Our Policy

For the Office of University Relations to continue our long tradition of mutual respect with the media, which we need in order to gain high visibility with the university's various audiences, we must operate within the context of professional ethics. Please help us live by the following guidelines:

HONESTY has always been the best policy when dealing with the media. The constituencies that support the university have the right to know what's going on at the university, whether the news be good or bad. The best way to prevent bad publicity is to eliminate any cause for it now.

IMMEDIACY means getting accurate news to the media as quickly as possible, which enhances our credibility with the media and with the public.

COOPERATION with the media is important. Failure to cooperate or the suppression of the news will only mean that rumors replace facts, and usually, facts are far less dangerous in the long run. However, if something is not ready for release, just say so and we will relay the message.

PROFESSIONALISM is what the Office of University Relations strives for each and every day. Our goal is to achieve the same level of quality that the university's academic departments strive for in their respective disciplines.

INTEGRATION means that all members of the university community keep us informed about their news, publicity and advertising efforts. We want to provide whatever assistance you need in these areas, but if you choose to work on a project independently, please provide basic information to us so that we can answer inquiries from the public. Our office or the Integrated Marketing Committee may also be able to provide some resources to you if we know about your project.