The Impact of Social Media on Colleges & Universities

December 7, 2011

Social networking and social media have revolutionized the way we communicate and conduct business. This is especially true for the colleges and universities that have found themselves at the forefront of this movement. Social media has had a significant effect on the way schools interact with students, faculty, employees and alumni. Sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and many others offer new ways to connect, recruit and build awareness about the university and campus life.

However, the advent of these new media has given rise to a host of legal issues that pose serious risks to colleges, universities and other educational institutions.

This presentation will explore a variety of issues, including:
• Protecting intellectual property rights, including copyright, trade secrets and domain names, and ensuring against inadvertent infringement of others’ rights
• Ensuring data security
• Complying with privacy standards and implementing “Privacy by Design”
• The impact of social media on the discovery process and litigation
• The importance of establishing a social media policy and code of conduct