Providing Crisis Communications Leadership

Strategic Communications and Marketing is designated the responsibility for issues management and crisis communications at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

If your unit is facing a sensitive situation, you don’t have to respond to it alone. StratCom is your strongest advocate, even in the toughest of times. We’re ready to help you plan and execute a crisis communications strategy.

Issues Management Considerations

• We consider a potential crisis to be an issue that affects a member of the campus community, a campus facility, etc. in a way that might be of wide public interest and of inquiry by news media at the local, regional or national level.
• If a crisis becomes a threat to someone’s physical safety, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Statements

• The Associate Chancellor for Strategic Communications and Marketing is the official spokesperson for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, leading and coordinating issues management and crisis communications.
• University employees should not speak on behalf of the university without the guidance of StratCom
• Official statements that are distributed over StratCom channels are carefully crafted and vetted. Units may share these official statements on their own unit channels and accounts, but questions that units receive in response to the content should be directed back to StratCom.

StratCom is Ready to Help

Contact Strategic Communications and Marketing for assistance with crisis communications. Email stratcom@illinois.edu or call 217-333-5010.