Belmont Alumni Network

1. Our Shared Values

The Belmont Alumni Network is a community built on the values that define the Belmont University experience. We believe in the inherent worth and dignity of every person, the power of respectful dialogue across differences, learning that extends beyond the classroom and beyond graduation, service to one another and to the broader community, and building and maintaining genuine relationships.

These guidelines help ensure the Platform remains a welcoming, safe, and productive space for all Belmont alumni.

2. Who These Guidelines Apply To

These Community Guidelines apply to all users of the Belmont Alumni Network, including alumni, current students ("Almost Alumni"), faculty, staff, honorary alumni, and Community Leader Council (CLC) members.

These guidelines govern all interactions on the Platform, including discussion posts and comments, direct messages, profile content (bios, photos), community participation, content submissions, reactions and flagging, and any other user-generated content.

3. Expected Behavior

3.1 Be Respectful

Treat all community members with courtesy and respect
Engage constructively, even when you disagree
Assume good intent — seek to understand before responding
Use inclusive language that welcomes all backgrounds and perspectives
Celebrate the diversity of the Belmont alumni community

3.2 Be Authentic

Use your real name and identity
Share your genuine experiences and perspectives
Be transparent about your intentions (e.g., if sharing professional services)
Keep your profile information accurate and current

3.3 Be Constructive

Contribute meaningfully to discussions
Share knowledge, resources, and opportunities with fellow alumni
Offer support and encouragement
Provide feedback through appropriate channels (feedback form, support requests)
Help maintain community standards by flagging inappropriate content

3.4 Protect Privacy

Respect other members' privacy settings and boundaries
Do not share another member's private information without their consent
Do not screenshot or share private messages publicly
Use blocking and privacy features if you feel uncomfortable

4. Prohibited Content & Behavior

4.1 Harassment & Discrimination

The following are strictly prohibited:

Personal attacks, insults, or name-calling
Bullying, intimidation, or threatening behavior
Discrimination or hate speech based on race, ethnicity, national origin, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic
Sexual harassment or unwanted sexual attention
Stalking or repeated unwanted contact (use the Platform's blocking feature if someone doesn't respond to your messages)
Doxxing (sharing someone's personal information to embarrass, threaten, or harm them)

4.2 Harmful Content

Content that promotes violence, self-harm, or illegal activities
Explicit sexual content or pornography
Content that glorifies substance abuse
Misinformation that could cause harm
Content designed to shock, disgust, or disturb

4.3 Spam & Commercial Abuse

Unsolicited commercial messages, advertisements, or promotions
Multi-level marketing (MLM) or pyramid scheme solicitations
Repetitive or irrelevant content posted across multiple communities
Automated or bot-generated content
Phishing attempts or malicious links

Note on professional sharing: Sharing your professional expertise, career opportunities at your organization, or relevant resources is welcome when done authentically and in appropriate communities. The line is between contributing value and soliciting business.

4.4 Intellectual Property Violations

Posting copyrighted content without permission
Claiming others' work as your own
Unauthorized use of Belmont University trademarks or branding

4.5 Platform Manipulation

Creating multiple accounts
Impersonating another person or entity
Misusing the flagging or reporting system (e.g., false reports to harass a user)
Attempting to circumvent blocks, bans, or other enforcement actions
Attempting to access another user's account or private data

4.6 Political & Divisive Content

The Platform is designed for alumni connection, not political debate. Overtly partisan political content, political campaign material or endorsements, content designed to provoke rather than connect, and religious proselytizing or anti-religious content are not appropriate for this Platform. This doesn't mean you can't discuss current events — but please do so respectfully and in a way that maintains community cohesion.

5. Content Standards for Specific Features

5.1 Discussion Posts

Post in the appropriate community
Use clear, descriptive titles
Stay on topic within threads
Cite sources when sharing statistics or claims
Edit your post if you need to correct information (add an "Edit:" note)

5.2 Direct Messages

Respect the recipient's messaging preferences
Introduce yourself if messaging someone you haven't met
Accept gracefully if someone doesn't respond
Never use DMs to continue an argument from a public discussion

5.3 Profile Content

Use a recognizable photo of yourself
Keep your bio professional and appropriate
Do not use your profile to advertise or promote

5.4 Content Submissions

Submitted news and events must be relevant to the Belmont alumni community
Include accurate dates, times, and details
Disclose any commercial interest or affiliation

6. Moderation

6.1 How Moderation Works

Content moderation is performed by Belmont University staff and volunteer Community Leader Council (CLC) members. Moderation is triggered by user flags/reports, proactive review by moderators, and automated detection of obvious spam.

6.2 Moderation Actions

When content or behavior violates these guidelines, moderators may take one or more of the following actions:

Action	Description	When Used
Content Removal	Post/comment hidden from public view	Guideline violations, inappropriate content
Warning	Private message explaining the violation	First-time or minor violations
Temporary Suspension	Account access restricted for a period	Repeated violations, moderate severity
Permanent Ban	Account permanently deactivated	Severe violations, persistent bad behavior
Thread Lock	Discussion locked to prevent further replies	Discussions that have become unproductive

6.3 Flagging Content

If you see content that violates these guidelines, please flag it using the reporting tool on the post or comment. Provide a brief explanation of the concern when flagging. Do not engage publicly with the content — let the moderation team handle it. You may also report issues by emailing alumni@belmont.edu.

6.4 Appeals

If you believe a moderation action was taken in error, you may appeal by contacting alumni@belmont.edu with "Moderation Appeal" in the subject line. Include a description of the action taken and why you believe it was incorrect. Appeals will be reviewed by a staff member who was not involved in the original decision. You will receive a response within 5 business days.

7. Safety Features

The Platform provides tools to help you manage your experience:

Block users — Prevents a user from contacting you or seeing your content
Privacy settings — Control who can see your profile and contact information
Connection preferences — Limit who can send you requests
Messaging controls — Restrict who can DM you
Flag/Report — Report content or behavior to moderators
Mute — Hide a user's content from your feed without blocking them

For more details on privacy controls, see our Privacy Policy.

8. Special Roles: Community Leader Council

Community Leader Council (CLC) members are volunteer alumni who help maintain community standards. CLC members are held to the same standards as all community members, plus they are expected to model exemplary behavior, remain impartial in moderation decisions, protect the confidentiality of reported incidents, and escalate complex situations to Belmont staff.

CLC membership is by invitation and may be revoked at Belmont's discretion.

9. Changes to These Guidelines

We may update these Community Guidelines from time to time to reflect community needs, new Platform features, or changes in best practices. Material changes will be communicated through the Platform. The "Effective Date" at the top of this document will be updated accordingly.

10. Contact

If you have questions about these Community Guidelines, need to report a concern, or want to provide feedback, please contact us at:

Belmont University — Alumni Engagement
1900 Belmont Boulevard
Nashville, Tennessee 37212
Email: alumni@belmont.edu