Every account contributes to our brand experience and awareness.

New accounts

Any official Northeastern entity that wants to create a social media account must first seek approval from University Communications.

How your page looks is an extension of the university brand, so be conscious of what personality you are projecting through colors and graphics. For guidance, contact University Communications.

Third-party agreements

External partners, sponsors, or vendors cannot dictate the content posted on official university social media accounts. You may find more information on our Endorsements and Partnerships policies here.

Comment monitoring and engagement

Monitor comments on your accounts regularly. If you encounter comments or situations you are unsure how to respond to—including controversial topics, sensitive issues, or potential crises—do not engage. Instead, contact University Communications for guidance before responding.

Users must report any suspected fake or impersonating accounts—those pretending to be the university, a university department, or an affiliated entity—to University Communications. Users should refrain from replying to or engaging with any suspected impersonation accounts.

All social media passwords must follow the Policy on Enterprise Passwords from Information Technology Services. University Communications recommends passwords include longer phrases rather than university-related names, nicknames, or acronyms. Passwords should be updated at least quarterly, and again when a social media administrator leaves their position at Northeastern. 

Any employee with responsibility for and/or access to a university social media account must be removed as an administrator upon leaving the university. A direct supervisor of the employee must do so in a timely manner, and in accordance with the HRM Off-Boarding Toolkit. 

Please notify University Communications of any new social media account administrators. 

Account names

Only centrally managed accounts may use Northeastern University alone. 

Although NU is not typically permitted for university use, it is acceptable for social media use (names and copy), where space is limited. 

• Do not use NEU. 

Avatars, Handles & Descriptions

Accounts must follow the avatar, handle, and page description structure provided by External Affairs.  

The following groups will be provided avatars: 

• Campuses 

• Colleges and Schools 

• Research Institutes and Centers 

• Student-facing administrative units (i.e., Library, Housing) 

Athletics, Varsity teams, and Club Sports avatars are overseen by Athletics Marketing within the standards set by External Affairs. 

 

Official entities should use the following where available: 

Account type	Avatar	Handle	Description
Main pages	Provided by External Affairs	NortheasternUniversity	A global, experiential, research university. What will you do #LikeAHusky?
Campus	Provided by External Affairs	Northeastern[locationname]	Northeastern University in [location]
Colleges and Schools	Provided by External Affairs	NU[approvedshortname]	[Full name College / School] at Northeastern University
Research Institutes and Centers	Provided by External Affairs	NU[name]	[Name Institute / Center] at Northeastern University
Academic units	Provided by External Affairs	NU[name]	[Name] at Northeastern University
Student-facing administrative units	Provided by External Affairs	NU[name]	[Name] at Northeastern University
Varsity Athletics	Provided by Athletics Marketing	NU[gendersport]	Northeastern University [gender][sport]
Club Sports	Provided by Athletics Marketing	NU[location][gender]Club[sport]	Northeastern University [location] [gender] Club [sport]
All other units	Use template provided by External Affairs	NU[name]	[Name] at Northeastern University
Advancement	Provided by External Affairs (Affinity groups should use custom marks in avatars where appropriate. )	NU[name]	[Name] at Northeastern University
Faculty labs	May not use official marks or brand elements in their avatars.	NU[name] or [Name]	[Name] at Northeastern University
Student organizations	May not use official marks or brand elements in their avatars.	NU[name] or [Name]	[Name], a Northeastern University student group

If an alternate approach is necessary, these requests must be reviewed by University Communications prior to public use. 

Note: Some usernames—such as a Facebook URL—cannot be changed, so choose carefully. 

Using the avatar template

Official units not provided an avatar must use the avatar template provided by External Affairs. These include student-facing centers, administrative departments and academic programs. 

• Do not include Northeastern University or NU in avatar design. Avoid using abbreviations in the avatar unit name except for approved college abbreviations.
  • For example: Africana Studies, COE Undergraduate Advising
• When choosing a background image, do not use any marks or logos. Instead, select photos specific to your subject area. See the university’s Digital Repository Service for photo resources. 

• All avatars using the provided template must be reviewed and approved prior to public use. 

Reach out to University Communications for access to the template.

Personal accounts

Only official Northeastern University entities may use official marks in avatars. Personal accounts may not use any official marks. 

Category

Use the following categorization on Facebook and anywhere else that page classification is required: Companies & Organizations > University 

Location

If you are near Northeastern’s Boston campus, use Northeastern University as your location. If you are at one of our other global campuses, use that location in lieu of Northeastern University in Boston. 

Web links

Link to your own department or school’s northeastern.edu website.