Catalog 2022-2023

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Social Media Policy - Student Behavioral Expectations

Revised 1/11/2022

 

    SOCIAL MEDIA POLICY: STUDENT BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS

The purpose of this policy is to promote, instill, and support civil, respectful, and personally ethical habits of communication and character that will help University of Maryland School of Dentistry (UMSOD) students be successful in their lives and in their professional endeavors.  The UMSOD is committed to preparing students to become exemplary professionals and leaders.  The UMSOD recognizes that professional students, unlike most employees, may be less aware of the relationship between social media use and possible effects on professionalism and professional reputation.  Towards that end, this policy is also an educational resource for students.

Society affords the privilege and obligation of self-governing to the dental profession.  According to the ADA Code of Conduct, to fulfill this privilege, “high ethical standards should be adopted and practiced throughout the dental school educational process and subsequent professional career.”  Social media is “real life.” Behavior in social media is no different than in UMB email, classroom lectures, or conversation with friends while at school. Risks to your privacy, reputation, future employment, and general well-being come from the extensive access and public nature of social media.  Anything that is considered unprofessional offline is likely also inappropriate online. 

Guidelines for Student Behavioral Expectations

  1. Students should act with awareness to use social media as a tool to establish and improve professional networking. Effective and responsible use of social media during their time in their academic program may serve as the digital foundation of a student’s professional identity/brand upon graduation.

  2. Students should take ownership for their actions, or inactions, on social media and recognize the short- and long-term implications associated with its use. Students are strongly encouraged to be aware that social media may serve as a publicly accessible accounting and long-term archive of their pursuit of professional mastery. Students are strongly encouraged to proactively seek advice from early on from their mentors to develop an effective approach to the usage of social media. Students may also consult the Office of Student Affairs.

  3. Students should act with awareness of being respectful, civil, responsible, and accountable in their use of social media. A student’s First Amendment right to make a statement does not mean that the speech has no consequences in terms of impact on others including their classmates, future employers and judgments made by third parties.

  4. Students should act with awareness that they may not imply that they are speaking on behalf of the School of Dentistry or the University of Maryland.

     

  5. Students should be aware of the lack of privacy intrinsic to social media. For instance, communications intended to be private may be widely shared by the receiver and published widely.

  6. Students should be aware of the influential power inherent in social media. For example, a message that a student intends to be funny or simply informative may be published widely.

  7. Students should act with awareness of the speed inherent in modern social media. For instance, a student may post a statement to a nonpublic account, have the statement photographed and uploaded to a public social media page and begin receiving abusive messages within a very short timeframe.

  8. Students should expect to be held responsible for what they say in all places, including on social media.

Policy

  1. The School may, but does not regularly access, publicly accessible information relating to a student, prospective student, or applicant’s social media accounts. However, students will be held accountable when UMB or SOD makes a finding that they have violated the Code of Conduct. Students will be subject to sanctions for illegal discriminatory harassment such as social media content that is found to create a hostile educational environment. Students will be subject to sanctions for illegal discriminatory harassment such as social media content that is found to create a hostile educational environment.
  2. Students may not claim or imply that they are speaking on behalf of the School or University, or as an agent of the state of Maryland.   When it may be unclear that a student is expressing a personal opinion, use of a disclaimer is appropriate, i.e.: “The opinions expressed are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the University of Maryland School of Dentistry.”
  3. Students may not post messages that are harmful to another. This includes harassment, defamation, or imminent lawless action.
  4. Students may not intentionally inflict emotional distress on others.

 

Actions contrary to UMB and SOD policy are subject to possible disciplinary action resulting from referral and review by the UMSOD Judicial Board, formal Grievance complaints or response by UMSOD or UMB officials as appropriate.  

http://dental-umaryland.smartcatalogiq.com/2020-2021/Catalog/UMB-and-SOD-General-Information/UMB-and-General-School-of-Dentistry-Policies

Approved by Faculty Council August 23, 2021

Updated:  January 11, 2022