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Social Media Standards

Through strategic use of social media, we have the opportunity to engage with broad and targeted audiences and create top-of-mind awareness by sharing content that highlights the many faces of UTHealth Houston.

By maintaining visual brand consistency across platforms and following best practices, we can be more effective in engaging with our communities and providing them relevant university news.

To advance the university’s mission and protect its reputation, university-sponsored social media accounts must adhere to university policy, including the registration of all accounts that in any way represent the university’s schools, programs, institutes, centers, departments, divisions, affiliates, employee organizations, or registered student organizations, or for activities conducted in the course of university business.

These standards focus on the university’s most utilized social media channels: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.

Social-media-image

Social media is a way to amplify our voice to tell our stories and engage with our audiences.

University-Sponsored Social Media Accounts

Note: While the social media policy is currently undergoing an update, no new social media accounts will be approved.

All administrators of university-sponsored social media accounts are required to read the UTHealth Houston Social Media Standards; HOOP Policy 219, Use of Social Media; and guidelines on the Public Affairs intranet site .

Follow UT System Ethics Standards; HOOP Policy 109, Standards of Conduct; and the corresponding Standards of Conduct Guide, as well as HIPAA and FERPA policies. For specific guidance on these policies, contact the Office of Legal Affairs or Office of Institutional Compliance.

For more information, contact SocialMedia@uth.tmc.edu.

View the list of social media accounts for the university, its schools, and clinical practices. Following these accounts and liking their content helps create user interaction, which is what social media is all about.

Representing UTHealth Houston in Any Social Media

Here are Do’s and Don’ts for UTHealth Houston community members for using university-sponsored social media, as well as for discussing university information on non-university social media.

  • Do use good judgment about content. Be fair, honest, accurate, and courteous to all. Address all concerns and comments in a timely manner. Acknowledge the feedback received, just as though you are providing in-person customer service.
  • Do avoid posting complaints or criticism, as well as photographs, images, graphics, video, or audio that could reasonably be viewed as malicious, obscene, explicit, threatening, or intimidating; that disparage members of the UTHealth Houston community; or that might constitute harassment or bullying.
  • Do correct a mistake quickly.
  • Do keep your official university voice and your personal voice separate. You represent the university on university-sponsored social media.
  • Do follow UTHealth Houston brand standards. For approval of use and more information on the appropriate use of logos and compliance with graphic and editorial standards, please contact Branding and Creative Services.
  • Do’s
    • Do use good judgment about content. Be fair, honest, accurate, and courteous to all. Address all concerns and comments in a timely manner. Acknowledge the feedback received, just as though you are providing in-person customer service.
    • Do avoid posting complaints or criticism, as well as photographs, images, graphics, video, or audio that could reasonably be viewed as malicious, obscene, explicit, threatening, or intimidating; that disparage members of the UTHealth Houston community; or that might constitute harassment or bullying.
    • Do correct a mistake quickly.
    • Do keep your official university voice and your personal voice separate. You represent the university on university-sponsored social media.
    • Do follow UTHealth Houston brand standards. For approval of use and more information on the appropriate use of logos and compliance with graphic and editorial standards, please contact Branding and Creative Services.
  • Don’ts
    • Don’t share protected health information of any patient without the patient’s specific written authorization. This includes any photos or videos that appear to be de-indentified. Read and familiarize yourself with HOOP 206, Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information.
    • Don’t share private information about a student or personally identifiable information from a student’s education record without prior written consent of the student, except as authorized by law. Read and familiarize yourself with HOOP 129, Educational Records.
    • Don’t speak with any journalist or media member regarding university business, even on social media, without first informing a UTHealth Houston Media Relations representative in the Office of Public Affairs. If approached by any media outlet or individual, contact UTHealth Houston Media Relations immediately at 713-500-3030 or at Media.Relations@uth.tmc.edu. See also HOOP 5, Communications with the Media.
    • Don’t use personal social media accounts while on work time or on equipment UTHealth Houston provides, unless it is work-related as authorized by your manager or consistent with HOOP 180, Acceptable Use of University Information Resources.
    • Don’t use UTHealth Houston email addresses to register on non-university social media, blogs, or other online tools utilized for personal use.
    • Don’t share information that is confidential and proprietary about the university. If you have any questions, speak with your manager and contact SocialMedia@uth.tmc.edu.
    • Don’t use the university logo or school logos without permission from Branding and Creative Services in the Office of Public Affairs. If using the logo with permission, ensure that you follow UTHealth Houston brand standards. For approval of use and more information on the appropriate use of logos and compliance with graphic and editorial standards, please contact Branding and Creative Services.
    • Don’t use copyrighted materials without permission.
    • Don’t support a political party, religion, or cause.