VCOM Administrative and Classified Staff Handbook

• Avoid engaging in behavior that could raise actual or apparent conflicts of interest and conflicts of commitment on social networks. VCOM’s Policy on Conflicts of Interest and Industry Relationships (U015) sets forth the types of prohibited activity. • Do not endorse commercial partners or advertise on behalf of external vendors. Use of VCOM’s name, marks, or research examples for corporate promotion, regardless of whether the information is in the public domain, can jeopardize the integrity of our research and our non-profit tax-exempt status. This includes a prohibition on ad placement for commercial partners, partner content marketing or “advertorials,” announcement of commercial partnerships by VCOM, and participation in published case studies about VCOM’s relationship with commercial partners. • Do not share confidential or proprietary information about VCOM and/or its students, faculty, staff, and alumni. This includes, but is not limited to, financial, recruitment, student conduct and/or human resources data; internal strategies, reports, and conversations; personal contact information, as well as college news and announcements that are managed by the Division of Communications, Marketing, Website and Publications. If you are unsure whether information is confidential or not, please contact the Division of Communications, Marketing, Website and Publications or the Office of the General Counsel. • Be respectful of intellectual property rights and laws. Use of third-party copyrighted or trademarked material or use of a person’s likeness without permission in digital content may be illegal and may expose VCOM to significant financial liability and reputational risk. Administrators and editors of official social media are responsible for obtaining the necessary clearance for its use of intellectual property rights (e.g. music and photos) and a person’s likeness in connection with their communications activities. • When engaging on social media on VCOM’s behalf, do not express political opinions; support political candidates; engage in political activities; support or promote a cause; endorse people, products, services, or organizations. Your political, social, or product opinions can only be expressed in your individual capacity on your own social media accounts and, even then, avoid the appearance that you are speaking or acting for the college in these matters. • By posting content to any social media site, you agree that you own or otherwise control all the rights to that content, that your use of the content is protected fair use, or that you have permission to post the content; that you will not knowingly provide misleading or false information; and that you hold the College harmless for any claims resulting from the content. • VCOM will not be liable for and will not indemnify any student or employee for any liability that results from postings from personal social media accounts. Cyberbullying Do not engage in cyberbullying. Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Cyberbullying can occur through social media via SMS, Text, apps, forums, gaming, or other methods where people can view, participate in, or share content online. • Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else, and can include sharing personal or private information about someone else or calling for • As future physicians, considering a classmate, faculty member, or staff member’s well-being and mental health should always be considered before posting, and permission must be obtained in using the other person’s name or image. • The college will act on reports of cyberbullying if it is against another student, faculty member, staff member, the institution, or a patient. • Cyberbullying is considered a form of harassment and when a student engages in cyberbullying it will be referred to the Honor Code Council and/or the Professional and Ethical Standards Board. When engaged in by an employee, disciplinary action will occur. comments about another individual causing embarrassment or humiliation. • Some cyberbullying crosses the line into unlawful or criminal behavior.

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