Effective as of December 2022

Updated June 2024

CCA’s Social Media Sub-brand Account Policy is a living set of expectations, requirements, and procedures for participating in our community on social media platforms. Initially approved by CCA’s Senior Cabinet in December 2022 and updated in April 2024, this document outlines how to administer a sub-brand social media account. Our policy ensures we maintain the integrity of the CCA brand and reputation through the ever-changing social media landscape, build community in digital space, share accurate information with the public, and protect our students, staff, and faculty. The purpose of this policy is to ensure consistency between our online and on-campus communication as welcoming and authentically representative of CCA, our programs, and our community

In an educational environment such as CCA, context matters. We believe in developing supportive spaces to discuss emotionally and socially challenging topics, and the college is committed to providing those spaces. However, social media is not a place for such discussions because the format does not support adherence to our principles. Specifically, discussions on social media lack proper support and context, the forum does not allow for an empathic exchange of ideas and feelings, its inherent brevity makes it difficult to address complex concepts fully, and it may not be moderated with the standards of accuracy and integrity to which we hold our scholarship at this institution.

While our students and faculty might grapple with complex issues and current events in their work and research, social media is not the place for these debates, as it is an inappropriate forum for a full and complete discussion. For complex issues or sensitive current events, posts may advertise or promote a plan and invitation to discuss the topic but should not articulate specific details or positions about the topic, and each sub-account must offer a place for that discussion, such as an in-person or digital event or the use of online tools (i.e. Padlet or Mural).

This policy was written to guide sub-brand social media accounts internally run by staff and faculty. There are specific policies for student organizations and personal social media accounts of our faculty, staff, and students.

Sub-brand accounts are windows into the worlds of making and thinking in our creative community. On social media, the public will encounter these accounts, often without context, therefore all sub-brand content should reinforce our shared institutional values—social impact, place, interdisciplinarity, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Accounts must also directly link to flagship accounts, such as @cacollegeofarts on Instagram, in the profile “bio” section.

This policy applies to faculty, staff, and supervised student-workers who create or oversee CCA sub-brand social media accounts. The flagship brand accounts, such as @cacollegeofarts on Instagram and @CCAofficial on TikTok, are the primary channels of the college and are managed by CCA's Marketing & Communications Office.

What is a sub-brand account?

Sub-brand accounts are staff- and faculty-administered accounts representing the college's academic programs, curricular services, and student support offices. Sub-brand accounts are intended to showcase an academic program or facet of campus life. These accounts support the understanding of the college’s mission by sharing limited/focused information about the work of a specific department or program, advancing public understanding of our campus's academic, social, and creative experience. Sub-brand account content should highlight and celebrate faculty and student work, promote on-campus events and happenings, and advance community-building for our current and future students.

The following social media sites are approved by the CCA Marketing and Communications Office for CCA sub-brand accounts:

• Instagram
• Facebook

Any platform outside of the above list is subject to review and approval by the Associate Vice President of Content and Creative Strategy or designee.

Social media-posted content on a sub-brand account is not part of the classroom or course curriculum and, therefore, is not a space for discourse nore an extension of the classroom. CCA Sub-brand account content is not encompassed by the American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Statement on Academic Freedom, as noted in the Faculty Handbook. Any concerns regarding potential misconduct will be escalated to the Marketing and Communications Office and Human Resources. When in doubt, refrain from posting.

Sub-brand accounts must:

• Be registered with a CCA departmental email address (not an individual’s email address) and have login credentials documented within their department and Marcom’s files (contact marcom@cca.edu).
• Adhere to college policies and other laws related to collegiality and community conduct, as noted in Faculty, Employee, and Student Handbooks.
• Respect copyright law and secure proper permission to feature people and their work (view our media release guidelines).
• Be mindful of other laws and regulations, including FERPA, unpublished details, and financial information of the college.
• Include @cacollegeofarts in their bio and indicate this profile is “student-run,” “division-run,” or “program-run”. Example: CCA Graphic Design The world of graphic design at CCA @cacollegeofarts. Account run by program chair E Roon Kang. Follow to get involved!

Procedures

* However, inappropriate comments and content can lead to complaints and consideration of disciplinary action by CCA.

**Personal, professional, or political opinions should only be expressed in an individual capacity on one’s own social media accounts, and even then, avoid the appearance of speaking or acting for the college on any topic or event.

The AVP of Content & Creative Strategy and VP of Human Resources will regularly review the effectiveness and impact of this policy.

The Marketing & Communications Office is here as a resource to shape healthy digital spaces for CCA. Reach out for guidance or to discuss case-by-case issues. We can provide:

• Recommendations for de-escalating negative comments and questions.
• Basic content review with Assistant Director, Content + Marketing.
• Brand guidelines review and training with the Lead Designer
• Any press inquiries regarding programs or social media should be forwarded to the Director of Integrated Communications, who will liaise with media on behalf of the community.

The College and Marketing & Communications team reserves the right to:

• Edit, hide, archive, or delete inappropriate and/or offensive posts or comments that violate the Social Media Sub-brand Account policy, or deactivate any profile that violates CCA policy or federal or state law.
• Disable or enable commenting on posts at their discretion with regard to the safety of our community members.
• Send any posts or comments we deem appropriate either to the college’s Human Resource Office for investigation or to law enforcement authorities for investigation as we feel necessary or is required by law.

Best practices

For a well-regulated sub-brand account:

• Instagram should be your program’s primary social media account. We recommend maintaining it only if your program has the bandwidth to adhere to the policies listed above.
• Carefully consider what you post. Before posting, consider how it relates to the college’s institutional values, how your followers will engage with it and what purpose it serves for your program and/or the college.
• Remember that your profile represents your program and the college, not your own personal opinions.
• Use visually strong, well-lit high quality images. Portrait (4:5) and Square (1:1) perform best for on-feed posts.
• Proofread your captions to make sure spelling, grammar, and all written information is accurate.
• Ask permission before featuring a student or faculty’s artwork.
• When in doubt, refrain from posting.

Additional Resources

• CCA Sub-brand Account Directory
• CCA DIY Brand Toolkit
• CCA Social Media Training
• CCA Campus Posting Policy
• CCA Editorial Style Guide
• Fundamentals of Social Media Strategy: A Guide for College Campuses (via Campus Sonar)
• The latest Instagram tips, strategy, and guides (via Sprout Social)
• Instagram Tips & Resources (via Later)
• Instagram Community Guidelines (via Instagram)
• College Handbooks
  • Student
  • Faculty
  • Employee
    • Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

The people behind CCA’s flagship accounts (and this resource) are Joyce Alcantara, assistant director of content and marketing, and Stephanie Smith, associate vice president of content and creative strategy. Come to us with questions and concerns at any time. Have an idea to improve this resource? Email marcom@cca.edu.

Joyce Alcantara, Assistant Director, Content & Marketing

joyce.alcantara@cca.edu

Stephanie Smith, Associate Vice President, Content & Creative Strategy

stephanie.smith@cca.edu

For the previous version of this policy, please contact Marketing & Communications.