Contact Information

Division of Public Relations and Marketing
Location: Jones Building Room 416
Mailing Address: 521 Lancaster Avenue, Coates CPO 7A, Richmond, KY 40475
URL: www.prm.eku.edu

Marc C. Whitt, Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing (University Spokesperson)
859.622.8615—office
859.622.1595—office fax
859.200.6976—mobile

Jerry Wallace, Director of Communications
859.623.2542—office
859.622.1595—office fax
859.200.9462—mobile

News and Information Sources

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The Division of Public Relations and Marketing produces the following information resources that promote news and events occurring at Eastern Kentucky University:

• Press releases and media advisories are issued to the media as needed by the Division. (Marc Whitt, associate vice president for public relations and marketing, marc.whitt@eku.edu; Jerry Wallace, director of communications, jerry.wallace@eku.edu; Karen Lynn, PR writer/editor, karen.lynn@eku.edu)
• EKU web site includes the latest news, developments and events at www.eku.edu. (Jerry Wallace, director of communications, jerry.wallace@eku.edu; Ron Yoder, director of web communications, ron.yoder@eku.edu)
• EKUpdate, an e-newsletter, is produced biweekly and features news, announcements, academic publications and presentations. (Karen Lynn, editor, karen.lynn@eku.edu)
• EKU Today, an e-newsletter, is produced each weekday and features on-campus events and activities as well as special announcements for the EKU administrative and academic community. (Karen Lynn, editor, karen.lynn@eku.edu)
• Inclement Weather Hotline (859.622.BADW) provides up-to-date announcements regarding the delay or cancellation of classes due to inclement weather conditions or to non-weather related circumstances.
• Eastern Magazine is the award-winning alumni magazine produced for alumni and friends of Eastern Kentucky University. The magazine is published three times a year and features news, stories and photographs about alumni and EKU faculty making headlines across Kentucky and the nation. (Marc Whit, editor, marc.whitt@eku.edu)

Faculty Experts

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ProfNet® — EKU's ProfNet membership through the Division of Public Relations and Marketing creates more opportunities for EKU's faculty stars to shine as regional, national, and international journalists seek their academic and professional expertise. Not only does this service provide faculty and departments with prospects for heightened exposure and public awareness, but it helps position Eastern as a leading national comprehensive university.

In addition to our existing daily service with ProfNet, the Division may now link EKU faculty with more than 70,000 reporters who are registered in PR Newswire's website for journalists (www3.profnet.com). Through the ProfNet Database, print and broadcast media may contact faculty willing to provide their expert profile — a profile that summarizes a faculty member's area(s) of expertise; specific subjects or issues he/she can knowledgeably discuss; professional achievements and current responsibilities; books or significant articles published; and current or recent research conducted. Currently, more than 11,000 faculty expert profiles are registered with ProfNet/PR Newswire. ProfNet delivers between 600 and 700 media queries weekly to 10,000 information officers representing 4,000 organizations of all types in North America, Europe, Africa and Latin America.

Thanks to the ProfNet service offered through the Division of Public Relations and Marketing we are better able to share with the public the "Eastern Success Story"!

Reporters may also directly request faculty experts through the Division of Public Relations and Marketing.

Interview Requests

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The Division of Public Relations and Marketing serves as Eastern Kentucky University's primary point of contact for print and broadcast media outlets and strives to provide reporters with timely information in order to help meet or exceed their deadlines.

Reporters wishing to interview a member of the EKU Community are asked to contact the Division of Public Relations and Marketing and ask for Marc C. Whitt, Associate Vice President for Public Relations and Marketing.

Open Records Requests

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Kentucky Revised Statute (KRS) 61.870 and the Open Records Act (ORA) define a public record as "all books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, discs, diskettes, recordings, software, or other documentation regardless of physical form or characteristics, which are prepared, owned, used, in the possession of or retained by a public agency."

