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PRO Handbook 5/23/13 UVI Public Relations Handbook The UVI Public Relations Office – At Your Service The UVI Public Relations Office (PRO) manages the brand and image of the University of the Virgin Islands utilizing internal, local, regional, national and international avenues through news and information dissemination, media relations, publication production, advertising, publicity, marketing and the UVI website. The office creates strategy to best position the University, utilizing traditional and emerging media, building key relationships, and anticipating stakeholders’ needs. The PRO also establishes media and website policy, and public relations protocol. This publication is designed to help our internal stakeholders form a strong alliance with the Public Relations Office to coordinate our efforts and present an organized, consistent, professional approach to promotion of the University’s mission and accomplishments. We refer to the UVI Board of Trustees, faculty, staff, students and alumni as the primary stakeholders. Our donors, the at-large public, retirees and parents are our secondary stakeholders. Stakeholders, clearly, are people who have a relationship with or interest in the success of the University of the Virgin Islands. The first step in that alliance with your Public Relations Office is to involve us, keep us informed and utilize our services appropriately in the advancement of UVI’s reputation. All media information / promotional material pertaining to UVI students, personnel, faculty, programs, services, campus activities and special events should be released through the Public Relations Office (PRO). Help Us to Help You: • To have your information or event posted on the UVI website and/or distributed to the media follow the processes listed in our Public Relations Procedures page. • For help with advertising, marketing or promotions, follow the processes listed in our Public Relations Procedures page.  Call the Public Relations Office to arrange media appearances and interviews. • Coordinate all press conferences with the PRO. • If approached by media representatives, always refer them to the PRO. • Let us know if you would like to make statements to the press about your projects or research and if you would like to work with the media on news or feature stories. • The branding of all non-academic UVI publications and/or promotional materials for dissemination must be approved by the PRO. • Forward copies to the Public Relations Office of all letters to the editor, flyers, posters and publications prior to publication and/or distribution. • Any taping of UVI activities for media purposes, rebroadcast or public screenings must be coordinated through the Public Relations Office. • All special events must be coordinated with the assistance of the Special Events Coordinator within the Institutional Advancement component. Units within the Research and Public Service component, the Reichhold Center for the Arts, Athletics and Humanities Divisions may have direct media contact because of the nature and volume of their work or the frequency of recurring messages. They still must collaborate with the Public Relations Office, follow established PR guidelines and copy us on any information they forward to the media. In some cases, UVI personnel may have standing professional or personal relationships with reporters, photographers or media personalities. In such instances, NOTIFY THE PUBLIC RELATIONS OFFICE BEFORE ASKING THE MEDIA TO COVER OR REPORT ON AN EVENT OR ISSUE, so that marketing and image enhancement can be well coordinated. CRISIS MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES When bad news happens, the press will be on your doorstep, literally. Examples of crises include: An accident resulting in death or serious injury; the arrest of a student, faculty member or administrator; a murder, rape, arson, assault or felony that occurs on campus; a natural disaster. It is important in times of crisis to follow a standard operating procedure to preserve institutional image. 1. Immediately call and/or forward crisis-related information to the Public Relation Office at (340) 693-1056 or pr@uvi.edu. This includes what happened, when, where, to whom and who else is involved. 2. Immediately refer all media calls to the Public Relations Office (in cases of crisis especially, it is important to have a single source of information.) Stay calm and be courteous! NEWS RELEASES A news release is the most immediate way to get information through the media to the community. Need to send a release? Here’s how to do it: Information for news releases must be received at least 10 business days before the expected date of distribution. The PRO will decide the best time and strategy for release of your story. The PRO can get your information from UVI to the media in a timely manner but cannot guarantee when the media will use it. Trust our professional expertise as to how best to approach the media. The PRO routinely e-mails and faxes news releases to all local (St. Thomas, St. Croix and St. John) media. The PRO also distributes news and information of wider appeal to regional and national media. Send information to pr@uvi.edu. ADVERTISING The Public Relations Office is available to assist you with the development and placement of print, radio, television and multi-media advertising. To make a request for advertising, send details to pr@uvi.edu.  