Clark College shall develop and implement a program of public information in order to increase public awareness and recognition of the educational, cultural, and recreation opportunities available. Clark College must represent itself clearly, accurately, consistently, and in a timely manner to communicate its academic intentions, programs, services, and emergency notifications to students, employees, and the public. The Board empowers the president or designee to organize, staff, and fund a public communications office.

415.001 COMMUNICATIONS AND MARKETING

The Communications and Marketing Department is responsible for:

1. Increasing public recognition and awareness of the College's academic, vocational, technical, and community service programs;
   
   
2. Developing public awareness and appreciation of the College's direct cultural and recreational contributions to the community which relate to the established mission, vision, and values of the College; and
   
   
3. Coordinating and assisting the College faculty/staff in the use of mass and targeted media outlets, media materials, special exhibits, and promotional opportunities.
   
   
4. Establishing a strong institutional identity as a strategic asset for the College, unifying and connecting Clark students, faculty, staff, alumni, and supporters around the world through cohesive, consistent, positive, inspirational and recognizable images and messages whenever the ClarkCollege name is encountered.

The Communications and Marketing Department prepares and disseminates College news releases; produces College communications materials (catalogs, class schedules, brochures, flyers, posters, advertising materials, Web, online, news media); initiates and/or assists with special projects; and is responsible for editing and producing the College newsletters, Clark 24/7 and The Clark Journal, which contain official information on the policies and practices of the College as well as institutional progress on goals, strategic initiatives, and the College’s mission and vision.  The newsletters also provide information about people, events, and notable achievements at the College.

The Communications and Marketing Department coordinates photography services at the College and maintains archives of historic documents, photos, and publications.

Use of College Name/Logo

The College does not permit the use of its name in any announcement, advertisement, publication, or report if the use in any way implies College or state endorsement of any product or service. Any firm or advertising agency requesting the use of pictures of facilities of the College for sale or advertising purposes, or requesting the use of any copy relating to College pictures of facilities, should be referred to the Communications and Marketing Department.

The College president is responsible for determining whether the College's name may be used in conjunction with the particular project or service.

Use of College Reader Board

The College’s outdoor, electronic reader board will be used to share information, promote College-sponsored or affiliated events and activities, and communicate emergency and other important messages for the internal purposes of the College only. The reader board is not available for outside agencies, organizations or programs to promote their events, activities and services, even if they are renting facility space owned or operated by the College.

College employees may request posting a message on the reader board by submitting the form found at the link below. Communications and Marketing is responsible for all final decisions about the content and frequency of messages displayed on the reader board.

ASCC requests for reader board messages must be submitted to and approved by the Office of Student Life and Multicultural Student Affairs. 

Filming, Photography and Videotaping of Clark College

Clark College’s main campus and satellite sites present a wide variety of location possibilities for film, video and photography. The College is primarily a public education institution and as such our primary responsibility is to the learning environment of our students. However, the College will consider inquiries about filming projects. The executive director of communication and marketing will review all requests and will submit a recommendation to the vice president of administrative services. Approval from the vice president of administrative services is required to conduct commercial or documentary filmmaking (including videotaping and still photography) on the College’s main campus or any of its satellite locations.

Students who are photographed for a specific use in College publications and/or advertising are asked to sign a photo release form, which will be kept on file in the Communications and Marketing department.

Photos of students, employees and College visitors taken during College events, or taken in general public settings of the College, may also be used in College publications and promotions, without prior consent.

Communications Materials

Communications materials are defined as catalogs, bulletins, flyers, newsletters, brochures, handbooks, posters, stationery, advertising materials, the College website, and other types of printed and electronic materials. One of the most effective and important means of gaining a readily recognized identity with the public is through consistency in publications and other communications materials. The attitudes, style, and philosophy of the College are communicated visually as well as through the written word.

The Communications and Marketing Department is responsible for the entire spectrum of communications materials, from planning, creation, and editing to dissemination. The Communications and Marketing staff members support the College community by designing and producing materials with a coordinated image of the College through established professional standards of writing, messages, design and printing or electronic distribution. Central coordination also eliminates unnecessary duplication. All materials for internal and external distribution should be developed in partnership with the Communications and Marketing Department.

The executive director of communications and marketing has approval authority for College communications materials.

These procedures do not apply to any student publications, including "The Independent" or the student literary magazine "Phoenix."

Revised Policy/Procedure Approved by Executive Cabinet
June 2, 2010

415.003 EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS

Extraordinary circumstances which may occur, such as criminal acts, accidents, injuries, property loss, labor disputes, natural disasters, extreme weather, or incidents of similar nature, inherently create a great deal of public/media interest. They also generate confusion and the possible release of misinformation, insufficient information, or information that could prove to be harmful or libelous or which may compromise any investigative procedures related to extraordinary circumstances.

By implementing the following policies and procedures, the College will be able to better provide consistent, complete, accurate, and helpful information to the College community and the community at large, including the media.

Directing inquiries to a single source will allow administrative and other personnel to focus their attention to the situation at hand rather than having that attention diverted to responding to inquiries. Accordingly, the following steps will be taken when special circumstances, such as those described above, occur:

1. The president or designee will implement the Emergency Communication Policy at his/her discretion.
   
   
2. The Communications and Marketing Department, unless otherwise specified by the president or designee, will be the information clearinghouse, responding to all inquiries and generating all information releases.
   
   
3. The type of information provided by the Communications and Marketing Department will be cleared through the president or designee.
   
   
4. All personnel receiving inquiries, including the president or designee, are to direct those inquiries to the Communications and Marketing Department.
   
   
5. Contacts with the media by College staff are to be coordinated through the Communications and Marketing Department at the direction of the president or designee.