A8000 Public Communications

Policy Statement

The College believes inclusive and transparent communication strategies most directly shape the public’s perception of institutional integrity and quality.  As such, the College strives to ensure that all of its public communications promote respectful dialog, strengthen civic engagement, and enhance the public’s trust. 

To encourage inclusivity, the College endeavors to: represent a wide range of perspectives, identities, and experiences; use images, stories, and experiences that reflect the diversity of our community; avoid language that stereotypes (or discriminates against) any group; use terms that individual (or groups) prefer to describe themselves; maintain privacy/confidentiality of sensitive information in accordance with legal and ethical standards; and, is mindful of cultural difference related to communication style and preference.

To encourage transparency, the College strives to: ensure messages are easily understood by using language that is straightforward and unambiguous; provide relevant, accurate and truthful information, even when it is unfavorable or difficult; provide evidence (and/or cite sources) to support statements, as appropriate; ensure information is accessible to all stakeholders; acknowledge uncertainty and/or incomplete information; ensure messages are consistent across different platforms of communication and over time; and, provide timely information, especially when circumstances change or new facts become available.

To those ends, the College’s Chief Communications Officer is directed to develop, implement, and continuously improve public communication processes that inspire confidence, trust, and engagement from our students, employees, and the community.