Bologna University uses Facebook as a channel for informing and encouraging its users, especially student users, to participate and dialogue. On its Facebook pages the administration’s purpose is institutional in nature and concerns matters of general interest.
The social networks by no means take over the duties of the Student Administration Offices or university front offices. Complete and up-to-date information may be found on the University Portal (www.unibo.it) and connected websites.
Bologna University uses the social networks to broadcast information on services, projects and initiatives. Contents published can related to institutional business and services, events, projects, results of research, schemes to build up participation, updates on emergency situations.
The University may occasionally share in messages and contents from other organizations or people when these are of public interest or utility. While endeavouring to check the accuracy and reliability of such contents, the Administration accepts no responsibility for any wrong or out-of-date information.
As for publicity features surrounding the contents of social network pages, these, be it noted, are outside the Administration’s control and are independently managed by the social networks.
Regulations and Moderation
Terms of service apply to the social networks and must be complied with by all users.
Everyone has the possibility to take an active part in and express their opinions in the University of Bologna's social spaces, within the limits of the law and without offending others. Users are invited to present their name and surname and abide by certain basic rules:
- to state their opinion politely and moderately, sticking to verifiable fact as far as possible and respecting other people’s opinions;
- to avoid insults, vulgar and offensive utterances, threats and all violent attitudes;
- at all times to respect people’s privacy, and avoid reference to facts or details that have no public import or invade the personal domain of third parties;
- not to use this area to discuss personal issues, but to confine themselves to topics of public interest;
- to stick to the point at issue in a discussion and avoid straying from it in an indiscriminate fashion;
- to abstain from all kinds of publicity, spam or promotion of private interests or illegal activity;
- not to publish contents infringing copyright, or use registered trademarks without authorisation.
At various stages Bologna University will retrospectively moderate its own area, as and when it reasonably can, to limit any contents infringing the user regulations. In the more serious instances – and especially where the common rules outlined above are broken – the Administration reserves the right to cancel contents, ban users from its pages, and report them to the host social network and its moderating filter mechanisms.
Getting back to users
As a rule, the social spaces of the University of Bologna are reviewed, Monday to Friday. The University undertakes to read all messages and queries and, if required, to give an answer as promptly as possible.
The speed of answering will vary according to the kind of request. If a social network proves the wrong channel on which to meet a request, the editing service will inform the user of the right channel to use and the office to consult.
Privacy
Please note that the processing of users’ personal data on other platforms meets the requirements of the policies currently used on those platforms (X - ex "Twitter", Facebook, YouTube, etc.). Any data that users share through private messages sent directly to any of the social media channels of the University of Bologna will be processed in compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation.
Protecting the University's name and image on social networks
The entire Community is asked to respect the name and prestige of the University and to refrain from any behaviour that might harm its image.
Using the University's name, seal or distinguishing marks for non-institutional purposes or in a manner not provided for in the University’s regulations is not permitted.
Members of the University’s Community may not make public statements in the name of the University, through any means of information or communication, outside the cases provided for by the Regulations in force or without specific authorisation, and shall not express personal opinions in the University's name.
On social platforms, therefore, it is important to adopt behaviour that respects constitutional freedoms, the confidentiality of individuals, and the prestige and image of the Institution. Social networks should be used appropriately, avoiding the dissemination of information, texts or images that could harm the name and prestige of the University.
Always check in advance the correctness and completeness of communications, also with a view to preventing the dissemination of biased or incorrect information.
Behaviour of University employees on social networks
In their online activities and on their social accounts, employees should in general abide by the principles of integrity, correctness, good faith, transparency and fairness, refraining from publishing communications that are offensive to the Institution, colleagues and/or other parties, or which may be detrimental to the prestige, decorum, image or impartiality of the University.
To this end, they should take the utmost care to ensure that their opinions or judgements on events, things or persons may in no way be directly attributable to the Administration.
Without prejudice to their freedom of expression and their right to criticise, employees should, out of respect for the Institutions, refrain from making public statements or comments that are offensive, insulting or discriminatory – also through the web, social media, blogs, forums or other digital platforms, even if these are open to a limited number of users – and that may be detrimental to the prestige, decorum or image of the University or of the public administration in general.
This is without prejudice to the right of each individual to represent situations, facts or actions deemed harmful to their rights in the competent fora, including through reporting to the trade unions.
In order to guarantee the necessary confidentiality, communications relating directly or indirectly to the service should not normally be made through public conversations using digital or social media platforms.
Moreover, employees may not disclose or disseminate, for reasons unconnected with the employment relationship with the Administration, data, documents, including investigative ones, and information they have at their disposal, unless these are already in the public domain.
This is without prejudice to the requirements of scientific dissemination and research in compliance with the provisions of Articles 18 and 27 of the Code of Ethics and specific regulations on the subject.