Institutional Neutrality Operating Procedure

To guide requests and decisions for public statements made on behalf of Cambrian College (“the College”).

This policy applies to all members of the College, including students, employees, community partners, visitors, and volunteers. This policy also applies to college property and infrastructure, as well as all physical assets and brand assets of the College that could be utilized to officially represent Cambrian College.

Account holder: an employee or student representative who is responsible for affiliated social media account access and maintenance, including the posting of content and engaging with members on behalf of the College or their program, department, or unit through social media.

Affiliated social media account: a social media account with a clear connection or affiliation to a Cambrian College program, department, or unit, but does not represent the institution as a whole.

Brand assets: any official brand materials representing the College, including logos.

College property: any land owned and controlled or leased by the College, inclusive of buildings, learning places, public places, and workplaces.

Institutional neutrality: the principle that institutions should remain impartial and avoid taking definitive public positions on social, global, and political issues, unless these issues directly relate to the institution’s mission and are within its capacity to action.

Institutional social media account: a corporate social media account (e.g. Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, Threads, etc.) managed by the Digital Media department, which represents the institution as a whole. It is the official social media account of the College. Institutional channels also include the official college website, and the official email account of the Office of the President.

Official college communications channels: official corporate-wide channels used to communicate with the college community internally and externally, including email, myCambrian, TV screens, website, and social media accounts.

Physical assets: any college-owned or operated assets such as vehicles, billboards, banners, stationery, etc.

1. Determining if a public statement on behalf of the college is warranted

1.1 The decision to issue an official public statement in response to social, global, or political issues will be made by the President, in consultation with Senior Team, as well as in consultation with the Communications department.

1.2. In making the determination as to whether a public statement is warranted, Senior Team will use the definition of institutional neutrality and be guided by the Institutional Neutrality Checklist.

1.3. The Communications department, in consultation with the Vice-President of External Partnerships and Strategic Enrolment, will develop the public statement, which must then be approved by the President.

1.4. Once the message is approved, it will be shared by the Communications department and distributed on the appropriate, official college communication channels, including institutional social media accounts and affiliated social media accounts where warranted. The account holder for the institutional and affiliated social media accounts will be responsible for posting the approved public statement.

2. Requests for public statements

2.1. Any inquiry or request for a public statement is to be submitted to the Communications department in writing at either communications@cambriancollege.ca or through the individual email of the Manager of Communications.

2.2. The Manager of Communications will bring forward all inquiries and requests for a public statement to the Vice-President of External Partnerships and Strategic Enrolment, for review and evaluation.

2.3. No account holder on any institutional or affiliated social media account or other official college communication channel is permitted to post what could be construed as an official college statement in response to topical, social, or political issues, and current events, without the prior express permission of the Communications department, care of the Office of the President.