Group Chat Guidance

Group chats are effective ways to communicate and get involved with the members of your society. However, to run them successfully they need consistent moderation from the committee.

Set Up

Where possible, send invite links to members Roehampton email addresses, this helps to confirm who they are, ensuring security with anything shared on the group chat.

Admin rights should only be given to those on the current committee. This is so only you can give access and can moderate the chat, meaning it stays organised and following the rules set by your committee.

All participants in the group chat should hold an active membership to your group. This ensures all participants are registered with the SU.

Consent 

Do not add people to the group chat if they have not consented to it. When adding someone to a group chat their basic contact information becomes available to other members, including their phone number, which they may not want. Instead share an invite link to their UoR email so they can make this choice themselves.

Group chats should be deleted and recreated annually. If this is not viable, groups will need to ask all members to re-consent to their inclusion for another year.

Appropriate Usage 

Your group chat should be a supportive and friendly community where members can bond and share topics related to the society. All members have a right to lawful freedom of expression; however, moderators should ensure chat guidelines are being followed and act if they are not.

Moderator Guidance 

Respect and Inclusivity: All members should be treated with kindness; discrimination, harassment, or derogatory comments should be challenged by moderators. People have freedom of expression; however, if it is causing harassment or intimidation, that is not okay.

Relevant Content: Share information that is specific to your group and avoid sharing unrelated content. Personal messages should be sent directly to the individual. Avoid spamming or sending irrelevant links.

Participation: Members should be encouraged to participate, but this should be voluntary; remaining silent is also okay. Be supportive and foster a collaborative, positive environment.

Feedback: Welcome constructive feedback about the society and be open to suggestions. Don't be afraid to try new ideas!

Ask for help: If you come into an issue or need support managing a situation or setting up your group chat, reach out to us! We are here to help you every step of the way. 

Challenging Behaviour

If a conversation becomes inappropriate, actions must be taken. Along with the moderator guidance, groups must abide by RSU and University of Roehampton policies, including the student code of conduct.

A group's committee is responsible for ensuring chats are used correctly. Moderators should warn, mute or remove people temporarily if necessary; however, the SU should be informed of all serious misconduct so we can determine an appropriate process to follow up. If an incident has occurred, please get in touch with us at studentgroups@roehamptonsu.com so we can support you.

Communicating to Members

We suggest adding a disclaimer into your chat's description; feel free to use the examples below or adapt as needed.

WhatsApp Group Chat Guidelines:

Be respectful: Treat each other with kindness and respect. Avoid bullying, hate speech, and abusive language.

Keep it relevant: Stick to the group's purpose and avoid sending irrelevant or excessive messages.

Protect privacy: Don't share sensitive or personal information without consent.

Avoid spamming: Don't send spam or irrelevant links.

Welcome newcomers: Make sure new members feel welcome and answer their questions.

Avoid Harassment: Unwanted targeting or messages and comments at an individual may be harassment.

Do not post off-topic: Chat should remain relevant to the society and its members.

Only members of the society are permitted to use this chat

Note that, as with all WhatsApp chats, other members will be able to see your contact information, including your phone number.

All current committee members of the society will act as moderators for this chat. If you are uncomfortable with any of the content in this chat, please inform a committee member or contact Roehampton SU directly – studentgroups@roehamptonsu.com