Penn State University: Organization Overview

Penn State University: Organization Overview
Penn State University is a state-related public university that serves the people of Pennsylvania and the broader global community. Its mission is to educate students from around the globe and support communities through research, teaching, and public service (Penn State University, n.d.). The university was founded in 1855 as an agricultural science college and has grown into a world-class university. It has been guided by core values such as integrity, responsibility, respect, excellence, discovery, and community (Penn State University, n.d.) to achieve its mission. Over the years, Penn State has awarded more than half-a-million people degrees.
Facts of the Event
A grand jury report was released in 2011 revealing that Penn State University's football coach Jerry Sandusky had sexually abused ten young boys over a 15-year period (CNN Editorial Research, 2022). The grand jury report also revealed that some officials at the university were aware of some of the sexual misconduct cases but never reported them to the authorities. Jerry Sandusky was later found guilty and sentenced to 30-60 years in prison (CNN Editorial Research, 2022). As a result of Sandusky's sexual misconduct and the university's officials’ cover-up, the university lost over $100 million in legal settlement and fines. This situation created negative publicity because it created a public perception that the university has an unsafe culture that perpetuates sexual misconduct. It also created the perception that the officials were complicit in enabling sexual misconduct for years.
Campaign Goals
The goals of the public relations (PR) campaign would be:
1 Provide timely information to all stakeholders as the details of the scandal emerge
During a public scandal, the details and facts keep changing, and it is up to the PR team to share the information with stakeholders. According to Tao and Kim (2017), PR practitioners must provide fast, open, and transparent communication during a PR crisis. This goal would ensure that the PR team controls the scandal's narrative.
2 Begin instant repair and restoration of the organization’s image
Since the scandal has already happened, the next goal is to repair and restore the organization to regain public trust. Arendt et al. (2017) reveal that PR pr...