Our Bates Alumni social media channels—Facebook, Bluesky, TikTok, Threads, and Instagram—are a space to share information about Bates and Bates alumni, and to help our alumni remain connected to campus and each other. We post alumni news, event notices, campus updates, and coverage of celebrations like Reunion, Back to Bates, and Great Day to be a Bobcat.

There are a number of ways alumni can be involved in our social media channels:

• Liking, sharing, and commenting on our content.
• Tagging us in their own social media posts.
• Submitting their own content in regular features like #AlumniUpdates
• Taking part in quizzes, contests, and other initiatives.

Our policy on sharing third-party fundraising appeals

Due to IRS requirements to maintain the college’s 501(c)(3) status, we do not share third-party fundraising appeals in our communications, including on our social channels.

Our policy on sharing alumni news

We are proud to share the exciting achievements and news of our alumni community. To maintain the quality and relevance of our official channels, all alumni-submitted content requests must undergo a brief review.

We review all alumni news submissions on a case-by-case basis to ensure they meet the following criteria:

• Relevance to the Bobcat Community: The content must directly relate to a significant alumni achievement, professional milestone, community impact, or a Bates-related theme.
• Alignment with Institutional Goals: The content must align with the mission, values, and strategic goals of the college (e.g., promoting academic excellence, civic engagement, and community spirit).
• Non-Commercial/Non-Political: We generally cannot share promotional content, commercial solicitations, third-party fundraising appeals (as outlined above), or political advocacy.

We appreciate your understanding that our channels must serve the broader interests of the entire Bates community. If your news is approved, we will work with you to find the best channel and time to share your story. 

Code of Conduct

We ask that you be respectful. Please do not publish material that is obscene, racist, sexist, pornographic, sexually exploitative, or in any other way discriminatory, threatening or harassing, personally offensive, defamatory, or illegal. 

Please use our social media platforms to build relationships and share insights. By all means, engage in healthy debate – but always respect the views of others, especially on topics of race, religion, politics, and gender.

Additional options for reaching Bates alumni

There are many Bates-related social media groups — organized by class year, field of study, and extracurricular activities — the majority of which operate independently of Bates and have their own policies determining types of acceptable content. These can be effective options for connecting with Bates alumni.