SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY

Last updated September 1, 2021

Social networking sites and other online media are great tools for engagement and two-way conversations, but given the nature of this real-time communication, there is the potential for significant risks associated with inappropriate use.  

The following represents the policies that we expect all SCIS students, parents, faculty, and staff to adhere to when engaging with, contributing to, and/or managing SCIS social media channels. 

Code of Conduct:  

• Use good judgment. We expect due diligence in all situations. Act in a way that will make you and others proud and reflect well on the school. Add value to the conversation and be the first person to respond to your own mistake.  
• Be respectful. Always treat others in a respectful, positive, and considerate manner. Consider all comments and responses carefully in light of how they would reflect on you or SCIS. Don’t use ethnic slurs, personal insults, obscenity, and be considerate when discussing objectionable topics (like religion or politics). Be aware that any misuse of social media might attract complaints, be misinterpreted, or be seen as offensive by other community members, which may result in disciplinary action.  
• Think twice before posting. Use appropriate language and do not say anything online that you would not say in school or public. Remember, once it’s on the internet, it’s there forever.  
• Correct & apologize for mistakes if the situation warrants it. If it’s a major mistake (ex: exposing private information or reporting confidential information) notify your teacher, division head, or supervisor immediately so the school can take proper steps to help minimize the impact it may have caused. 
• Please respect copyright. If it is not yours, don't use it. Before posting someone else's work, please check with the owner first. 
• Voice your opinion on a one-on-one basis. Should you have any concerns, questions, doubts, or suggestions related to classroom or school issues, please communicate these to the relevant person in a private conversation. 
• Cyberbullying will not be tolerated. Harassing, dissing, flaming, impersonating, outing, tricking, excluding, and cyberstalking are all examples of cyberbullying. Don’t post comments or share information with the intent of scaring, hurting, or intimidating someone else. Engaging in these behaviors, or any online activity intended to harm (physically or emotionally) another person, will result in severe disciplinary action.  

Code of Conduct Violation Framework 

The Code of Code of Conduct Violation Framework is to ensure that all SCIS community members maintain safe and respectful interactions when engaging online. The following are the disciplinary steps to be taken if a severe breach is made.

Privacy, Confidentiality, and Child Safeguarding Policy 

• Do not publish, post, or release information that is considered confidential or private. To protect your privacy and that of others, please do not disclose personal information, such as an email address, home address, or phone number for yourself or others. 
• Do not share students' faces or names without explicit parental consent. Look out for name tags and jerseys as it's easy to overlook these disclosures of students' names. 
• Adhere to the SCIS Child Safeguarding Policy. The SCIS official social media accounts strive to be a safe place for students to follow so they can receive information, updates, news, and communicate with SCIS in a more personal manner. Official SCIS social media accounts listed in section ii of Social Media Guidelines are seen as official communication channels between SCIS and students, parents, or the general public. These channels are always monitored by two or more staff members so that communication is ensured to be accurate, appropriate, and safe for both parties. Any communication made will maintain an appropriate tone and language as outlined in the Social Media Style Guide. SCIS staff and affiliates are not to friend, follow, or communicate with students through their personal social media accounts. In addition, all SCIS part-time and full-time employees are expected to undergo appropriate annual child protection training. 

Inclusivity Policy 

SCIS strives to make our social media outlets a place for all to feel safe and valued to the best of our ability. We do this through the thoughtful language and images we use to share dynamic cultural, social, and community experiences. The following are general guidelines to promote inclusivity across all social media platforms: 

• Be intentional and thoughtful about representation and evaluate text for assumptions of limited points of view regarding gender, race, experience, or ability.  
• Use plain language that is easy to understand. Avoid slang or technical terms unless necessary.  
• Stay up to date on politically correct language and phrases considering gender, race, culture, etc.  
• Use inclusive pronouns (they/them/theirs/folks). 
• Avoid gender or race-specific emojis. 
• Ensure descriptive captions are provided for images without using phrases such as, “this image includes” or “in this photograph”.  

Comment Policy 

If a comment appears to be spam, promotes drug and/or alcohol use, contains hateful speech, or personal attacks on the author or other community members, it will be taken down. The same action will be considered if a comment is published for commercial purposes, is off-topic, or takes an extreme or inappropriate stance from the conversation. The Communications department retains the right to block a person from further activity on our page for repeated violations of our moderation policy. 

Personal Use of Social Media for SCIS Employees & Affiliates  

The social media policy below applies to personal activity and/or professional activity that is not part of official SCIS communication, and where you identify yourself as a SCIS employee or representative. 

• Be transparent. Employees and affiliated representatives who use personal social media channels to talk about work or SCIS-related matters are asked to disclose their affiliation with SCIS. Add a disclosure in your bio that states “All opinions expressed are my own.” Or something to that effect. 
• Be accurate. Be sure that anything you post online about SCIS, or its services is accurate. 
• Always give credit to the photographer or videographer. If the photo was taken from a non-SCIS staff member. If the photo/video was taken by a SCIS employee or staff photographer, then credit does not have to be given.  
• Do not follow or friend students. Only approved or official SCIS social media accounts are permitted to friend, follow, and interact with students through social media. If staff or affiliates need to contact students directly then they are to use a communication channel over the SCIS network such as Outlook, Seesaw, etc. 
• Do not post images of students' faces. On your personal account do not post photos where students’ faces, names, private information is visible.  
• Only approved spokespeople can speak on behalf of SCIS. Even after you have identified yourself as working for or with SCIS, be clear that the views and opinions you have expressed are your own. If you think an official SCIS response may be required for something you see on social media, contact the SCIS Communications department at communications@scis-china.org 
• New social media channels require approval. To ensure channel success, you should not open SCIS social media channels without first getting approval from the SCIS Communications department.  

Violation of Social Media Policy

General rules for behavior, ethics, and communication apply when using social networking systems and information, in addition to what is written in this document.

• First-time/minor offenders will be issued a warning and a written notice will be sent out to the appropriate parties.
• Continued/severe violations of this policy may result in loss of access and a variety of other disciplinary actions, including but not limited to: warnings, usage restrictions, loss of privileges, position reassignment, oral or written reprimands, student suspensions, employee suspensions, dismissal, expulsion, breach of contract and other penalties on a case-by-case basis.
• Report any misuse of social media, such as posting inappropriate content to the communications department at communications@scis-china.org.