@GossipGirlofMU, your tweets may not be as scandalous as you think.
Despite recent university responses to Facebook events like "The Annual Ghetto Fest" and "Indian Theme Party," Miami University does not discourage the use of its name or logo in social media. University officials think the use of Miami's name on sites like Facebook and Twitter can act as a positive affiliation with the university.
"We want our students to be proud and identify themselves as Miami University students," Associate General Counsel Chris Wilson said.
Trouble arises if a student's social media activity violates the Student Code of Conduct or Miami's trademark policies.
Director of Ethics and Student Conflict Resolution Susan Vaughn said conduct violations are only addressed if the office receives a complaint.
Director of Business Services Paul Allen said trademark infringements, like conduct violations, are not actively monitored.
"We don't have a large trademark office that spends a lot of time surfing through social media and the Internet to find people using our trademarks," Allen said. "Every now and then people will point to one that is questionable and we'll take a look at it."
Wilson said Twitter or Facebook titles that include the words "Miami" or "MU" are deemed acceptable by the university. He said the university exercises discretion with its trademarks, but doesn't want to restrict student usage.
"If it's clearly a student site and they are simply using it for a reference location, then I don't see that as problematic," Wilson said.
Allen said students can also use university trademarks to express their opinion on social media websites.
The Office of General Counsel's website cites certain phrases such as "Miami University" and "Miami University RedHawks" as trademarks. Images including the RedHawk and lantern logos are also owned by the university, according to the website.
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However, there are limitations. Wilson said it is prohibited to use the trademark to sell products without a licensing agreement. He said using the Miami name or logo as a form of affiliation is prohibited if the person has no connection to the university.
Logo usage could also be problematic if students are using an outdated version of the logo or alter the image in an inappropriate way, Allen said.
Allen said a committee reviews questionable trademark uses and determines a reasonable enforcement action. According to the Office of General Counsel, a common response is sending a cease and desist letter to unauthorized users.
Sophomore Kelly Durkin said the Miami name can have a positive impact on social media.
"It makes (the content) more relatable," Durkin said. "You see the MU attached to the name and you know they'll be talking about things you're familiar with."
Students aren't the only ones taking advantage of the affiliation. The Miami University Alumni Association created a group on LinkedIn to connect students, alumni and Alumni Association members across the country and around the world.
According to site, the group has approximately 14,000 members and discussion is continuous about topics such as the recent Redskins and RedHawks mascot controversy.
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