2.4 Federal, State and Local Government and Media Relations Procedures

Governing Policies

Media Relations Policy

Government Relations 

The President of Mines, or designee, serves as Mines' primary spokesperson for government relations.  To ensure consistent communication and effective coordination of Mines' federal, state and local government relations, faculty and staff acting as Mines employees shall communicate and coordinate with the appropriate campus staff (see “Campus contacts information” below), as well as inform their supervisor:

  • prior to and following contacts with federal, state and local government officials and/or their staff; and/or
  • if solicited by anyone seeking Mines' support for any potential or pending legislation or policy relating to Mines, and before making any representations about Mines' support of such legislation or policy.

This coordination will help ensure that faculty and/or staff have an overview of other campus issues and/or initiatives relevant to the contact, and will help inform appropriate campus offices of any new developments arising from the contact.

This policy does not apply to faculty or staff’s personal involvement in government. To properly differentiate Mines communications from personal communications, faculty and staff shall not use Mines' resources to communicate their personal views on government matters. When communicating personal views on government matters, faculty and staff must clearly state that they are communicating personal views.

Please Note: Exceptions to these procedures include any activities relating directly to the launching of a state- or federal-grant application that entails going through a peer-review process. While these activities are exempt from these guidelines, such activities shall be discussed and coordinated with the Vice President of Research and Technology Transfer.

Campus contact information:

  • State and local relations: Chief of Staff
  • Federal relations: Vice President for Research and Technology Transfer

Media Relations 

The Media Relations Policy requires that:

  • All announcements to the media from Mines must be coordinated with the Marketing and Communications Office.
  • When approached by the media, faculty may respond within their scope of expertise. The Marketing and Communications Office and their supervisor should be informed as soon as possible after the contact.
  • Faculty that believe that they will be providing statements or that believe it is likely they will be asked to do so should work with the Marketing and Communications Office on how to best communicate with the media. This office has significant experience with the media and how to best convey a succinct and accurate message to the public.
  • Media queries of an institutional nature should be directed to the Marketing and Communications Office for reply.
  • Finally, remember that information related to students and employees is confidential. Media requests related to individual students or employees should be forwarded to the Marketing and Communications Office or Office of General Counsel.

Last Revision:

July 15, 2022