SCUP Exchange User Agreement

Welcome to the SCUP Exchange

Welcome to the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP) online community, the SCUP Exchange. This platform is designed to foster collaboration, learning, and the exchange of ideas among higher education professionals engaged in integrated planning. To ensure a positive and productive experience for all members, we have established the following guidelines for participation.

Community Purpose

The SCUP online community exists to:

1. Share perspectives, resources, and best practices in integrated planning for higher education.

2. Advance institutional resilience through collaborative learning and idea exchange.

3. Foster an inclusive community of practice that empowers higher education professionals.

4. Promote forward-thinking ideas that shape a future that is inclusive, innovative, and responsive.

5. Facilitate peer-to-peer learning and interaction, encouraging members to share their expertise and learn from one another's experiences.

6. Create a supportive environment where members can seek advice, offer solutions, and collectively advance the field of integrated planning in higher education.

User Agreement and Community Guidelines

By joining and participating in the SCUP Exchange, you agree to adhere to the following rules and guidelines:

1. Respect and Inclusivity

• Embrace and celebrate the diversity of our community members, recognizing that our differences strengthen our collective knowledge and perspective.

• Foster an inclusive environment where all members feel valued, heard, and empowered to contribute, regardless of their background, identity, or level of experience.

• Encourage and welcome contributions from newer members, recognizing that every question and perspective has the potential to spark valuable discussions and insights.

• Engage in conversations with empathy, open-mindedness, and a genuine desire to understand and learn from others.

• Strive to create a supportive atmosphere where members feel comfortable sharing ideas, asking questions, and seeking guidance.

2. Professionalism and Constructive Engagement

• Maintain a professional demeanor in all interactions, reflecting the standards expected in higher education settings.

• Ensure your contributions are relevant to integrated planning and higher education topics.

• Strive for clarity and conciseness in your communications to facilitate effective knowledge sharing.

• Back up assertions with evidence, examples, or personal experiences when possible.

• Be prepared to engage in thoughtful dialogue and to both give and receive constructive feedback in a respectful manner.

• Stay on topic within discussion threads to maintain the coherence and usefulness of conversations.

• When starting new discussions, use clear and descriptive titles to help others quickly understand the topic.

• If sharing resources or references, ensure they are credible and relevant to the SCUP community.

3. Appropriate Content and Discussions

• Use the community to share successes, challenges, questions, and goals related to integrated planning in higher education.

• Refrain from commercial promotions or advertisements for products or services.

• When discussing specific products or services, focus on sharing experiences and information that benefit the community. 

• Remember that your comments are visible to all members and should be factual and constructive.

4. Intellectual Property and Attribution

• Post only content that you have personally created or have permission to use.

• Properly attribute any content created by others.

• Indicate if shared materials are not available for reuse, and seek permission from the owner before reusing content.

• If any content is shared without the appropriate permission rights, the content will be removed from the platform.

• This platform is subject to SCUP’s Digital Millennium Copyright Act Policy.

5. Privacy and Data Protection

• Respect the privacy of other community members.

• Do not share personal information about others without their explicit consent.

• Be mindful of confidentiality considerations related to your institution when sharing information.

6. Prohibited Behavior

The following behaviors are strictly prohibited and may result in suspension or termination of community access:

• Posting defamatory, abusive, profane, threatening, offensive, or illegal content.

• Engaging in any form of harassment or discrimination.

• Violating others' intellectual property rights.

• Deliberately disrupting discussions or creating conflict.

• Impersonating others or misrepresenting your affiliation.

• Sharing spam, malware, or viruses.

• Selling or promoting services of any kind within the platform.

7. Commitment to SCUP's Values

• Align your contributions with SCUP's values of Community, Learning, and Impact.

• Support the association's mission to foster an inclusive community of practice in integrated planning.

• Contribute to empowering higher education professionals in shaping a future that is inclusive, innovative, and responsive.

8. SCUP Use 

• This platform is subject to the SCUP privacy policy. 

• By joining and participating in the SCUP Exchange, you grant to SCUP a non-exclusive, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide license (with the right to sublicense) to use your content solely to promote SCUP programs, activities, and content. SCUP will attribute you appropriately.  You will retain all other rights in the content.

Community Moderation

SCUP reserves the right to moderate content and take action against users who violate these guidelines. Actions may include:

• Issuing warnings

• Removing inappropriate content

• Temporarily suspending account access

• Permanently terminating community membership

SCUP will strive to apply these measures fairly and consistently, with the goal of maintaining a positive and productive community environment.

Legal Disclaimer

This site is provided as a service for SCUP members. SCUP is not responsible for the opinions and information posted by others. We disclaim all warranties with regard to information posted on this site, whether posted by SCUP or any third party. In no event shall SCUP be liable for any special, indirect, or consequential damages resulting from loss of use, data, or profits, arising out of or in connection with the use or performance of any information posted on this site.

Changes to the User Agreement

SCUP reserves the right to modify this user agreement at any time. Users will be notified of significant changes, and continued use of the community after such notifications implies acceptance of the updated terms.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about these guidelines or need to report a concern, please contact the SCUP community manager through the provided "Contact Us" link on the community platform. We're here to help ensure a positive experience for all members.

By participating in the SCUP online community, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by this user agreement.