SSC Regents Approve Social Media Policy and Tenure for Professor

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At their meeting on Feb. 20, the Seminole State College Board of Regents approved tenure for a faculty member and adopted a social media policy for the College.

Pictured (l-r): Regent Ray McQuiston, Regent Paige Kim Hyden, Assistant Professor of Life Science Theran Hernandez, Regent Paige Sherry, Regent Marci Donaho and Chair Curtis Morgan pose for a photo following the SSC Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 20. The Board granted tenure to Hernandez during the meeting.

During the President’s Report, Reynolds informed the Board about recent activities and events at the College.

With the first action item on the agenda, the Board approved tenure for Assistant Professor of Life Science Theran Hernandez. Hernandez was recommended for tenure by Interim Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Linda Goeller. Hernandez began working for SSC in 2011 as part of the TRiO program and quickly thereafter transitioned to the role of coordinator for the Upward Bound Program. In 2012, she became an Educational Talent Search Advisor and also served as an adjunct instructor. She was hired as a full-time faculty member in 2015. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology from Langston University, a Master of Science from Grand Canyon University and a Master of Science from the University of Nebraska in Kearney. She is currently enrolled in a doctoral program at Langston University.

The Board then approved the second action item on the agenda, a social media policy for the College. This policy was established to comply with Senate Bill 198, which passed during the 2019 Legislative Session. Senate Bill 198 requires all state agencies to adopt a social networking policy to discourage abusive or offensive online behavior by employees, on state time and using state resources.

SSC’s new policy reads, “All Seminole State College employees are discouraged from sharing content or creating comments on social media containing the following: obscene sexual content or links to obscene sexual content; abusive behavior and bullying language or tone; any unwelcomed discriminatory or harassing statements or images based on a protected characteristic that are so severe, pervasive, and objectively offensive that it effectively bars the victim’s access to an educational opportunity or benefit; conduct or encouragement of illegal activity; and disclosure of information which an agency and its employees are required to keep confidential by law, regulation or internal policy.”

Board members present at the meeting were: Chair Curtis Morgan, Marci Donaho, Kim Hyden, Ray McQuiston and Paige Sherry.

The next meeting of the SSC Board of Regents is scheduled for Thursday, March 26, 2020.