Communications and social media policy.

Purpose

This policy sets expectations for how students, faculty and staff of Vaagdevi College of Pharmacy engage on social media and in institutional communications. It applies to official institutional channels as well as personal accounts where the user is identifiable as a member of the college community.

Official channels

Only authorised faculty or administrative staff may operate official institutional accounts on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube. The Training & Placement Cell maintains a separate channel for placement and recruitment communications.

All institutional posts are reviewed by the communications coordinator before publication. Use of the Vaagdevi name, logo and crest is restricted to approved publications.

Personal conduct

Members of the college community are expected to be respectful, accurate and non-discriminatory in their public communications. Personal posts that mention the college by name or use its visual identity must not be defamatory or misleading.

Confidential information — including unpublished research, patient data from clinical postings, examination materials and unannounced administrative decisions — must not be shared on any public or private digital channel.

Patient privacy (clinical attachments)

Pharm.D students on clinical attachments must follow patient-privacy and HIPAA-style confidentiality at all times. No patient details, photographs or identifiable case material may be posted online — even in private groups — without the patient's explicit consent and faculty approval.

Reporting concerns

Any community member may report a suspected violation of this policy to the Internal Complaints Committee (icc@vaagdevipharmacy.com) or the Grievance Redressal Committee (grievance@vaagdevipharmacy.com). Reports are handled confidentially under the relevant statutory framework.

Review

This policy is reviewed annually by the IQAC and updated as required. The current version supersedes any previously published institutional guidance on social-media use.