The following policies and guidelines have been developed in order to assist club leaders in communicating via club channels and to protect the Association's reputation and brand. The guidelines and policies apply to all communications made via club channels, including but not limited to the club's website, the club's emails (including listserv "eBlasts"), and social media channels (e.g., Facebook page or group, Twitter account, LinkedIn group, Instagram account). Communications that do not abide by these guidelines are subject to removal by the Association. By posting improper or illegal content (or by refusing to remove such content), you may be jeopardizing your status as a club leader and your club's status with the Association. If you have a question regarding the propriety of a communication, please contact the Association's global engagement team.

As a club leader, you are a representative of the Association. Please use common sense when communicating via your club's communication channels. In particular, please be respectful of people's differences and refrain from communicating regarding potentially divisive topics such as religion and politics (see more regarding politics below). Please avoid personal attacks, derogatory language, profanity, off-color of sexual humor, ethnic or other slurs, inappropriate or incriminating photos, infringing the privacy of others, and any other questionable comment.

Only communicate regarding issues that reasonably relate to U-M, the Association, or your club.

Do not publish your personal opinions via club communications channels, including but not limited to your opinions regarding potentially controversial topics surrounding U-M or the Association (even if your opinion itself may be perceived as uncontroversial). The Association welcomes and encourages all U-M alumni, including club leaders, to have different viewpoints and personal opinions, but these should be published via personal communication channels. If you reference the club or the Association when communicating via your personal communication channels, please be transparent and disclose your relationship to the club and the Association. If you would like your opinion to be considered for publication by the Association via its communication channels, please contact the Association's global engagement team who will consult with the Association's communications department.

Because the Association is a 501(c)(3) organization, our clubs cannot be perceived as taking a stance on any political issue or candidate, even candidates who are U-M alumni. Please do not send or post messages about a specific candidate or ballot initiative, share or Retweet messages from or on behalf of a candidate, publicize a campaign fundraising activity, or use any club resource in a way that could be interpreted as supporting a particular position in an upcoming election. Because our tax-exempt status could be jeopardized, when in doubt, please contact the Association's global engagement team.

Do not post copyrighted, trademarked, or confidential material, including but not limited to non-public information that is proprietary to the Association or U-M. While you should not post a photo owned by U-M's Athletic Department as your own, you may share or Retweet the photo via your club's Facebook and Twitter accounts, respectively.

The FTC has specific guidelines (.pdf) relating to effective disclosure of digital advertising to avoid deception. Club should also consult each social network's particular rules and regulations regarding advertising.

Regularly monitor your club's inbox and what others post via your club's communication channels. If alumni questions go unanswered or your communication channels are full of spam or other inappropriate content, this reflects poorly upon both your club and the Association.

Because your club is associated with a public body, you are not permitted to block people from posting in a public forum maintained by the club unless they violate a stated rule. For this reason, the Association recommends you add the following policy to the "General Information" section of your club's Facebook page and the "Group Profile" section of your club's LinkedIn group: "We welcome your opinions and encourage open discussion. If we become aware of messages that contain advertising, are off-topic, use offensive or inappropriate language, are intended to defame, infringe someone's rights, or are a violation of law, we reserve the right to remove them. Repeated violations of this policy may result in the individual being blocked from future posting."

The above guidelines do not apply to a club leader's personal communication channels, outlets, and conversations.