Social Media Guidelines
The University's social media accounts are used to engage and inform the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Ragin' Cajuns community and the public. Help us maintain a positive and informative environment.
Respectful Interaction. We encourage open and constructive interaction. Please engage with courtesy and avoid personal attacks, harassment, or sharing private information about others.
Open Dialogue and Content Responsibility. We value open dialogue on our pages. The University supports freedom of speech and expression. Comments and posts made by visitors do not necessarily reflect the official views of the University. All moderation decisions are made in a viewpoint-neutral manner and apply only to posts that violate applicable laws or platform policies.
The University reserves the right to remove content from official pages that meets specific criteria under the law or platform terms of service. This includes content that:
• is defamatory or libelous.
• violates copyright or intellectual property laws.
• contains true threats of violence or unlawful behavior.
• includes pornographic or explicit material.
• uses obscene profile images or usernames.
• contains excessive profanity.
• constitutes spam or commercial solicitation unrelated to the University.
The University may block repeat violators without notice and refers to legal standards and platform policies in making these decisions.
Conduct violations by students or employees related to social media use may be reviewed in accordance with the University Code of Conduct.
Note: The University does not monitor or restrict lawful personal speech on private accounts, including that of faculty and staff, as protected by the First Amendment.
Platform Tips for Official or Affiliated Pages
• Use the correct page type. On Facebook, pages should be listed as “Company, Organization, or Institution” or “Cause or Community.”
• Use consistent branding. Follow the University’s visual identity and editorial guidelines.
• Be responsive. Monitor your accounts regularly and respond to questions in a timely, courteous manner.
• Track performance. Use platform analytics or tools like Google Analytics to assess how your posts are performing and inform future strategy.
• Avoid implied endorsements. Be cautious when “liking,” “following,” or reposting from political, commercial, or controversial accounts that could appear as institutional endorsements.
• Be cautious with humor. It can build engagement, but avoid anything that could be misinterpreted, especially across different audiences.
Guidance for University-Affiliated Social Media Users
Even if you’re not speaking in an official capacity, your connection to UL Lafayette can be visible. Here’s how to represent the University effectively and responsibly:
• Be accurate and professional. If you’re sharing University-related information, make sure it’s timely, factual, and grammatically correct.
• Be clear about when you're speaking for yourself. Use a disclaimer when posting personal views on a non-official account that references your UL Lafayette affiliation.
• Don’t disclose private or confidential information. Follow FERPA and other privacy laws. Avoid sharing student records or sensitive internal content.
• Be respectful. You can engage in debate or critique, but avoid personal attacks, harassment, or comments that may be perceived as discriminatory or hostile.
• Stick to your area of expertise. When answering questions or representing the University, focus on topics relevant to your academic, research, or administrative role.
Before You Post, Ask Yourself:
• Does this align with the University's public image?
• Would I be comfortable seeing this quoted in the news or shown to a parent, donor, or colleague?
• Am I contributing value — information, insight, or positivity — to the conversation?
Personal Use of Social Media
The social media policy applies to personal activity and/or professional activity that is not part of official UL Lafayette communications, and where you identify yourself as a UL Lafayette employee, either through a bio, comments, or by using your louisiana.edu email address.
The following disclaimer should be added whenever you identify yourself as part of UL Lafayette while not officially acting on behalf of the university:
The views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.