SOCIAL MEDIA @ SP: GUIDELINES FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF
Social media has played an important role for us to communicate and build communities of shared interests, and Singapore Polytechnic has fully embraced social media to connect with you and other stakeholders. To this end, we have developed the following
guidelines to provide direction for employees, students and the school community when participating in social media activities.
As a standard in all industries, Singapore Polytechnic monitors public social media mentions of SP to engage with our stakeholders. We ask that you be sensitive to the significant impact of your social media posts as it can have on
SP’s - and your personal - reputation.
We urge you to follow the general code of conduct that follows.
Respect the laws and your audience
Do note that the laws including defamation, copyright, intellectual property infringement, etc, do apply to social media. If you post a defamatory statement on social media (e.g. on your blog or on Facebook), you can be at the risk of prosecution.
Treat your audience with respect and show proper consideration for others' privacy. Do not use ethnic slurs, discriminatory remarks, personal insults, obscenity, or engage in any conduct that would not be appropriate.
Similarly, copyright infringement liability for social media will arise in the same way as normal printed matter. Do not misuse SP logos and only use them if you have the expressed permission to do so. For example, you shouldn’t
be using SP logo in your personal social media ID, Facebook thumbnails and cover pages, as well as any unauthorised posts. To seek permission for the application of the SP logo, please email contactus@sp.edu.sg.
Under the Penal Code of Singapore, impersonation or false representation of another person is a criminal offence and will be punishable by law.
It is also important that you seek approval from relevant parties before you post someone else’s work. Give credit to the original creator if you are sharing other people’s works.
Refer to SP’s terms of use for more information.
Be responsible
One of SP’s core values is “Responsibility” and as an educational institution, we expect our students and staff to exercise personal responsibility and self-discipline whenever they use social media.
Be aware that whether as a student or staff of SP, what you post can reflect on both your own reputation as well as that of SP.
Since everything online is accessible to the public, we urge that you act responsibly and be prudent in your posts.
Do not post something that you’ll regret
Remember that everything you post is public information and will be available to everyone permanently. Even if you limit access to your site, information that you post is completely out of control the moment it is posted online, and may not be retractable.
Your post online can be traced back to you, so ensure the appropriateness of the content before you post. Even if you delete a post, it might be shared with others and may resurface online.
What you post today (comments, pictures, videos) can be accessible to employers or universities years later, and this may affect your future.
Therefore, think twice before you post.
Protect yourself and those you care about
Be smart about protecting yourself, your privacy, and other people’s confidential or sensitive information. Ask for permission before posting photos, audio or videos of others especially when the content may not be intended for public audiences
(e.g. recording your classmates or lecturers during lessons or private discussions with SP staff, etc.).
Be careful when you add someone as your “friend” and use caution on how you interact with others and share information online. Do not let yourself be a victim of criminal activities.
The general rule-of-thumb is: Do not post something which you will be embarrassed to see as a news headline. If something you are about to post makes you uncomfortable, consult with others before you do so.
On SP’s official social media platforms
SP’s official social media sites such as its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or Telegram channels serve the primary objectives of building community and relationships between SP and its diverse audiences (e.g. current & future students, staff,
alumni, community & industry partners) as well as to celebrate the achievements of Team SP (our students, staff, and alumni).
Apart from the guidelines mentioned earlier, we hope that our staff and students can:
Be a valued member
Comments should relate to the posted topic or in alignment with the general objectives of the social media site. SP’s official social media sites are not platforms for complaints or staff/students seeking redress. For such instances, the proper channels are:
- Students - Through your respective schools via your PTNs, lecturers, course chairs or school directors.
- Staff - Through your respective ROs, Directors or HR (for confidential staff-related matters).
In addition, SP staff must safeguard the privacy of student information on social media, and must not reveal any information relating to student records or any confidential or competitive information obtained during the course of work.
Be positive and courteous
While SP welcomes related and relevant discussion and dialogue on its social media sites, comments made must be positive, meaningful and thoughtful. SP’s social media platforms seek to create an encouraging community of constructive engagements from our audiences.
If there are any disagreements or differing opinions, we hope that the comments will be courteous and civil, without disparaging comments.
Comments that are racist, vulgar, inflammatory, or threatening will not be tolerated. Any behaviour of online bullying will not be condoned.
Disengage yourself from any unnecessary disagreements and conflicts online and do not use any derogatory speech against others.
SP reserves the right to remove/block comments/users whose comments are in breach of the code of conduct.
On content with mentions of SP
Account owners who post content on SP which is defamatory or erroneous may be subjected to legal action being taken by SP or affected parties. If uncertain about the appropriateness of content, students should seek clarification from their PTN or lecturers, while staff should approach their RO, director, or the SP's Communications Department.