Social Media Guidelines

Buffalo State is committed to providing all students, faculty, staff, and visitors with access to online resources. Institution-approved social media accounts must be accessible to users with disabilities, in compliance with SUNY policies and federal and state laws and regulations.

All institution-approved social media accounts must make certain that all resources are available in a format accessible to users with disabilities.

Varying accessibility options are available on social media platforms. University accounts must ensure that social media posts are accessible to the greatest extent possible.

Please refer to Maintaining Social Media Content for detailed guidelines on accessibility before posting.

• Information published on institution-approved social media accounts shall comply with all existing Buffalo State policies.
• Buffalo State site administrators will remove posts or comments from any institution-approved social media account if it:
  • Includes profanity or is obscene (profanity filters employed where available).
  • Constitutes a true threat or unlawful harassment.
  • Violates laws or university rules or policies.
  • Intentionally misleads, is factually erroneous, or libelous.
  • Infringes on the confidentiality or privacy of any party.
  • Sells, solicits, or advertises products/services that are not Buffalo State-affiliated.
  • Is unrelated to the Buffalo State content or forum to which it is posted.
• Social media platforms are public spaces, and any discussion of confidential Buffalo State issues is prohibited.
• Personal information, such as cell phone numbers, addresses, Social Security numbers, or class schedules, may not be posted.
• Visitor posts or comments do not reflect the opinions or positions of Buffalo State.
• Content must adhere to all applicable state, federal, SUNY, and university laws and policies; faculty and staff handbooks and regulations; and policies and regulations such as those governed by FERPA, HIPAA, and NCAA. Any content or online activity created by a poster or site moderator that violates these ordinances or contains or leads to the release of a student’s private or personal information is strictly prohibited and must be removed.
• The university does not endorse or use any social network internet communication service or media-sharing service as a secure means of communication for online business transactions or matters involving personal information. The university will not ask for, nor should an individual provide, credit card or payment information, classified information, privileged information, private information, or information subject to nondisclosure agreements via any social network internet communication service.
• Buffalo State employees may not divulge any confidential information that they have access to as employees.

Page administrators and moderators must recognize that institutionally affiliated accounts and groups are considered public forums. Activity of moderators in these online forums can represent Buffalo State to a large audience. Make sure that your posts carry out the spirit of the university's mission, vision, and values. Be sensitive to topics that may be incendiary, or that may reflect poorly on the institution. Additionally, as moderators of these public forums, account administrators and moderators must provide an open, viewpoint neutral venue for exchange of all topically relevant opinions and should only remove content that violates the university's content guidelines.

If you have questions about how to handle a post, topic, or exchange, please contact buffalostatecomms@buffalostate.edu.