After President Paul W. Ferguson resigned, the university hired a crisis communication consultant to manage its image.
Board of Trustees chairman Rick Hall called Myra Borshoff, a retired strategic and crisis communication consultant, to hire her, Borshoff said. Borshoff said she wasn’t working at the time due to a no-compete agreement.
One lawyer called Ferguson's severance agreement "face-saving."
Crisis communication varies, but it involves any situation where the welfare of the organization could be at risk. Changing the impact of the situation is unlikely, but the goal is to minimize the damage, Borshoff said.
If a company’s customers stop buying, or if a company loses employees because they have lost faith in their employer, they will seek a crisis consultant, Borshoff said.
Hall and Borshoff have worked together before, and Hall had called Borshoff when Ferguson resigned.
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“He called and said, ‘We have a situation that we think may need some of your help.’ And so, my role is media relationships and messaging,” Borshoff said.
Messaging is determining what messages go to which audiences. Speaking to students, faculty and alumni all require different messages and messengers, Borshoff said.
The last time Borshoff’s services were used by the Board of Trustees was after The Muncie Star Press published an article on Jan. 31.
Speculation happens in the absence of information, which can begin rumors and reports of misinformation, Borshoff said.
Because of the agreement between the Board of Trustees and Ferguson, details have not been released explaining Ferguson’s resignation. Borshoff said speculation has kept the story going.
“People want to know because they’re somehow invested, whether they live near the campus or work on the campus or donate money to the school," she said. "People are connected to Ball State in a lot of different ways and they all expect to be kept up to date on what’s happening to this place that they’re connected to."
Consultations with Borshoff are used when necessary. Borshoff said she expects to work with the university when the search for a new president begins.
