Communication Resources and Tools
The university’s Protect the Pack website is your best one-stop source for information related to COVID-19 and campus reactivation. It is updated frequently, so check back often. Below are selected resources from the site for your use:
- Community standards and the associated rule.
- Transcripts of Chancellor Woodson’s email updates to the NC State community.
- “Protect the Pack” signage and templates for download or print-on-demand.
- Digital screen assets available through the Billboard Community.
- Campus preparation videos that show what to expect on campus, from classrooms to transportation.
- Other important videos:
- Recordings of the chancellor’s virtual town halls with faculty, staff and students.
- A COVID-19 testing and tracking dashboard.
- A return-to-work guide with information and resources for faculty and staff.
- A detailed FAQ that covers everything from facilities to face coverings.
Additionally, Emergency Management and Mission Continuity’s Working@NC State During COVID-19 website is packed with regularly-updated information on essential campus operations.
Content Strategy
NC State — and its brand — were built for times like these.
The university remains purposeful, intellectual, innovative and courageous, and our existing messaging — about solving problems, adapting to changing circumstances and preparing graduates for life beyond campus — is especially fitting right now.
That said, there are some aspects of NC State’s work that deserve special emphasis during the pandemic:
- Continuity: NC State remains open. Even when on-campus operations are limited, our teaching, research and partnership activities persist. We are resilient. The good we do doesn’t stop.
- Community: The Wolfpack rises together to face challenges like these. We continue to look after one another, care for our students’ education and well-being, and serve the wider community.
- Courage: NC State takes bold, decisive action when the moment calls for it. We respond nimbly, and we marshal or repurpose our resources — including human resources — for the public good.
Prioritizing Content
The university homepage will continue to feature a mix of content both related and unrelated to COVID-19 and campus reactivation, with pushes to the Protect the Pack website as needed.
UComm also has developed a Stories of Impact site with a Community in Action page that includes stories from across campus, pulled directly from Newswire.
The NC State Bulletin also will continue to highlight COVID-19 content — especially stories of faculty and staff resilience — alongside other feature and news stories. If you have a story idea for our Resilient Pack series, please share it with us: go.ncsu.edu/resilient-pack.
Content Vetting
- Reactivation:
All campus reactivation and related internal and external communications, signage and other postings need to be approved by UComm until further notice. This process is intended to help ensure campuswide, strategic collaboration and coordination with the leadership planning process, as well as to help UComm better understand how we can best support campus efforts. Please send any questions or materials for review to Mary Cole Pike. - Other COVID-19 content:
Routine college- and unit-level communications related to the coronavirus pandemic that use language consistent with the Protect the Pack website and that refer readers to that site are no longer required to be submitted to UComm for review. However, keep Brad Bohlander, Fred Hartman and Mary Cole Pike copied on distribution so we can remain up to speed on developments throughout the university and can update central resources as appropriate. The types of communications not requiring review could include event cancellations, scheduling changes, program updates to your unit’s targeted publics and other general information.
Universitywide Editorial Calendar
This content calendar serves as a clearinghouse for all COVID-related content being produced throughout the university. Please add your stories to this database and reference it for subject-matter crossover. Additionally, all COVID-related stories published through Newswire are featured on the Protect the Pack site.
Language and Style
We encourage you to use the AP Style Coronavirus Topical Guide. It’s available for all to use, regardless of whether you have a subscription. Please also reference the university’s Editorial Style Guidelines.
COVID-19 Glossary
Keeping up with the terminologies related to COVID-19 can be challenging. We’ve put together some guidelines that address the questions we’re asked most frequently. If you have suggestions to add to this glossary, please contact Suzanne Stanard.
Media Relations
Our News Services unit is here to help you. If you need any assistance with media requests or story placement, please contact:
- Mick Kulikowski, director of strategic communications and media relations
- Lauren Barker, senior media relations strategist
We’ve also compiled a list of NC State Experts on COVID-19. Feel free to reference and share it as needed.
Photography
Our university photographers are capturing current images of campus for use in COVID-19 and reactivation stories. To access the images, visit NC State Photos and use the keyword search term COVID19.
Social Media Guidelines
While email communication is best to ensure that all faculty, staff and students are aware of campus reactivation measures, you can also use your social media channels to echo and reinforce this communication.
The social media team suggests that you use your social media channels to post informational and resource content that specifically applies to your college or department, such as rules that aren’t covered by the university response or signage that may be installed. Also consider sharing announcements from Chancellor Woodson across your social media channels.
Questions? Contact Megan Ellisor, assistant director of social media.
Events
The University Special Events team, in concert with the university’s reactivation task forces, is working to provide you with the safest and most successful guidelines to continue engaging the Wolfpack community and hosting events during COVID-19. Our Guiding Principles During COVID — which includes toolkits for virtual and in-person events — is designed to help support you as you choose how best to host your special event during this unprecedented time.
To help spread the word about your events, please submit them to the University Calendar. If you need to update existing calendar events that have been canceled or changed to a virtual format, please contact Thyrie Bland.
Day of Giving
NC State Day of Giving is returning to its regular spring schedule. This year’s event will take place March 24, 2021. Our communication strategy will not be centered on a sentiment of “now more than ever” — instead, we will emphasize now because always. We aren’t asking people to join the effort because their gift matters more now; we’re asking them to do so because investing in NC State will always have a positive impact, and their support ensures the university will do what it has always done, but better and bolder.
If you have general Day of Giving questions, please contact Adam Compton. For information about communications or messaging, contact Amy Rossi.
We're in This Together
Please feel free to reach out to UComm and your fellow campus communicators with questions, needs or ideas through the StateComm email listserv. Just send a message to group-communicators@ncsu.edu. All messages will be reviewed by a listserv manager and distributed to StateComm after approval.
If you do not see StateComm among your Google Group choices, that means you aren’t subscribed. Please contact Suzanne Stanard to be added.