the University’s social media policy.