College Advancement & Public Relations

10:04:04 Publications

1. Purpose
   1. This policy describes a system for campus-based approval and numbering of publications created for ChattState as required by local, state, and federal law, and TBR policy. The cited authorities set forth criteria, against which each campus will review the appropriateness of each publication, require that descriptive information be maintained in a central location, and provide for affixing an identifying number to each covered publication.
2. Definitions
   1. Definitions included in the overarching ChattState Policy, Marketing and Communications, 10:04:00 apply.
3. Policy/Guideline
   1. Publications
      1. Publications, including text, images, video, and other content, must follow local, state, and federal laws and other applicable marketing, communication, and branding policies and procedures, including those defined in ChattState Policy, Marketing and Communications Branding and Trademarks 10.04.04.
      2. Whether new or revised, publications representing the College to potential students or potential employees must be reviewed, approved, and assigned a unique publication number by the Director of Marketing and Communications (DMC) or designee.
         1. Departments and programs should follow established procedures to request publication creation and/or review.
         2. The publication number will include the Affirmative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) statement. See Brand Book for Mandatory Statements.
         3. Accreditation statement: Chattanooga State’s accreditation organization is the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
            1. To ensure our accreditation status is properly represented to the public, the required SACSCOC accreditation statement must appear in official college publications using the Procedural Guidelines for this policy.
      3. The DMC maintains the authority to remove any publications this policy covers from distribution. All Publications, whether developed internally by the college or externally for the College, must align with the College’s pre-established marketing, brand book and editorial style guide, communications guidelines, and applicable policies to ensure key messages are disseminated in a manner that maintains consistency.
      4. The Marketing and Communications Department is responsible for creating, maintaining, and enforcing the College’s visual, editorial, and process guidelines.
      5.  Publications, including all design files and assets, are the property of the College.
      6. The DMC or designee has the final authority to interpret the terms of this policy.
   2. Truthfulness and Substantiation
      1. All advertising, including publications, must follow local, state, and federal laws regarding truth in advertising and other consumer protection laws as outlined in ChattState Policy, Marketing and Communications 10.04.00.
   3. Reporting
      1. The DMC shall evaluate publications annually to determine if the return on investment justifies continued publication.
      2. To assist with local, state, and federal laws regarding marketing publications, including advertising, a report should be given to the TBR System Chief Marketing Officer and ChattState Vice President of College Advancement and Public Relations on publications by June 30 of each year.
   4. Exemptions and Exceptions
      1. Exemptions and exceptions outlined in the overarching ChattState Policy, Marketing and Communications 10.04.00 apply.

Sources

TBR Policy, Marketing and Communications, Publications 9.01.02.00

Related Policies

ChattState Policy, Student Affairs, Student Publications 03.29.00

ChattState Policy, Marketing and Communications, 10:04:00

ChattState Policy, Marketing and Communications, Branding and Trademarks 10.04.04

New policy submitted to Policy Review Committee on February 28, 2025

New policy submitted to Policy Review Board on April 11, 2025

Policy approved by Policy Review Board on May 7, 2025