my.newpaltz.edu | Blackboard | Hawkmail | Library | Zimbra

A-Z Index | Contact Us | People-Finder

» Current Students | » Faculty & Staff | » Future Students | » Parents | » Alumni, Donors & Visitors | » Athletics | » Employment | » Give Today!

Office of Communication & Marketing - Media Relations, Web Management, Welcome Ceter

> Communication & Marketing Guidelines

minimize

Tools for Communication

ALL work order forms are now located on my.newpaltz.edu

Tools

* The above templates can be downloaded by faculty/staff and require their NPCUID and password. For additional templates, please visit our Identity Standards Manual.

For all mail-related inquiries, please call (845) 257-3122

Office of Communication & Marketing

Phone: (845) 257-3245
Fax: (845) 257-3345
Haggerty Administration Building 411
1 Hawk Drive
New Paltz, NY 12561-2443

Suzanne Grady
Director of Communication & Marketing
E-mail: gradys@newpaltz.edu

Jennifer Palomino
Secretary
E-mail: torresj@newpaltz.edu

Matthew Skillman
Web Team Manager
E-mail: skillmam@newpaltz.edu

Justin Shumway
Web Designer
E-mail: shumwayj@newpaltz.edu

Lindsay Suchow
Web Content Producer
E-mail: suchowl@newpaltz.edu

Andrea Durbin
Writer/Editor
E-mail: durbina@newpaltz.edu

Michael Koczanski
Video Producer
E-mail: koczansm@newpaltz.edu


Design, Print & Mail Services

Haggerty, 511
(845) 257-3971
(845) 257–3997 Fax

Mary Kastner
Director of Design, Print & Mail Services
kastnerm@newpaltz.edu
x3241

Laura Kniffen
Publications Coordinator
kniffenl@newpaltz.edu
x3234

Jeff Lesperance
Senior Designer
lesperaj@newpaltz.edu
x3242

Lorna Platt
Keyboard Specialist 2
plattl@newpaltz.edu
x3971


Print Services

Haggerty, 8
(845) 257-2646
(845) 257–3997 Fax

Jim Lyons
Print & Mail Services Manager
lyonsj@newpaltz.edu
x2646

Jeffrey Baker
Digital Imaging Technician
bakerj@newpaltz.edu
x3127

Mail Services

Lettis, Stephen
Mail Clerk
Office: HAB 26
Phone: (845) 257-3122

Morgan, Sonya
Mail Clerk
Office: HAB 26
Phone: (845) 257-3122

Poczciwinski, Lynne
Mail Clerk
Office: HAB 26
Phone: (845) 257-3122

Rizza, Cherie
Mail Service Coord.
Office: HAB 26
Phone: (845) 257-3122
E-mail: huntc@newpaltz.edu

 

Other Campus PR Contacts:

Brian Savard
Sports Information Director, Athletics
E-mail: savardb@newpaltz.edu
Phone: (845) 257-3927

Smulcheski, Fran
Art Services Assist
Office: CT118B
Phone: (845) 257-3858
E-mail: smulchef@newpaltz.edu

We manage:

To read our comprehensive guidelines, visit the New Paltz Style Guide.

All of us in Communication & Marketing look forward to working with you. Please feel free to stop by our office located in Haggerty Administration Building, Room 411 or call us at (845) 257-3245 if you have any questions.

Issues Management

Universities are in no way immune to issues or crises. In fact, a wider variety of problems may strike a campus than many much larger organizations because of the complexity and openness that characterize institutions of higher education. An "issue" includes, but is not limited to, fire, outbreak and spread of serious illness, rape, academic controversies, community issues, etc.

Avoiding Issues Through Preparation

The best issues management happens when there is no issue. In fact, by preparing for an issue, organizations often avoid crisis situations — much like the "ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure" adage. Communication & Marketing uses a communication-oriented process to develop issue contingency plans. Through a facilitated brainstorming session with key individuals likely to be involved in a given contingency, the Communication & Marketing Office will develop a communication plan that prescribes a set of specific actions designed to address stated objectives.

Incorporated in that planning will be the roles and responsibilities of various offices and individuals, including the president and cabinet members. As an event may escalate, the university has a procedure to activate an issues management team and a communication protocol for issue escalation.

The Issues Management Team

The president of the university is responsible for the operation of the university at all times. When the president has determined that an issue exists, she or he will immediately inform the chancellor's office and convene an issues management team. The team will be formed based on the specifics of the situation and will include all or some of the following university officials:

Provost
Vice President for Student Affairs
Vice President for Administration
Vice President for Enrollment Management
Executive Assistant to the President
Director of Media Relations
Chief of the University Police

The president will chair the team. In the president's absence, or at his or her direction, the team will be convened and chaired by the provost, and subsequently, by other members of the issues management team in the order shown above. Depending on the facts of the issue at hand, other members of the campus community or local officials may be asked to join the IMT.

The IMT's responsibilities are to:

  1. Analyze the situation and recommend to the president (or designee) steps to be taken to resolve the problem.
  2. Review and approve information relative to the situation to be disseminated on and off campus.
  3. Coorvise university cooperation with appropriate outside agencies involved in the situation.
  4. Preprdinate all university response efforts.
  5. Supeare an "after action" report assessing the university's performance during the situation and recommend to the president needed changes to the issues management procedures.

