Online Professionalism Policy

Graduate students must obey all applicable federal, state, and University regulations on academic integrity and privacy. We also encourage you to be mindful of your public behavior more broadly, especially what you do and say online. While you might consider your activity on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter to be personal, it can be a reflection of your professional life. Students, peers, supervisors, and potential employers will likely search for and access whatever you post publicly. You may not be able to control access to all the information about you available online. Still, we urge you to safeguard this information whenever possible and to use restraint and common sense to protect your privacy.

Remember:

1. Any email you write may be archived and retrieved later, and any emails sent from or to official ECU email addresses are considered public records. Personal email addresses are inappropriate for official communications and may represent a FERPA violation if used to discuss confidential information with students. Likewise, it is not appropriate to use your ECU email for non-professional purposes. Considering all the potential audiences you could have, it is a good idea to maintain a professional and respectful style in any emails you write as a graduate student.
2. Use the privacy settings on your social media accounts to limit access to your personal information and use discretion when making or accepting friend requests. For example, it is usually not appropriate to friend undergraduate students you may be responsible for teaching, grading, or supervising, or faculty who may have these responsibilities over you. Be careful to control who can see what you post, especially in your capacity as a graduate student.
3. Photo and video-sharing sites such as Instagram and YouTube are public venues. Again, use discretion in what you post and who you allow to see it.
4. By law, the University provides multiple avenues for addressing concerns and filing formal grievances. Concerns about faculty, staff, or students should be directed to the appropriate department or University officials, such as the Director of Graduate Studies, the Department Chair, the University Title IX Coordinator, or the Office of Student Affairs. Student Health Services and the Center for Counseling & Student Development also offer a confidential consultation.

It is easy to forget that the information you put online is accessible by default. It can be used to evaluate you for employment, academic reviews, applications for internships or residencies, and other professional opportunities. Maintaining a separation between your personal and professional activity online is not difficult, but it requires deliberate effort.

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