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POLICY 08:05:00

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS

This policy is consistent with TBR Policy 9.01.00.00 Marketing and Communications.

Purpose
Effective marketing and communication is crucial to TBR’s capacity to attract and retainexceptional students, faculty, and staff, to secure resources for its fundamental mission, and to preserve the support and backing of vital stakeholders such as students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, legislators, and the general public. This policy is intended to be an overarching marketing and communication policy and seeks to align marketing and communication efforts with TBR’s utmost standards in quality.

Definitions

College – For the purpose of this policy, “College” refers to the System Office, TBR colleges, and their organizational units, programs, and initiatives.

Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) – The College’s president or chancellor shall appoint the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) as the responsible authority for directing the formulation, implementation, and management of the College’s marketing, advertising, and public relations strategies and efforts. To ensure alignment with the College’s vision and policies, the President reserves the right to require that the CMO seek approval or provide consultation on specific strategic decisions or policy matters as delineated herein.

System Chief Marketing Officer (SCMO) – Chief Marketing Officer of the System. Additionally, the SCMO serves as the CMO of the TCATs.

Spokesperson – The College’s president or chancellor designates the College Spokesperson who oversees official public and news media communications.

Policy/Guideline

  1. Marketing
    1. The college president shall appoint a Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). The CMO position shall default to the college’s Executive Director of Marketing and Communications.
    2. Marketing and communications materials for the system office and each College shall comply with all marketing and communications-related policies.
    3. The Executive Director of Marketing and Communications or their designee must review and approve materials intended for external audiences as outlined all marketing and communications policies (the advertising policy, branding policy, social media policy, publications policy, web publishing policy, and mass communications policy).
    4. External marketing and communications consultants or contracts for marketing and communications-related services, including advertising, may be retained only with the prior approval of the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications, and must work through the Executive Director of Marketing and Communication’s office, regardless of funding source.
  2. Endorsements
    1. Direct or indirect, implied or inferred institutional endorsement of a product, service, or company is prohibited.
      1. The identification of an individual’s relationship to the College is permitted.
      2. Companies and/or products that support the college or offer discounts offered to students, faculty, staff, or the campus community may be listed, provided such listing does not state or imply endorsement.
    2. Businesses selling officially licensed College products may use those products in their advertising. There must be no implication that the College endorses the business beyond having the ability to sell officially licensed products. A statement such as “selling officially licensed Pellissippi State products” may be used.
  3. Communications and Public Relations
    1. The College president shall appoint an official Pellissippi State spokesperson and backup, regardless of the official college titles.
    2. The President, Spokesperson and their designee(s) are the only persons authorized to initiate communications with or respond to news media on behalf of Pellissippi State, including media releases, public notices, and interviews.
    3. Pellissippi State should have a crisis communications plan, including providing appropriate and timely notice to System Office personnel during potential crises.
      1. The plan should be reviewed and updated annually.
  4. Exceptions and Exemptions to Marketing and Communications Policies
    1. It is understood that the college may have cross-functional duties between marketing and communications and that the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications and Spokesperson may be a single position. Thus, Pellissippi State is expected to comply with the intent outlined in this policy regardless of organizational design or title.
    2. At the direction of the president, the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications may appoint an employee to act as a designee of the Executive Director of Marketing and Communications for athletic-related marketing and public relations. The designee(s) would act as Executive Director of Marketing and Communications and spokesperson for Athletics and isexpected to comply with all policies, including reporting requirements.
    3. Marketing and communications policies do not apply to instructional materials, student newspapers, yearbooks, research-related publications, research reports, work processing forms, job postings, and auxiliary operations. Still, they are expected to comply with the intent of the policies in representing Pellissippi State’s established marketing, branding, and communications guidelines.
    4. The Executive Director of Marketing and Communications and/or Spokesperson must approve all other exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
    5. The Executive Director of Marketing and Communications and/or Spokesperson may delegate authority outlined in any marketing and communicate policy to a subordinate.

 

Approved: Executive Council, March 4, 1991
Editorial Changes, August 1, 1994
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, October 10, 2001
Approved: President’s Staff, October 23, 2006
Approved: President Allen G. Edwards, October 23, 2006
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, April 27, 2015
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., April 27, 2015
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, May 23, 2022
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise Jr., May 23, 2022
Reviewed/Recommended: President’s Council, February 26, 2024
Approved: President L. Anthony Wise, Jr., February 26, 2024