Giving to RU
Rhodes>Emergency Management>Emergency Management>Key Emergency Management Focus Areas (Part Two)>Infectious Disease Epidemic>Communications and Marketing Division

Communications and Advancement

Upon receiving notification of a communicable infectious disease involving a University student or employee, the Director of Communications and Advancement has the following responsibilities:

EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS:
  1. Develop a communication plan for communication with employees, students, and families, including lead spokespersons and links to other communication networks, bearing in mind the potential fear and anxiety of employees, students and families that may result from rumours or misinformation.
  2. Establish an emergency communication plan that identifies key contacts with local and state public health officials as well as the state's higher education officials (including back-ups) and the chain of communications, including alternate mechanisms. Revise regularly.
  3. Assess readiness to meet communication needs in preparation for an epidemic or pandemic, including regular review, testing, and updating of communications plans that link with public health authorities and other key stakeholders.
  4. Liaise with the Information Technology Division to test the linkages between the University's Emergency Control Centre and the National emergency call centre (112 – still to be implemented, goes to CPU for now).
  5. Disseminate information about the University's epidemic or pandemic preparedness and response plan. This should include the potential impact of an epidemic or pandemic on residence closure, and the contingency plans for students who depend on the residential system, campus food and housekeeping services, and the CPU.
EMERGENCY CONDITIONS:
  1. Obtain facts from the Health Care Centre and, where applicable, the Division of Student Affairs (w.r.t. students) or the manager / head of department (w.r.t. employees).
  2. Locate up-to-date and reliable epidemic and pandemic information.
  3. Prepare core messages, fact sheet, news release and briefing document where necessary.
  4. Dispatch communication to internal stakeholders, the media and external stakeholders through the website if necessary.

Last Modified: Thu, 26 Jan 2017 12:49:50 SAST