Digital Citizenship

Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology is committed to creating and maintaining a productive living and learning community that fosters the intellectual, personal, cultural and ethical development of its students. Self-discipline and respecting the rights of others are essential to the educational process and to good citizenship. In attending OSUIT, students agree to observe standards consistent with our academic community. All OSUIT students should aspire to follow and promote these Cowboy Community Standards of Citizenship, Academics, Responsibility, Diversity and Safety. You can read more about OSUIT's Student Code of Conduct.

As part of the student code, all members of the OSU family are encouraged to follow the digital citizenship tips below when interacting with others online.

HOW TO HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE ON OTHERS AND THE #OKSTATE COMMUNITY:

  • Be smart. Think before you post. Answer these questions: Is it helpful? Is it kind? Is it legal? If your answer to any of these is “no” or you aren’t sure, don’t post the content.
  • Have fun. Digital media and apps are designed to encourage engagement and interaction. Use it to build others up, instead of tearing them down. Be a part of the conversation. There is value in diversity and sharing different ideas and perspectives.
  • Advocate for a good cause. Do you love #okstate, your student organization, a car, an animal or your hometown? Post with passion. Use the apps and sites you are comfortable with to advocate and share information about the things you love most.
  • Nothing you post online or within an app is truly anonymous. There are current court cases of students being prosecuted for threats that were posted through anonymous apps. Additionally, student athletes have lost scholarships over content posted online.
  • Share knowledge. One of the greatest benefits of the internet is the ability to actively engage in conversations for our own edification.
  • When using anonymous apps or posting content online, keep your safety and the safety of others in mind. Remember that predators have access to these apps. There are documented cases of violence and sexual assault related to encounters that began with one post. Use caution when meeting people whom you have connected with on anonymous apps. Have a buddy system and a way for others to know who you are meeting, where you are meeting and encourage them to come with you. Do your research before inviting someone to come to your residence or going to theirs.
  • Positivity goes a long way. Be the positive influence within conversations. Tell others when their comments or views are hurtful. Advocate for appropriate speech and actions online.
  • If you see something inappropriate within an app or online, use the reporting feature to alert site admins or developers to remove the post. The more it is flagged, the sooner it will be removed.