Policy vs. Practice: Assessing Social Media Literacy at Nelson Mandela University

TL;DR

Higher education institutions face a delicate balance between leveraging social media for engagement and mitigating its inherent risks. This study at Nelson Mandela University reveals a striking gap: while staff and students generally behave appropriately online (High Compliance), many are unaware that a formal university policy even exists (Medium Awareness). The findings suggest that "good behavior" is currently driven by external societal norms rather than institutional guidance.

The Hidden Risks of the Digital Campus

Universities are no longer just physical spaces; they are digital entities. However, as the paper notes, social media is "non-centralized" and "user-constructed," which opens the door to significant Reputational, Privacy, and Security risks.

Prior incidents—such as the suspension of a UCT lecturer for disturbing posts or racial slurs by students—demonstrate that a single post can jeopardize an institution’s core values. The problem identified by authors Ngcama and Mostert was that Nelson Mandela University had no heartbeat monitor for its own policy: they had the rules, but they didn't know if anyone was reading them.

Methodology: Mining Policy for Metrics

The researchers didn't just ask "do you use Facebook?" They deconstructed the university's 2018 ICT Policy and Social Media Guidelines to create a survey that measured:

1. Awareness: Do you know the policy exists? Do you know who the Online Community Manager is?
2. Compliance: Do you use hate speech? Do you share confidential university data? Do you protect your passwords?

By utilizing 5-point Likert scales and meeting a statistical threshold (n=341), the study translated abstract policy adherence into quantifiable data.

Note: The survey was designed based on the specific 2018 NMU Social Media Policy elements.

Key Findings: The Awareness Gap

The statistical analysis yielded a nuanced picture of the digital landscape:

1. The "Policy Ghost" (Medium Awareness)

The overall awareness score was 3.213/5. Crucially:

• 36% of participants were completely unaware the policy even existed.
• 45% had no idea there was an Online Communication Manager.
• Counter-intuitively, 80% were well aware of their legal liability, suggesting they understand the law of the land, if not the rules of the school.

2. The "Accidental Saints" (High Compliance)

Surprisingly, compliance was much higher than awareness, averaging 4.256/5.

• Ethical Use: 97% claimed they never used hate speech.
• Confidentiality: 89% reported they never leaked university info.

The authors' insight here is critical: Compliance is high, but not because of the policy. Users are likely following broader societal standards or self-educating via news and media, leaving the university's specific guidelines largely unread.

Note: High compliance scores across factors like Intellectual Property and Confidentiality contrast with lower overall policy awareness.

Critical Analysis: Is a Policy Enough?

The study hits on a vital Inductive Bias in organizational management: the belief that "to document is to solve."

The data suggests that Nelson Mandela University—and likely many other institutions—is operating on "borrowed safety." Because staff and students are currently complying with general social norms, the university is relatively safe. However, in technical areas like Cyber-safe social media use (which saw lower compliance), the lack of specific institutional training creates a vulnerability. For example, the wide variance in password recovery habits indicates a clear need for university-led security education.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

The "Takeaway" is clear: Presence of policy does not equal protection.

• Future Work: Universities must move beyond "post-and-forget" policy distribution. The study advocates for active training interventions and educational workshops.
• Limitations: The research relies on self-reported data, which can be subject to social desirability bias (respondents may claim to be more compliant than they actually are).

For stakeholders in higher education, this paper serves as a wake-up call to transition from passive documentation to active digital citizenship programs.

References

1. Kaplan, A. M., & Haenlein, M. (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of Social Media.
2. Ngcama, L., & Mostert, N. (2020). An Evaluation of Social Media Policy Awareness and Compliance at the Nelson Mandela University.