In addition to its duties during crises, the IMT will be responsible for conducting periodic issues management drills at the direction of the president. Through these drills, the university can reduce its vulnerability to crises.

The IMT will manage crises for the university according to the following guidelines and principles:

  1. The safety and security of individuals is to be considered of paramount importance.
  2. Information from the institution should flow from one source during the situation. That source will ordinarily be the Director of Media Relations or a spokesperson designated by the IMT.
  3. Information should be provided as fully and rapidly as possible to the appropriate outlets, consistent with safety and accuracy. In addition, all information released to the media should be consistent with information being provided to all other parties. All releases of information must be cleared with the president or his or her IMT designee.
  4. A formal information flow for a potential or real issue is detailed below. However, the IMT should always consider any other communication requirements, to include communication with faculty/staff, student leaders, alumni leaders, other governmental or external agencies, and parents.

    Media needs: During a crisis, media will likely be the most demanding for information. The IMT must assume that any information released to any of the individuals/groups listed above will eventually be in the hands of the media.
  5. IMT assignments will take precedence over ordinary tasks. IMT decisions will be relayed through the highest appropriate organizational level consistent with the need to implement crisis decisions promptly and effectively.

The IMT will operate from a central location that is clearly identified for all who may require access to it. Unless otherwise decided at the time of the crisis by the president or his or her designee, this location is the 9th Floor Conference Room in the Haggerty Administration Building. If the 9th Floor Conference Room is inaccessible, the alternate site will be the conference room in the Service Building. If all campus facilities are inaccessible, the IMT will operate from the Town Hall.

Communication Protocol/Issue Escalation

Issues will vary in their degree of impact on the campus and the community. Many times, issues that would normally go unnoticed become the focal point of larger debates because of related news events elsewhere or political agendas. In short, a seemingly innocuous event can become a full-scale crisis issue. Based on that reality, the university has a communication protocol to ensure that key individuals are informed of potential situations in a timely fashion. Below are generic situations and associated contact lists. Each person notified will assess the situation and determine if the notification of the next office in line is necessary. A rule of thumb: If there is any doubt as to whether the next in line should be notified, make the call.

Communication Protocol:

Key phone numbers:DaytimeAfter Hours
University Police(845) 257-2222(845) 257-2222
President(845) 257-3288 
Provost(845) 257-3280 
VP for Administration(845) 257-3295 
VP for Student Affairs(845) 257-3260 
Communication & Marketing(845) 257-3245 
SUNY System Admin(518) 443-5116(518) 443-5500

Event: Fire, flooding or other physical disaster in campus facilities, other than residence halls:

Initiating call/contactOffice calledRationale
First individual aware of incident1. University Police, Rescue Squad, or Fire Dept.
2. VP for Administration
Safety is overriding concern
University Police1. VP for Administration
2. Director of Media Relations
1. Inform Administration
2. Prepare for media/internal communication needs
VP for Administration1. President
2. Director of Facilities Operations
3. Environmental Health/Safety Officer
4. Other Cabinet members
1. Inform Administration
2. Prepare for response
3. Prepare for response
4. Inform Administration
President1. Chancellor's Office
2. College Council Chair
3. Mayor
4. Town Supervisor
1 & 2. Inform SUNY Administration
3 & 4. Inform public
Cabinet members1. Deans
2. Staff
1 & 2. Begin internal flow of information to campus community
Media Relations Coordinator1. Campus Community
2. Media
1 & 2. Inform campus and general public/local consituents

Event: Issue involving student(s), residence hall, Student Union Building

Initiating call/contactOffice calledRationale
First individual aware of incident1. University Police, Rescue Squad, or Fire Dept.1. Safety is overriding concern
University Police1. VP for Administration
2. Director of Media Relations
1. Inform Administration
2. Prepare for media/internal communication needs
VP for Administration1. VP for Student Affairs
2. Environmental Health/Safety Officer
1 & 2. Inform Administration
Director of Residence Life or Director of College Activities1. Dean of Students
2. Director, Student Health Center
1 & 2. Inform Administration
Dean of Students1. Chief of the University Police1. Inform Administration
VP for Student Affairs1. Dean of Students
2. Director of Res. Life or College Activities
3. President
4. Other Cabinet members
5. Other Student Affairs (example: student advisor or MRP advisor)
1-5. Inform Division leadership and Administration
President1. Chancellor's Office
2. College Council Chair
3. Mayor
4. Town Supervisor
1 & 2. Inform SUNY Administration
3 & 4. Inform community leaders
Cabinet members1. Deans
2. Staff
1 & 2. Begin internal flow of information to campus community
Media Relations Coordinator1. Campus Community
2. Media
1 & 2. Inform campus and general public/local consituents

Event: Issue involving faculty or academic programming

Initiating call/contactOffice calledRationale
First individual aware of incident1. Department Chair1. Inform department leadership, guidance
Department Chair1. Dean1. Inform school leadership
Dean1. Provost1. Inform Administration
Provost1. President
2. Director of Media Relations
3. Other Cabinet members
4. Other Deans
1. Inform Administration
2. Prepare for media/internal communication needs
3 & 4. Inform Administration and academic leaders
President1. Chancellor's Office
2. College Council Chair
1 & 2. Inform SUNY Administration
Cabinet members1. Staff1. Begin internal flow of information to campus community
Media Relations Coordinator1. Campus Commuity
2. Media
1 & 2. Inform campus and general public/local consituents