Social media has become an important tool for student engagement and learning at AVT. As a result, AVT embraces the use of social media by students to connect with staff and peers via official AVT social media profiles.

For the purposes of this policy, social media is online media designed to allow information to be shared, disseminated and created using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques. Social media services include, but are not limited to: social and professional networking sites (eg Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, Linkedin, Snapchat, Twitter) and media sharing sites (eg YouTube, Flickr), blogs and comments on blogs, online collaboration tools and forums (eg Whirlpool, Quora, Reddit), Vodcasting and Podcasting sites, as well as instant message sites (eg Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp).

Approach

Students, graduates and staff should adopt a common-sense approach to the use of social media to ensure:

• conversation is respectful and courteous and both contributes and is relevant to the discussion taking place;
• conversation respects the rights of others to have and to express an opinion. Where an individual disagrees, they must do so in a constructive manner. It is not appropriate and may even be illegal to post comments or respond to comments about AVT or individuals which could be considered offensive, defamatory, harassing, threatening, discriminatory, intimidating or otherwise inappropriate;
• AVT’s reputation and that of its staff and students is enhanced and not compromised through the use of social media;
• AVT’s legal obligations are not compromised through the use of social media including laws about copyright, privacy, defamation, contempt of court, discrimination and harassment;
• only information about AVT, associated workplaces and work placement organisations, and their activities that are not confidential and are publicly available is ever disclosed and discussed;
• reasonable steps are taken to ensure that any content published is accurate and not misleading;
• that the use, including content published, complies with all relevant AVT rules as published in a particular social media platform;
• that all communications adhere to the Terms of Use of the relevant social media provider;
• the AVT logo is not used or republished in circumstances where posting on a personal profile, or in any unofficial AVT group without the express permission of the Marketing Manager in writing;
• social media pages or groups including private groups (e.g. Facebook groups) that represent themselves as AVT or use the name AVT, Applied Vocational Training or any other name that preludes itself to be AVT are not created, administered or managed unless the express permission of the Marketing Manager is received in writing.

Staff and student connections on social media

AVT Staff are prohibited to ‘friend’ or accept personal ‘friend’ requests and/or, allow students to ‘follow’ personal social media profiles.

Breach of social media policy

A student who does not comply with the expectations of AVT as set out in this policy may face disciplinary action, which in serious cases can result in exclusion and or course cancellation from AVT. Any person concerned that the conduct of a student using social media contravenes this policy may report their concern to AVT via our contact us form. Where required by AVT, if a student is requested to remove, and cooperate with all attempts to remove, a post, comment or online content and the student fails to do so, AVT holds the right to take disciplinary action including course cancellation.