Learn how to set adequate data privacy parameters around assignments that utilize social media, by educating students on how to safeguard and protect themselves, while enhancing their personal and professional reputations.

1. Emerging Technologies in Higher
Education: Privacy in Social Media
Learning Assignments
by Kathleen Jo
Community Manager for the
National University System

2. Table of Contents
• Programs and Social Media Platforms
• Educate Your Students
• Guidelines
• Privacy for All
• The Devil’s Advocate
• Questions

3. Which social media platforms make sense for which programs.
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS

4. Facebook
Programs
• Marketing
• Public Relations
• Crisis Communications
Example
• Unprecedented outage
left millions in the dark
http://www.utsandiego.c
om/news/2011/sep/08/
widespread-power-
outages-across-san-
diego-county/

5. Twitter
Programs
• Journalism
• Homeland Security and
Emergency Management
• Business Continuity
• Crisis Communications
Example
• When disaster struck Japan,
Google and Twitter became
tech first responders
http://www.mercurynews.com
/business/ci_21870944/when-
disaster-struck-japan-google-
and-twitter-became

6. Blogging
Programs
• Public Relations
• Marketing
• English
• Almost any program you
can imagine
Example
• School of Health and
Human
http://schoolofhealthandh
umanservicesblog.blogspot
.com/

7. Forums
Programs
• Psychology
• Sociology
• Engineering
• Anthropology
Examples
• Customer Service /
Technical Support
http://forums.verizon.com
• Social Community
http://nucommons.nu.edu

8. Knowledge is power, especially when it comes to social media.
EDUCATE YOUR STUDENTS

9. Things to Teach Your Students
About Social Media
• Social media posts live FOREVER
online and can follow you where
ever you go
– http://mashable.com/2011/06/16
/weinergate-social-media-job-
loss/
• Thirty-Seven Percent of
Companies Use Social Networks to
Research Potential Job
Candidates, According to New
CareerBuilder Survey Ashley Payne
– http://www.prnewswire.com/ne
ws-releases/thirty-seven-percent-
of-companies-use-social-
networks-to-research-potential-
job-candidates-according-to-new-
careerbuilder-survey-
147885445.html

10. Things to Teach Your Students
About Social Media
• Having a personal profile
on social media
*** IS NOT ***
the same as representing a
Company or Brand
professionally
• There is no difference
between your personal life
and public life if you choose
to utilize social media
• Anything you say or post
can be SEEN BY EVERYONE

11. Things to Teach Your Students
About Social Media
• What you post, tweet,
list, name, or pin will
reflect on your
reputation
• Basic rules of
communication still apply
– Talking to yourself
– Negativity
– Positivity
– “Please” “Thank you”
“You’re welcome”

12. Things to Teach Your Students
About Social Media
• Personal Issues
– TMI (Too Much Information)
• Expect the best and worst that
humanity has to offer
– Friendship
– Love
– Altruism
– Hate speech
– Profanity
– Obscene images
– And vice versa in regards to your
reputation

13. How to protect your students’ privacy.
GUIDELINES

14. Guidelines
• Have students create social
media accounts that have
nothing to do with their
personal accounts
– Do not use their real names
– Create different email address
– Do not use NU in the
username
– Reputation, reputation,
reputation
• Why
– Protect the student’s real
name (FERPA)
– Mindset
– Risk Mitigation
– Anonymity

15. Guidelines
• Never correct a student
out in public
– Private critiques via social
platform when possible
– Email
– Phone call
– Messenger bird
• Why
– Best practice
– Grading critiques (FERPA)

16. Guidelines
• Use student aliases when
speaking to them
publically on any social
media platform
whenever possible
– @NUHSEM vs. Dr.
Goldberg
– Some platforms this is
not possible, e.g.
LinkedIn
• Why
– Protect the student’s real
name (FERPA)

17. Guidelines
• Never, ever speak
about grades on
social media
Why
• Grades and grade
results are protected
under FERPA laws

18. Guidelines
• Confirmation
that a student is
attending our
institution via a
social media post
Why
• FERPA

19. How to protect your privacy and the privacy of the institution.
PRIVACY FOR ALL

20. Privacy for Faculty
• It is recommended that you do
not friend students with your
personal profile on any social
media platform
• Teacher fired over ‘friending’
– http://www.boston.com/news
/local/articles/2011/05/26/fac
ebook_misstep_gets_abington
_substitute_teacher_fired/
Recommendation
• Create a social media profile on
each platform ONLY for the
purposes of teaching
• Do not use this account to post
personal information EVER

21. Privacy for the Employer
• Below is an excerpt from our Social Media Guidelines for National
University System Administrators
• Leaking a new product launch
• The faculty’s employer has the right to privacy as well
• Accreditation

22. Privacy for the Employer
• Another excerpt from our Social Media Guidelines for National University
System Administrators
• It’s not new news anymore once it is leaked
• The University no longer has the ability to make a “big splash” with a new
product announcement

23. Some answers to some questions.
THE DEVIL’S ADVOCATE

24. Proof of Ownership
• What if a student
needs to prove that
their “alias” account is
really theirs?
– Private messaging
– What’s the secret
password?
– Make a post with the
secret password
– Change a picture

25. Crisis Situation
• What if a student gets
involved in a crisis
situation in social media?
– Trial by fire, this is social
media after all
– Failure is an option
– Reiterate that this is a
part of the course
• 11 Biggest Social Media
Disasters of 2012
– http://mashable.com/20
12/11/25/social-media-
business-disasters-2012/

26. Friend Request Refusal
• Is there a canned Hi (first name),
response that I can Due to a new National University
System social media policy, I am not
use to politely refuse allowed to accept friend requests
from students, prospective students,
a student’s friend or alumni of the National University
System. Thank you for your
request? understanding in this matter.
– Why yes there is, I’m Regards,
glad you asked
_______

27. Was there something I missed?
QUESTIONS

28. Contact Information
• http://twitter.com/thekathleenjo