Reporting to the Vice President for the Division of Marketing & Communications, the University Spokesperson & Senior Advisor for Crisis Communications and the Senior Director for Integrated Media Communications or their designee(s) in the Division of Marketing & Communications is/are the official university spokesperson(s) for conveying institutional policies, positions and decisions to the public, and to respond to media inquiries about the official actions and communications of the institution.

No faculty, staff member or administrator below the level of president should make official statements on behalf of the university without consultation with the Vice President for the Division of Marketing & Communications, the University Spokesperson & Senior Advisor for Crisis Communications and/or the Senior Director for Integrated Media Communications or their designee(s).

The university encourages faculty, staff and administrators who have specialized scholarly or professional knowledge or expertise about a topic of public interest to provide information or commentary about their area of expertise to the media so long as they do not represent themselves as presenting an official institutional position on the matter. Such information can be provided through media interviews, personal columns, letters, recorded commentaries, or similar methods. Faculty, staff and administrators who are contacted by media for information or commentary related to their expertise are encouraged to inform the Division of Marketing & Communications of such contact, preferably in advance.

In certain instances, a faculty or staff member or administrator with specialized knowledge or expertise on a particular topic or issue may be authorized by the administration to speak in an official capacity on behalf of the institution. Those so authorized should ensure in advance with appropriate University officials that their comments will accurately represent the University’s official position on the matter.