USM-Affiliated Social Media Accounts

Are you a student, staff, or faculty that currently administers a USM-Affiliated social media account, or wishes to start one? Find social media resources, as well as registration and policy information.

Core Requirements

  • All USM-affiliated social media accounts must be registered with the Office of Marketing & Strategic Communications.
  • All accounts must follow USM brand standards and approved profile image guidance.
  • Administrators represent the University of Southern Maine and the University of Maine System at all times when posting or moderating content.
  • Privacy and confidentiality requirements (including FERPA, HIPAA, Title IX, and Clery obligations) must be followed at all times.
  • Administrators should not discuss or express opinions on University or University of Maine System policies, operations, or personnel on official accounts.
  • All engagement must be respectful, professional, and on topic.
    Account names, handles, and descriptions may not impersonate the University or imply official representation, including language suggesting the account is the “real,” “main,” or “official” University account.

Account Administration

  • Administrators must complete an annual training as distributed by the Office of Marketing & Strategic Communications.
  • Ownership of accounts must be held by full-time faculty or staff, who must train and monitor student workers should they be interacting with an account on behalf of a department.
  • USM affiliated accounts must be registered with the the Office of Marketing & Strategic Communications – new account requests can register here.
  • Accounts must be actively maintained; inactive accounts must be unpublished or removed by those who administer the accounts.

Comment moderation


USM supports free speech and respectful dialogue. It is the primary responsibility of social media administrators to monitor activity and remove or block content or users on USM-affiliated social media platforms in accordance with University of Maine System policy and applicable law. The University reserves the right to intervene and override administrator actions at its discretion.

Content may be removed if it:

  • Is unlawful, discriminatory, harassing, defamatory, or threatening
  • Infringes copyright or proprietary information
  • Falsely claims to speak on behalf of USM
  • Violates University policy or the platform’s terms of use

See more about the USM public policy here.

Privacy & Mandatory Reporting


Social media administrators must not disclose confidential or personally identifiable information about students, employees, patients, or alumni unless approved by those featured. USM employees are mandatory reporters unless designated as confidential employees. Disclosures involving sexual misconduct received via social media must be reported in accordance with Title IX, Clery, and UMS policy.
University of Southern Maine social media administrators must exercise extreme caution to avoid disclosing confidential, proprietary, or personally identifiable information about students, employees, patients, or alumni.


All USM social media communicators are subject to applicable privacy and reporting laws and policies, including but not limited to:

  • FERPA (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), which protects the privacy of student education records.
  • HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act), which protects individuals’ medical and health information.
  • Title IX, the Clery Act, and University of Maine System policy, which require the reporting of disclosures involving sexual harassment, sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or stalking — even when such disclosures occur via social media.

For additional details, please refer to the linked USM and University of Maine System policies:

Responding to endorsements & solicitation requests

Endorsements
We encourage you to use social media to share information about your department’s achievements and activities here at USM. However, posting advertising, solicitation, or overtly favorable acknowledgments or endorsements of third-party products and services on USM-affiliated accounts is not permitted.

Solicitations
Commercial or financial solicitations are not allowed on any University-affiliated account, with the exception of fundraising purposes for the university.