Information for radio advertising must be received one month prior to expected air date.  Information for print advertising must be received one month before publication.  Information for television advertising must be received two months before broadcast. MEDIA APPEARANCES Appearing on radio and television talk shows, and speaking to civic organizations and church groups, is an excellent way to disseminate information. The PRO can arrange such appearances and create talking points. To make a request for media appearances, send details to pr@uvi.edu. PHOTOGRAPHY The Public Relations Office takes photos for media and publication purposes only. The PRO can suggest professional photographers to meet your needs. Departments desiring a photo archive may want to purchase a camera to catalog events. CONCERNS If you have concerns about the way a story was handled or if there was an error in the coverage of your story or event, call the Public Relations Office. Please don’t contact the media directly. GUIDELINES FOR UVI PUBLICATIONS For purposes of quality control, the Public Relations Office will review all non-academic UVI publications to ensure that they adhere to the UVI Brand Identity Style Guide. The PRO will also be available to advise on editorial content. All UVI publications must be properly branded to include the UVI wordmark, “University of the Virgin Islands” and an approved UVI logo, available from the PRO Graphics Page. Each publication must include an address, phone number, FAX number, e-mail address and, if appropriate, a website URL (www.uvi.edu) for more information. The mailing address should be either of the standard University addresses: University of the Virgin Islands #2 John Brewers Bay St. Thomas, VI 00802-9990 or University of the Virgin Islands RR 1, Box 10,000 St. Croix, VI 00850-9781 The telephone numbers should also be the standard St. Thomas telephone number – (340) 776-9200 or St. Croix telephone number (340) 778-1620 – unless the document needs a specific contact number. When specifics are required, include the contact information for the particular department. The following information must also appear on all publications and the homepage of UVI websites regarding the University’s accreditation: The University of the Virgin Islands is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, (215) 662-5606. The Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Commission on Recognition of Post-secondary Accreditation. ORGANIZATION AFFILIATION STATEMENT: “The University of the Virgin Islands is accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. (The University is also an active member of the American Association for Higher Education, the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, the American Council on Education, the Association of Caribbean Information Systems, the Association of Caribbean Universities and Research Institutes, the Association of Governing Boards, the National Association for Equal Opportunity and the National Association of State Universities and Land Grant Colleges. UVI is a land-granted institution and the only one of the Historically Black Colleges and Universities outside of the continental United States. The University of the Virgin Islands is an equal opportunity, affirmative action, Title IX, Section 504, PL 101-542 educator and employer.” WEB SITE...web pages www.uvi.edu The Public Relations Office has oversight responsibility for the website. The University’s webmaster is a member of the Public Relations Office team. The UVI website is designed to allow individuals who have been trained as “Content Contributors” in University colleges, schools, components and areas to update their respective pages on the site. Contact the webmaster at (340) 693-1057 to arrange for training to become a content contributor. For more information, visit the UVI Website Management Page. SPECIAL EVENTS The Special Events unit of the Institutional Advancement component should be informed of any special event as far in advance as possible. A special event is an activity that does not occur on a regular basis, which is intended to promote or provide information on a particular program or service, raise funds, or serve as a vehicle for establishing a relationship between the host and a specific audience. Special events include concerts, receptions, seminars, conferences, lectures, and a myriad of other activities, depending upon the creativity of the coordinating group. Planning times vary according to the event. Want to Learn More About Marketing, Media Strategy and Image Enhancement? The Public Relations Office will be glad to provide your office with a workshop explaining the basics. Call for an appointment. PUBLIC RELATION OFFICE CONTACT INFO: Public Relations Interim Director – Nanyamka Farrelly – (340) 693-1056, nfarrel@uvi.edu Webmaster – Moneca Pinkett – (340) 693-1495, mpinket@uvi.edu Public Relations Specialist – Gary Metz – (340) 693-1057, gmetz@uvi.edu Public Relations Specialist – Tamika Thomas Williams – (340) 693-1058, tamika.thomaswilliams@live.uvi.edu Administrative Assistant – Lois Rivera – (340) 693-1059, lrivera@uvi.edu # # # (This document is available online in searchable PDF format)