External Communication Review Process for Mass Communication Announced

During the coronavirus pandemic, communication with our extended community is “vital,” says Jamie Ceman, vice president of Strategic Marketing and Communications. “Every contact can be an important reminder that we at Chapman care about our Chapman family and that Chapman is available as a resource,” said Ceman.

“At the same time,” Ceman added, “we want to be extremely sensitive about what we’re sending, what we’re saying and how often we’re communicating.”

It was with this in mind that President Struppa announced in a recent Daily Update a new effort to coordinate “mass” messaging to external audiences. “I’ve asked SMC to review certain types of communication before it is sent,” said Struppa. “These new guidelines are only for large scale communications that come out officially from departments or colleges. Not for individual emails that faculty, chairs, administrators and deans may send to a concerned parent, or to a student or whomever,” he added.

To make this possible, SMC has developed a process and a form for submitting newsletters, postcards, and other types of external communication for review. Please submit to SMC external communication designed for large groups of 

1.     Community members
2.     Prospective students
3.     Prospective parents/families
4.     Current parents/families
5.     Alumni
6.     Donors
7.     Other external groups 

This effort excludes posts for blogs, posts for social media and communication with internal audiences. “We will do our best to accommodate quick turnaround times,” said Pamela Ezell, assistant vice president of communications. “We’re asking for 48 hours to review and we will get these requests back sooner if at all possible.”

Ezell also pointed out that the Coronavirus Resources and Updates website is updated daily. “This website has been established as the main source of reference concerning Chapman’s response to COVID-19. We encourage campus partners to refer audiences to the site for official information.” Input for the website is provided by members of Senior Staff and numerous Chapman staff and administrators. All campus community members can suggest information be added to the site by contacting Ezell at ezell@chapman.edu.

Members of SMC will hold a brief Teams meeting on Thursday, April 16, at 8 a.m. for staff and administrators wanting more information about the process and making requests for review. 

Ceman concludes, “Our goal is to support each other more fully during what is most certainly a challenging time for us all.”