This policy covers anything relating to social media usage by communities and societies at SBSU. It applies to any student group committee member and anyone who has responsibility for the social media account of an SBSU student group. 

For all student groups, this policy also relates to the complaints and disciplinary procedure within the Union bye laws . Any breach of this policy may leave individuals or a student group collectively at risk of disciplinary action. 

If you are unsure about anything at all, please contact SBSU who will be able to offer advice and guidance to help protect student leaders, group members and the Union. 

Defining Social Media

For this policy, social media is defined as any platform that allows for instant communication between a student group and its members or the wider public, and any platform that allows for data to be shared between it. 

This includes platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, Tik Tok, Discord and any other platforms that include sharing of videos, blogs, text and any other form of communication. 

This list is not exhaustive and with new social media platforms that start up on a regular basis, this policy will continue to cover any social media platform used by an SBSU affiliated student group.

Content Guidance and Policies 

Social media is a great opportunity for student groups to promote themselves and grow their membership!

You should always consider your social media platforms as an extension of your student groups and their values and aims, and make sure that you use the platforms to further these aims. 

When posting and interacting on social media, there are many policies and guidance you should be aware of and follow at all times. These are not just limited to SBSU/LSBU policies but extend further to being set by social media platforms themselves.

Social media is constantly changing and it’s important to stay updated with any new regulations. 

Some useful links about social media can be found here: 

Instagram - https://help.instagram.com/477434105621119

X (formerly Twitter) - https://help.x.com/en/rules-and-policies 

Discord - https://discord.com/guidelines

Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/community-guidelines/en 

Copyright Laws - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/copyright-notice-digital-images-photographs-and-the-internet/copyright-notice-digital-images-photographs-and-the-internet

Responsibilities of Student Groups

Any social media account which is set up by the student group leaders, will be managed by the student group. Login details should be made available to the President/Vice President or Community Volunteer and SBSU.

It is the responsibility for the outgoing committee every year to work with the SU to ensure the smooth handover of all social media accounts and logins to the new committee. 

Please note that any social media posts that are put out in the name of the student group, whether that be public or privately messaged, is the responsibility of the committee and it is the committee’s role to make sure that any post does not breach acceptable usage guidelines.

Where any content is put out that breaches what is deemed to be acceptable, the committee will be expected to remove this when it is identified or when they are notified and failure to do this may result in disciplinary action being taken against the committee and/or its members. In extreme circumstances, where urgent action is needed to reduce risk to the Union, SBSU may remove content, or take corrective action if the committee is unable to do so. 

Breaking this policy

It is the responsibility of the committee of any student group to make sure that their social media use is in keeping with the standards outlined here, and that the interaction with their accounts from their members, also does not breach these standards. 

If content is posted by an individual which is deemed to be unacceptable for any reason, and the committee does not address this directly, or flag with SBSU as a concern, this could be seen as contributing to the harm or risk caused and could result in one of the Union’s disciplinary processes being instigated, or in the most serious of cases, subject to legal proceedings.

SBSU acknowledges that monitoring the interactions and conduct of others, especially via social media can be complex, therefore, committee members are advised to notify SBSU for advice and guidance if they have any doubt at all about the acceptability of content. SBSU will also support student leaders with any action they may need to take.

If you need any assistance or guidance regarding Social Media policies, you can always email us at opportunities@lsbsu.org

Social Media Do's & Don'ts

DO ensure that all content is relevant and appropriate for your members and student group

DO interact with your members and post regular, engaging content

DO be conscious when posting, especially if you are posting about particularly sensitive topics and information

DO post authentic and real content - show off how incredible your student group is!

DO ask for permission, if you want to share footage from (or of) people then you should always check that it’s okay with them first

DO use images you’re allowed to use, if you need images sites like Unsplash offer copyright free images you can use

DON'T bring SBSU or LSBU into disrepute. This can include things such as making defamatory statements or posting inappropriate content or promoting inappropriate services to its members

DON'T breach confidentiality of SBSU. This can include publicly revealing any information that is not publicly known which could break trust and confidence for SBSU

DON'T breach GDPR laws. This includes the sharing and posting of any personal information or data without following the appropriate GDPR guidance. This includes information such as; name; student number; address; email address; phone numbers etc, but also includes things like photos; videos and IP addresses

DON'T breach copyright laws. This can include failing to acknowledge the original source of an image or failing to seek consent for the use of images or any written content. You must always ensure that you only share the content you’ve created or have the right to share. This means that you shouldn’t just get images from the internet to use as your own

DON'T post any content that is, or could be viewed as discriminatory, bullying or harassment. This includes making offensive or derogatory comments about an individual’s protected characteristics, using social media to bully an individual or posting content designed to harass or intimidate an individual or group

DON'T spam!