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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.

The university social media standards apply to all university-sponsored social media, defined as any use of social media by or on behalf of the university or one of its schools, programs, institutes, centers, departments, affiliates, or recognized student or employee 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

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.

UTHealth Houston community members who establish a social media presence should remember they are opening a new and highly visible communication channel. After your university-sponsored social media is set up, the designated administrators are responsible for posting content, regularly checking for comments, and responding to comments or questions in a timely manner. The administrator will become the “voice” of your university-sponsored social media. You also must have a manager-level or above in your area act as backup administrator for each account with access to all login information.

All UTHealth Houston students and employees must follow HOOP 219, Use of Social Media, and university guidelines when creating and registering new social media. Please contact the Social Media Leadership Team at SocialMedia@uth.tmc.edu for more information and guidance.

All university-sponsored social media accounts should use recognizable and consistent page names and handles. If possible, account names and handles should include UTHealth Houston, but no abbreviations. This is consistent with the university’s main accounts.

  • Page/account names and handles

    All university-sponsored social media accounts should use recognizable and consistent page names and handles. If possible, account names and handles should include UTHealth Houston, but no abbreviations. This is consistent with the university’s main accounts.

  • Avatars

    University-sponsored social media accounts use the tapestry as an avatar. These avatar options may be downloaded from the UTHealth Houston Multimedia Library.

    Black and White UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Gray and White UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Orange and White UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Blue and White UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Black UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Gray UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Orange UTHealth Houston Tapestry
    Blue UTHealth Houston Tapestry
  • “About” information

    Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube contain an “About” section. All university-sponsored social media should include the following, as space allows.

    • Full name of the account, whether school, department, institute, center, program, etc.
    • Mission statement or official description
    • Location – at least city and state
    • Website address: https://www.uth.edu
  • Infographics

    All infographics and visual content should follow UTHealth Houston brand standards for color and typography.

    glaucoma infographic
    carbon monoxide infographic
    quote infographic
  • Hashtags/campaigns

    UTHealth Houston has two official hashtags.

    • #UTHealthHouston – when talking about the university on social media
    • #ManyFacesOfUTHealthHouston – posts with this hashtag represents the university’s Many Faces of UTHealth Houston campaign and should showcase clinicians, faculty, staff, or students who are benefiting society through research, public service, education, and patient care.

Representing UTHealth Houston in Any Social Media

Here are some helpful Do’s and Don’ts for UTHealth Houston community members when using any social media.

  • Use good judgment about content. Always be fair, honest, accurate, and courteous to outside users and members of the UTHealth Houston community, including students, faculty, staff, patients, vendors, donors, etc. If you decide to post complaints or criticism, it is best to avoid using statements, photographs, video, or audio that could reasonably be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening, or intimidating, that disparage members of the UTHealth Houston community, or that might constitute harassment or bullying. If you make a mistake when posting information or news, correct it quickly.
  • Keep your official university voice and your personal voice separate. It is a recommended practice for clinicians to identify their UTHealth Houston affiliation when engaging in professional use. It is also a recommended practice to allow the audience to distinguish between official and unofficial use, so consider including a disclaimer such as While I work for UTHealth Houston, the opinions and views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of UTHealth Houston, or a similar statement when posting to non-university social media.
  • Do’s
    • Use good judgment about content. Always be fair, honest, accurate, and courteous to outside users and members of the UTHealth Houston community, including students, faculty, staff, patients, vendors, donors, etc. If you decide to post complaints or criticism, it is best to avoid using statements, photographs, video, or audio that could reasonably be viewed as malicious, obscene, threatening, or intimidating, that disparage members of the UTHealth Houston community, or that might constitute harassment or bullying. If you make a mistake when posting information or news, correct it quickly.
    • Keep your official university voice and your personal voice separate. It is a recommended practice for clinicians to identify their UTHealth Houston affiliation when engaging in professional use. It is also a recommended practice to allow the audience to distinguish between official and unofficial use, so consider including a disclaimer such as While I work for UTHealth Houston, the opinions and views expressed are my own and do not necessarily reflect those of UTHealth Houston, or a similar statement when posting to non-university social media.
  • Don’ts
    • DON’T share student or patient personal information without their written consent. Read and familiarize yourself with both HOOP 206, Privacy of Individually Identifiable Health Information, and 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. If approached by any media outlet or individual, contact the UTHealth Houston Media Relations Team immediately at 713-500-3030. See also HOOP 5, Communications with the Media.
    • DON’T use social media 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.
    • 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 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 the logos and compliance with graphic standards, please contact the Office of Public Affairs.
    • DON’T use copyrighted materials without permission. Give credit where credit is due, and ask permission if you reproduce other people’s work. If you have any questions about copyright or other intellectual property rights, as they relate to UTHealth Houston communications, please contact the Office of Public Affairs.