The purpose of this policy is to ensure the effective use of AUA-affiliated social media channels for promotion and information dissemination. Since all interactions on social media carried out by AUA employees reflect on AUA, when expressing their views, employees must clearly state that these personal views are their own and not representative of AUA, using a disclaimer such as: "The views expressed here are my personal views and in no way reflect the views of the American University of Armenia.” While the guidelines provided aim to support the University’s mission and manage official social media use, they do not restrict personal expression or employee rights.

Creation of AUA Social Media Accounts and Procedures for Approval

Before launching a social media account on behalf of a unit of the university, the first step is to seek approval from your immediate supervisor and the Office of Communications. The department must examine its merits vis-à-vis expanding university resources and meeting its priority goals and, once established, take full responsibility for its content and maintenance by designating a person who will be responsible for the account.

The Office of Communications will ask to see a content plan and social media strategy to consider the approval. Units/colleges should consider their messages, audiences, and goals, as well as a strategy for keeping information on social media platforms up-to-date. The Office of Communications can assist and advise with social media planning.

Upon the launch of an approved/official social media account(s), employees must submit their username(s), password(s), and the email address linked to the account to the Office of Communications. This will ensure that, if account managers are unable to fulfill their duties, the account can be transitioned to a new manager. Individuals must NOT create social media pages or accounts on behalf of departments or units of the university through personal logins. Tying these accounts to personal emails or logins makes it difficult or impossible to pass management of the accounts from one person to another when personnel changes occur. It also increases the risk of a University affiliated account being hacked.

The Office of Communications will also share AUA’s official Social Media Guidelines for employees to follow. Social media platforms provide varying degrees of flexibility in allowing account holders to style pages in line with the University’s guidelines. All official University social media pages are reviewed, monitored, and approved by the Office of Communications. At the Office’s sole discretion, the University reserves the right to deny the posting of any content deemed inappropriate or misaligned with the University branding guidelines.

Social Media Dialogue

When engaging in dialogue on official University social media platforms, bear in mind the following:

•  - Exercise good judgment, respect, and thoughtfulness;
•  - Refrain from discussing or expressing opinions regarding AUA policies, operations, and personnel. Such comments are subject to removal by the University administration at its own discretion;
•  - Maintain professional language and tone;
•  - Your statements and comments reflect AUA to the world;
•  - Refrain from publicly sharing on official University social media channels confidential or proprietary information.

Video

Videos filmed/produced by a unit/college should be reviewed by the Office of Communications prior to posting on official social media channels or pages representing AUA. If a unit/college wants to film a video, the script or visual should be shared with the Office of Communications for clearance.

Crisis Communications Policy

Employees should not post any new crisis-related information pertaining to AUA on their own personal channels and/or the official University channels to which they have access to. Only released official AUA crisis communication should be reposted. If an employee, unit, or college receives questions regarding a crisis, the inquirer should be directed to either aua.am or the appropriate University social media channel.

Refer to the complete AUA Crisis Communications Policy below:

https://policies.aua.am/policy/178

Advertising Budget on Social Media

Recognizing the role of social media in shaping the institution's image and engaging with audiences, AUA allocates a dedicated advertising budget to promote its initiatives, events, and academic achievements across various platforms. This budget is centralized to the Office of Communications and used for ad placement across campus. If colleges, units, and departments would like to allocate additional funding from their respective department’s budgets for campaigns, an email request should be sent to [email protected].

Before submitting an ad request through MyAUA Intranet, its content and targeted reach must be shared with the Office of Communications for review and collective decision on the content and expected benefit to the University. The Office of Communications has a limited budget for ads and is responsible for allocating the funding fairly across all units.

If any unit, college, or program receives funding from third-party organizations for advertising, this should be discussed with the Office of Communications for proper internal transfer.