VCOM Faculty Handbook

• Students and physician faculty are expected to follow the Osteopathic Oath and the AOA Code of Ethics, which includes the affirmation to never cast imputations upon themselves, their peers, or the college. • Students must adhere to VCOM’s Honor Code of Conduct and employees must adhere to their respective professional code of conduct. Any verbal comments or actions that would be considered inappropriate or unprofessional offline are also considered inappropriate online and may result in referral to the Honor Code Committee for students or disciplinary action for employees. • If a student or employee communicates inaccurate or unprofessional information, they will be asked to correct it immediately. Depending on the nature of the information, further disciplinary action may be required. • Unless pre-approved, your social media name, handle and URL should not include VCOM or VCOM’s logo. • You must never endorse people, products, services, and organizations using the VCOM name. • Do not use VCOM’s logos or any other VCOM image on personal media sites. • Students and employees must consider that they are in an academic environment and the implications of utilizing the VCOM name or VCOM email address automatically identifies them in their role at VCOM; therefore, such communications must be professional in nature. • Do not create or develop social media accounts, profiles, URLs, or initiatives bearing VCOM’s name, acronym, or logo without prior approval from Division of Communications, Marketing, Website and Publications. • Do not share the VCOM logo with other organizations or individuals to be placed on their websites or social media. Contact the Division of Communications, Marketing, Website and Publications to evaluate the request. • A student or employee wishing to use the name or image of another student, faculty, or staff member on personal social media must have pre-approved permission by that person. Additionally, students and employees should always write in the first person and not speak for others in their personal social media. • As a member of the VCOM community, but acting in social media as an individual, students and employees must make it clear that they are expressing their own opinion and not that of VCOM or the student body. Where the connection to VCOM is apparent, you will need to add the following disclaimer when not officially acting on behalf of VCOM, “The views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, and they may not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.” If you do not identify yourself as being affiliated in any way with VCOM, this disclaimer is not required. • Social media is not the forum for evaluating courses, faculty, or the institution as there is a propensity for bias and these forums do not include such things as appropriate sample size, appropriate forms for evaluation, and/or appropriate channels for review and approval. The college publishes appropriate channels for such evaluation in the College Catalog and Student Handbook or students may speak to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for more information. • Students, faculty, and staff may not conduct surveys or polls of other students, faculty, or staff through any means, including on social media, unless approved through the Campus Dean, the Vice President for Research and the President’s office. • Students, faculty, and staff may never provide a speech in public (in person or on social media) on behalf of VCOM or as a VCOM student to the public unless pre-approved by the College’s Division of Communications, Marketing, Website, and Publications and the Campus Dean. Any such speech that has not been pre-approved should be as the individual and not as a VCOM student, faculty, or staff or use the VCOM name. • Students with academic or other complaints or employees with work-related complaints, should follow the grievance process outlined in the College Catalog and Student Handbook, Faculty Handbook, or Administrative and Classified Staff Handbook.

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