The Office of Marketing & Communications ensures that high-level messaging is consistent, compliant, and strategic. Whether issuing a university statement or sending a mass email to thousands of alumni, we protect audience trust and university reputation.
Mass Email
Mass email is a powerful but complex channel. Over-messaging leads to inbox fatigue, high unsubscribe rates, and spam flag risks that damage email deliverability across the entire institution. The university’s Email Marketing Policy governs process to protect the effectiveness of this important tool.
- Channel Controls: All mass email communications reaching central audiences — including all-students, all-employees, all-alumni, all-donors, and all-families — must be scheduled, approved and distributed through MarCom or University Advancement. Individual units may not send independent mass emails to these lists or create unofficial shadow lists for these audiences.
- Privacy & Legal Compliance: Mass emails must comply strictly with local, federal, and international privacy regulations. MarCom ensures all outgoing emails contain approved sender identifiers, mandatory opt-out mechanisms, and accessibility standards.
- Alternative Internal Channels: All current employees and students may publish announcements for student and employee online newsfeeds and weekly e-newsletters and may submit events for the online calendar. Learn how in the Services Portal.
- Communicating with Alumni: MarCom and partners in University Advancement manage all mass communications to alumni and friends of the university. The online alumni community features Spaces, dedicated opt-in hubs for communication with alumni with various affinities. Contact the Alumni Engagement team at alumni@pacificu.edu to learn how to connect with alumni.
Official University Statements
Campus partners often ask when Pacific will issue a formal statement on regional, national, or international events. Pacific University issues official statements — from the institution, the president, or the President’s Council — sparingly and intentionally. Formal statements are generally reserved for:
- Direct institutional policy changes or executive leadership announcements.
- Matters that directly impact the safety or operations of the university community.
- Matters that directly impact the university’s mission of teaching, research and service AND where the university can offer specific support structures and/or facilitate meaningful civil discourse.
Individual academic or administrative units, and individuals, may not issue public statements on behalf of the university. Review the university’s Spokesperson Policy for more information. If your department or unit is facing a situation where an official stance or response may be required, contact your vice president immediately.
Messaging Frameworks & ‘Words That Work’
When speaking about Pacific to prospective students and families, donors, or community partners, it is vital that we use unified, accurate and compelling language. MarCom provides a repository of messaging tools for our mission champions and brand advocates:
- ‘Words That Work’ Guide: Elevator pitches and message phrasing for describing Pacific’s mission and key initiatives.
- Institutional Talking Points: High-level narrative points for leadership, deans, and faculty speaking on institutional priorities and initiatives.
- Pacific Fast Facts: Up-to-date statistics and brag points, including enrollment figures, accreditation details, national rankings, and institutional milestones.