Dear Editor,
Given recent campus events, Emory community members have inquired regarding the University’s policy and practice for distributing campus-wide messages from leadership.
At Emory we try to examine each issue, listen to our community and make the best decision for how to be supportive. Our intent is to ensure that leadership messages focus on issues directly connected to our community or on global events that directly impact our community.
Leadership communication takes many forms: The president and her leadership team are actively engaged in meeting and communicating with students and others on and off campus; emails may be sent from the president and other leaders to the entire or a segment of our community; University statements may be posted to a website; and the president and other leaders attend vigils and other memorial events.
There will be times when a presidential communication to the entire community is appropriate given what we know about a particular circumstance and the nature of the issue. There will be times when other leaders may represent the University because they are closest to the situation and those affected.
Emory, like other universities, is exploring the best method of communicating to our audiences in a meaningful way. The Communications and Public Affairs division is working with University leaders to develop guidelines for campus-wide messages and to create a central communications vehicle that will provide an update on issues so that the community can have one source of accurate, updated information.
We also are looking at employee communication and student communication channels now to understand preferences and usage practices. This work will inform us on how leadership communication takes place in the future.
We will keep the Emory community updated on our progress, and we welcome your input.
Sincerely,
Nancy Seideman
Vice President for Academic Communications
Communications and Public Affairs
