Confidentiality and Privacy
Beware of the damages to individuals or the university that can result through inappropriate disclosure of personal or confidential information. Possible damages include:
- Suit for defamation
- Copyright, patent, or trademark infringement claims
- Privacy or human rights complaint
- Workplace grievance under a collective agreement or unfair labor practice complaint
- Criminal charges with respect to obscene or hate materials
- Damage to the university's reputation and business interests
Existing Grand Valley Conduct Policies
RESPECT COPYRIGHTS AND FAIR USE
- Make sure you attribute when you borrow content by tagging relevant accounts
- Note that Grand Valley logos and names are trademarked, so use appropriately
The following are registered trademarks:
- GVSU®
- Grand Valley State University®
- Grand Valley State®Louie the Laker®
The following are trademarks:
- GVSU Lakers™
- Grand Valley State University Lakers™
- Grand Valley State Lakers™
Note: The university has additional legal rights in all words, phrases, images, and letters that, when used, give the appearance of a university connection or endorsement including, but not limited to:
- Grand Valley
- GV
- Lakers
Posting on behalf of Grand Valley
BE TRANSPARENT
Feel free to identify yourself as a Grand Valley faculty or staff member, but be clear that your views shared on your personal site are yours and are not necessarily shared by the university.
LIABILITY
You are legally liable for what you post, no matter if it is your own site or that of others. Possible liabilities include:
- Copyright infringement
- Breach of confidentiality
- Defamation
- Libel
- Obscenity
GRAND VALLEY LOGOS
Do not use any Grand Valley logos or registered trademarks on your personal sites for any reason and especially not to promote any products, causes, or political parties or candidates.
PROTECT YOURSELF
Be careful not to reveal information that could put you at risk for identity theft. It is important that you protect your privacy online. Whether you are using a branded social media account or a personal one, proper action should be taken to prevent breaches. This means using secure passwords, logging out of accounts while on public computers, and using common sense when creating new profiles. Learn more about cyber safety at gvsu.edu/cybersafety.
Personal websites and posting
POLITICAL STATEMENTS
Refrain from making them when representing Grand Valley. See Grand Valley's Political Activity Policy.
DEFINE YOUR ROLE
Check with your supervisor to be clear about when and how you should post or respond to posts as a Grand Valley employee from a university account. Social media accounts should be given consistent attention, so it is important to determine your role with the account(s) to ensure success.
Social media users acting on behalf of the university must adhere to all Grand Valley policies and procedures.
FREE EXPRESSION
Grand Valley encourages freedom of expression and recognizes the value of diverse opinions. However, page administrators have a responsibility to remove comments, images, or other material deemed inflammatory, vulgar, or otherwise inappropriate, especially when they appear to threaten the welfare or safety of the poster or others.