The University of Tennessee System’s Digital Presence Policy (GE0006) took effect on January 5, 2026. It sets shared rules for how we present ourselves online so that every campus and unit—from Knoxville to Chattanooga to Martin—speaks with one unified voice. That matters because our digital presence is often the first place students, families, alumni, and the public see who we are and what we stand for.
Under this policy, everything that represents the university online must follow consistent standards. That includes:
- Websites and intranets
- Social media accounts
- Email signatures
- Digital ads, videos, and other online content
These spaces must adhere to accessibility, branding, security, and privacy expectations, and each campus must issue procedures that guide how this work gets done.
A few key points:
- Accessibility is required so all users—including those with disabilities—can use our content.
- Every site and account needs a designated content manager or sponsor to keep information current and compliant.
- Official social media creation and monitoring follows a clear process.
- Email signatures must follow approved formats that show our brand consistently.
- Websites must be hosted on secure, approved infrastructure, and all forms that collect data must use secure, privacy-respecting protocols (like HTTPS).
In short, this policy helps make sure that our digital presence is safe, accessible, consistent with brand standards, and legally compliant no matter which UT campus or unit it comes from.
For full policy details, you can read the official text here.