How to Prepare for Social Media Crises in the Age of COVID and Protests.
This one-hour webinar will feature an in-depth discussion of social media crises in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic as well as ongoing social justice protests. Our featured speakers will provide an overview of crisis communications and issues management for both public-sector and private-sector higher education institutions, followed by a timely discussion of potential crisis scenarios related to COVID and social justice — something that every higher education institution is facing right now. Special emphasis will be placed on scenarios with a significant social media component since so many crises emerge, erupt and/or enlarge online. A lively question and answer session will be included.
Speakers
James Lentini
President
Molloy College
James Lentini began his tenure as the 7th President of Molloy College in Rockville Centre, NY, in June 2020. As an executive leader in higher education over his extensive career, he has provided leadership for strategic planning, campus master plans,comprehensive fundraising campaigns, and strategic enrollment management. Dr. Lentini’s efforts have led to achieving record-high student retention and graduation rates, whileadvancing signature academic initiatives, including creating new and innovative degree programs. In his role as Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Oakland University from 2013–2020, he oversaw the institution’s rise in the Carnegie Classification to R2 status. He was central to developing a new medical school, the Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine (OUWB), which graduated its inaugural class in 2015. Dr. Lentini previously served as Dean of the College of Creative Arts at Miami University (2007–2013), Founding Dean of the School of Art, Media, and Music at The College of New Jersey (2003–2007), and Acting Chair, Associate Chair, and Professor of Music at Wayne State University.
Susan Singer
Provost and Vice President, Academic Affairs
Rollins College
Prior to becoming Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost at Rollins, Susan Singer was Division Director for Undergraduate Education at NSF and Gould Professor of Biology at Carleton, where she directed the Perlman Center for Learning and Teaching. She pursues a career integrating science and education aimed at improving undergraduate education at scale, including research on networks of organizations working to advance undergraduate STEM education. Susan is a AAAS fellow, and recipient of the American Society of Plant Biology teaching award and Botanical Society of America Charles Bessey award. She is past-chair of AAAS’ Education Section and serves on the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine’s Roundtable on Systematic Change in Undergraduate STEM Education and the Board on Life Sciences. She chaired the several National Academies’ studies, including Discipline-based Education Research. Website: https://susan-rundell-singer.foliotek.me/
Dr. Heather Coltman
Provost and Senior Vice President
James Madison University
Heather Coltman is the Provost and Senior Vice President at James Madison University. In this position, she leads the Division of Academic Affairs and is the institution’s Chief Academic Officer, directing the development and delivery of all academic programs at JMU while overseeing the division’s budget and personnel. The Division of Academic Affairs comprises JMU’s seven colleges that deliver more than 135 degree programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels. Related entities, including the Honors College, Research and Scholarship, the Center for Global Engagement, the Center for Civic Engagement, Professional and Continuing Education, and JMU Libraries also come under the division’s umbrella. Since arriving at JMU in 2017, Dr. Coltman has worked to increase collaboration and diversity on campus by establishing an Associate Provost for Diversity and working with faculty to promote scholarship, outreach and inclusive education for all students. Dr. Coltman also holds an academic appointment as a professor in the School of Music.
Michelle Ashby
Founder & CEO
Tipping Point
Michelle Ashby leads Tipping Point’s offices in Rochester, Buffalo and Philadelphia. She enjoys her role as mentor, guiding clients and team members, serving as a business partner first and agency marketer second.
After launching Tipping Point in 2005, Michelle committed to finding data-driven solutions to solve the challenges that keep college and university presidents and admissions officers awake at night. She provides sound counsel to leadership to protect the institution’s reputation and build sustainable internal marketing teams that attract prospective students.
Michelle has served as lead marketing strategist for several higher education campaigns ranging from capital campaigns for Wright State University and Nazareth College, to workforce development campaigns for Hudson Valley Community College, to paid media campaigns for regional universities such as Keuka College, The College of New Jersey, Millersville University and more.
Jamie Frumusa, APR
Vice President, Client Relations & Strategy
Tipping Point
As Tipping Point Communications’ first public relations employee, Jamie Frumusa has played an integral role in the team’s growth and development for nearly a decade, helping to build and transform it into the Client Strategy & Relations team that she oversees today.
Jamie has been implementing regional and national media relations, crisis communications, and executive communications strategy for 12 years. During her tenure with Tipping Point, she has held several leadership roles and designed the Tipping Point Academy, a teaching-and-listening-focused trainings and workshops program focused on brand messaging, storytelling, crisis communications planning, media training and more. This unique offering has provided coaching to dozens of clients, including the Harlem Globetrotters, Dollywood, Lollypop Farm/Humane Society of Greater Rochester, and The Strong National Museum of Play, among many others.
Jamie’s public relations and crisis communications work extends to education. In recent years, she has managed public relations programs and crisis communications activities for multiple higher education institutions, including Bryant & Stratton College and the University of Rochester’s Eastman School of Music. She has also managed marketing communications programs for K-12 schools, including Bishop Kearney and The Harley School.
Megan Connor Murphy
Vice President, Higher Education Counsel & Public Affairs
Tipping Point
Megan Connor Murphy has more than 20 years of experience in public relations, public affairs, journalism, and politics. Her considerable experience includes work in both K-12 and higher education; economic development; tourism; healthcare; technology; energy and sustainability; and consumer product industries.
Her higher education crisis communications and issues management experience includes work with a public sector community college on issues related to COVID-19; social justice; racism and white supremacy; lockdowns; threats of violence; labor-management disputes, including a labor union vote; and a no-confidence vote. Additional higher education issues management experience included work with a major university’s art museum as it prepared to announce its partnership with a highly controversial artist.
Clients over the years have included Fortune 500 companies, respected regional firms, and national consumer brands, including General Motors/Chevrolet; Waste Management; Frontier Communications; Olympus; Shiseido; and Planet Fitness; as well as a mix of higher ed clients, including Monroe Community College; Finger Lakes Community College; Rochester Institute of Technology; and the University of Rochester.
