Home Information for Students

Protect Your Reputation

• Privacy and security settings exist for a reason: Learn about and use the privacy and security settings on social networks. They are there to help you control who sees what you post and manage your online experience in a positive way. When you're logged into Facebook™ , check under Account>Privacy Settings>Controlling How You Share to learn more.
• Once posted, always posted: Protect your reputation on social networks. Recent research found that 70% of job recruiters rejected candidates based on information they found online.
• Your online reputation can be a good thing: Recent research also found that recruiters respond to a strong, positive personal brand online. So show your smarts, thoughtfulness, and mastery of the environment.

Protect Yourself

• Know and manage your friends: Use tools to manage the information you share with friends in different groups or even have multiple online pages. If you're trying to create a public persona as a blogger or expert, create an open profile or a "fan" page that encourages broad participation and limits personal information. Use your personal profile to keep your real friends (the ones you know trust) more synched up with your daily life.
• Be honest if you're uncomfortable: If a friend posts something about you that makes you uncomfortable or you think is inappropriate, let them know. Likewise, stay open-minded if a friend approaches you because something you've posted makes him or her uncomfortable. People have different tolerances for how much the world knows about them -- respect those differences. Post only about others as you would have them post about you.
• Know what action to take: If someone is harassing or threatening you, remove them from your friends list, block them, and report them to the site administrator.
• Learn more at: staysafeonline.org/higher-education/students

Protect Your Computer and Data

The University and You:
Your Electronic Rights and Responsibilities

What Can I Expect?

The University will:

• protect your intellectual and academic freedoms.
• protect your privacy, as required by federal and state laws.
• provide information technology (IT) services in the most efficient, reliable, and secure manner.
• investigate violations of Information Technology Policies at the University of Michigan - keeping concern for your safety paramount - and take action when required.

What Do I Need To Do?

• Read and abide by U-M's Responsible Use of Technology Resources.
• Use a good password, don't share it with anyone, and change it often. The security the University provides is only as good as your password.
• Don't spam.
• Don't reply to spam; just delete it.
• Don't use university electronic resources for commercial purposes, such as running a business.
• Respect the privacy and rights of others.
• Respect the legal protection provided by copyright and licensing agreements.