Tools for Communication
ALL work order forms are now located on my.newpaltz.edu
Tools
- E-mail signature *
- Generic letterhead for e-mail attachment (Microsoft Word) * (last updated 6/23/10)
- Style Guide
- Image Library *
- New Paltz Logos
- PowerPoint*: blue background · white background· white background w/ logo on bottom · white background w/ logo on top
- Template for pre-printed letterhead (Microsoft Word) (last updated 6/23/10)
* 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:
- General news and event releases [how to | view releases]
- Design Services
- Campus Digital Signage
- Emergency communication (cancelation and delays)
- Experts Database
- Media Relations
- Mail Services
- my.newpaltz.edu, in collaboration with Computer Services
- News Pulse
- NPAlert
- Print Services
- RSS Feeds
- Web Management: The college's main Web site, www.newpaltz.edu, and departmental sites
- The Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art media relations and publicity
- New Paltz Connect Monthly E-Newsletter
- The New Paltz Magazine
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:
- Analyze the situation and recommend to the president (or designee) steps to be taken to resolve the problem.
- Review and approve information relative to the situation to be disseminated on and off campus.
- Coorvise university cooperation with appropriate outside agencies involved in the situation.
- Preprdinate all university response efforts.
- 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:
- The safety and security of individuals is to be considered of paramount importance.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. - 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: | Daytime | After 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/contact | Office called | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| First individual aware of incident | 1. University Police, Rescue Squad, or Fire Dept. 2. VP for Administration | Safety is overriding concern |
| University Police | 1. VP for Administration 2. Director of Media Relations |
1. Inform Administration 2. Prepare for media/internal communication needs |
| VP for Administration | 1. 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 |
| President | 1. Chancellor's Office 2. College Council Chair 3. Mayor 4. Town Supervisor | 1 & 2. Inform SUNY Administration 3 & 4. Inform public |
| Cabinet members | 1. Deans 2. Staff | 1 & 2. Begin internal flow of information to campus community |
| Media Relations Coordinator | 1. 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/contact | Office called | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| First individual aware of incident | 1. University Police, Rescue Squad, or Fire Dept. | 1. Safety is overriding concern |
| University Police | 1. VP for Administration 2. Director of Media Relations |
1. Inform Administration 2. Prepare for media/internal communication needs |
| VP for Administration | 1. VP for Student Affairs 2. Environmental Health/Safety Officer | 1 & 2. Inform Administration |
| Director of Residence Life or Director of College Activities | 1. Dean of Students 2. Director, Student Health Center | 1 & 2. Inform Administration |
| Dean of Students | 1. Chief of the University Police | 1. Inform Administration |
| VP for Student Affairs | 1. 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 |
| President | 1. Chancellor's Office 2. College Council Chair 3. Mayor 4. Town Supervisor | 1 & 2. Inform SUNY Administration 3 & 4. Inform community leaders |
| Cabinet members | 1. Deans 2. Staff | 1 & 2. Begin internal flow of information to campus community |
| Media Relations Coordinator | 1. Campus Community 2. Media | 1 & 2. Inform campus and general public/local consituents |
Event: Issue involving faculty or academic programming
| Initiating call/contact | Office called | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| First individual aware of incident | 1. Department Chair | 1. Inform department leadership, guidance |
| Department Chair | 1. Dean | 1. Inform school leadership |
| Dean | 1. Provost | 1. Inform Administration |
| Provost | 1. 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 |
| President | 1. Chancellor's Office 2. College Council Chair | 1 & 2. Inform SUNY Administration |
| Cabinet members | 1. Staff | 1. Begin internal flow of information to campus community |
| Media Relations Coordinator | 1. Campus Commuity 2. Media | 1 & 2. Inform campus and general public/local consituents |