KRS 61.878 specifically itemizes a number of exclusions to which public records may be disclosed. Requested records will be provided in accordance with these exclusions and in accordance with the opinions of the Kentucky Attorney General. In part, the following records are exempt from an information request under KRS 61.878 (1)

1. Public records containing information of a personal nature where the public disclosure thereof would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy (KRS 61.878 (1) (a) ).
2. Records of law enforcement agencies or agencies involved in administrative adjudication that were compiled in the process of detecting and investigating statutory or regulatory violations, if the disclosure of the information would harm the agency (KRS 61.878(1)(g)).
3. Preliminary drafts, notes and correspondence with private individuals other than correspondence that is intended to give notice of final action of a public agency (KRS 61.878 (1)(h)).
4. Preliminary recommendations and preliminary memoranda in which opinions are expressed or policies are formulated or recommended (KRS 61.878 (1)(j)).
5. Public records or information the disclosure of which is otherwise prohibited by federal law or regulation, and public records or information the disclosure of which is prohibited or restricted or otherwise made confidential by an enactment of the General Assembly (KRS 61.878 (1)(j & k)).

To make an Open Records Request, you must submit a written request to:

Office of University Counsel
Eastern Kentucky University
521 Lancaster Avenue
Coates Building Room 205, CPO 40A
Richmond, KY 40475
Fax: (859) 622-8030

Personnel Issues

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It is a matter of University practice and policy that no office, administrative or academic, discuss personnel matters past the point of discussion between the employee and the employer. Therefore, details involving an individual's employment status or termination will not be provided to the media in order to protect the privacy of the employee. The Division of Public Relations and Marketing will provide basic employment information such as titles of positions held, dates of employment, and salary or wage in each position held upon request. Requests for public records for information beyond this must be directed to the Office of University Counsel and will be responded to pursuant to the ORA.

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

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SOURCE: www.ed.gov

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ("FERPA:" Also known as the Buckley Amendment) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

FERPA gives parents certain rights with respect to their children's education records. These rights transfer to the student when he or she reaches the age of 18 or attends a school beyond the high school level. Students to whom the rights have transferred are "eligible students."

• Parents or eligible students have the right to inspect and review the student's education records maintained by the school. Schools are not required to provide copies of records unless, for reasons such as great distance, it is impossible for parents or eligible students to review the records. Schools may charge a fee for copies.
• Parents or eligible students have the right to request that a school correct records which they believe to be inaccurate or misleading. If the school decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student then has the right to a formal hearing. After the hearing, if the school still decides not to amend the record, the parent or eligible student has the right to place a statement with the record setting forth his or her view about the contested information.
   
• Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record. However, FERPA allows schools to disclose those records, without consent, to the following parties or under the following conditions (34 CFR § 99.31):
   
  • School officials with legitimate educational interest;
  • Other schools to which a student is transferring;
  • Specified officials for audit or evaluation purposes;
  • Appropriate parties in connection with financial aid to a student;
  • Organizations conducting certain studies for or on behalf of the school;
  • Accrediting organizations;
  • To comply with a judicial order or lawfully issued subpoena;
  • Appropriate officials in cases of health and safety emergencies; and
  • State and local authorities, within a juvenile justice system, pursuant to specific State law.

Schools may disclose, without consent, "directory" information such as a student's name, address, telephone number, date and place of birth, honors and awards, and dates of attendance. However, schools must tell parents and eligible students about directory information and allow parents and eligible students a reasonable amount of time to request that the school not disclose directory information about them. Schools must notify parents and eligible students annually of their rights under FERPA. The actual means of notification (special letter, inclusion in a PTA bulletin, student handbook, or newspaper article) is left to the discretion of each school.

Eastern Kentucky University notifies students of their FERPA rights through the Student Handbook, the Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogs, and through its website. The University has designated the following items as "directory" information: name, address, telephone listing, e-mail address, date and place of birth, major field of study, participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and awards received, and the most recent previous educational institution attended by the student. Students may request that such information not be released without their consent, and thus, the directory information may not always be released for every student.