Social Media
Follow us for an inside view of the activities and people that are part of our community.
Communications and Marketing manages the social media accounts that represent the Institute as a whole.
Many departments and programs separately maintain many other accounts.
Account Registration
Any VMI department, club, or other unit needing to register or update a social media account must fill out the Social Media Directory Registration Form. When submitting a newly created social media account, please provide any URLs for existing accounts so they can be added to our Social Media Directory.
Remember, you must receive permission from the supervisor as appointed by your department head (or unit) before establishing any new accounts.
Upon reviewing the social media policies and guidelines, if you have any questions or need help with your account(s), contact our Marketing Office at marketing@vmi.edu. You may also request official branding from that office for use on your account.
Policies and Guidelines
General Order 71 Social Media Policy
Social Media Comment Policy
Virginia Military Institute maintains an official presence on seven social media sites: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Twitter, YouTube, and Flickr. These accounts are where cadets, parents, alumni, and others can learn about and enjoy the great happenings at the Institute. The official sites are produced, maintained, and monitored by the Institute’s Office of Communications and Marketing (C&M). All users are welcome and encouraged to share content on VMI’s social media pages. Remember that you are personally responsible for all content you post online. Opinions and content expressed in public comments do not reflect official positions or policies of the Virginia Military Institute.
Social media is a 24/7 medium; however, our moderation capabilities are not. The C&M Team regularly reviews content posted by other users on the official VMI social media pages listed above. All users are expected to adhere to site-specific terms of use when posting content to an official VMI social media page. Any information posted on our sites is considered public information and may be subject to monitoring, moderation or disclosure to third parties. C&M reserves the right but is not obligated, to remove content from VMI social media sites for any reason. They also have the right to block access to anyone from posting to this page.
Stay on topic.
When commenting under an existing post, please keep comments on the topic. Comments not related to the subject of the conversation will be removed. If you have an idea for a subject, would like to provide feedback, or would like a university representative to follow-up with you, you may email us directly at marketing@vmi.edu.
Observe confidentiality laws at all times.
Do not post confidential information about Virginia Military Institute, cadets, colleagues, patients, donors, vendors, etc. This includes names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, etc. Follow applicable federal requirements such as the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), as well as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations. VMI employees and cadets who share confidential information do so at the risk of disciplinary action or termination.
Do not post spam or advertisements.
Comments focused on selling a product or service, or comments posted for the purpose of driving traffic to a particular website for personal, political, or monetary gain will be excluded. Users who continuously post unauthorized advertisements on VMI social media pages will risk being banned from posting.
Observe fair use, copyright and disclosure laws.
Always give people credit for their work, and make sure you have the right to use content before you post it on social media sites. Posts must not violate laws that govern the use of copyrights, trade secrets, etc.
Do not harass or bully others.
Civilized dialogue on all issues is welcome. If you disagree with another user's opinion, please keep your comments respectful. Malicious intent and/or participation not in the spirit of civil conversation will be removed. Falsehoods or ad hominem attacks on VMI cadets, employees, and guests, will also be removed. VMI employees are expected to adhere to all applicable VMI policies and regulations. VMI cadets are expected to adhere to the Cadet Honor Code. VMI employees and cadets who violate these codes and policies do so at the risk of disciplinary action or termination.
Refrain from using hateful speech.
Be respectful of others. Do not attack other users based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or medical condition.
Do not use vulgar language or profanity.
VMI reserves the right to remove comments and posts including, but not limited to, those which contain profane or provocative language.
Do not post content that contains graphic violence or pornography.
Several social media sites have a strict policy against the sharing of pornographic content and impose limitations on the display of nudity and graphic violence. Refrain from posting such content on VMI social media pages.