CASE STUDY

Fanshawe College: Reputation

Management Following the 2012
Fleming Drie St! "atri#$%s Da& Riots
Strategi# Communi#ation Management
Kayleigh Klajnscek and Karlee Slattery
12/6/2013
Table of Contents
Abstract
The prevalence of out of hand partying behaviour in postsecondary students has provided !any
postsecondary institutes "ith issues surrounding safe and responsible drinking and celebrating#
$n increase in the social/party scene !ay be due to the fact that the nu!ber of people enrolling
in postsecondary education has ju!ped significantly in recent years# The neighbourhoods
surrounding !any postsecondary institutes have often beco!e student enclaves for young
people looking to party and !eet people#
The follo"ing is a case study ai!ing to uncover the i!pact a specific incident% the &le!ing
'rive (iots of 2012% had on the reputation of &ansha"e )ollege% through e*a!ination of
co!!unication decisions and tactics# Three different intervie"s "ere conducted "ith individuals
involved in the co!!unication !easures follo"ing the riot# T"o of these individuals held the
role of +resident of the &ansha"e Student ,nion and the third is the -*ecutive 'irector of
(eputation and .rand /anage!ent at &ansha"e )ollege# This case study discusses the history
of &ansha"e% student attitudes in regards to sociali0ing% and the reputation leading up to and
follo"ing the &le!ing 'rive (iot# The overall strategic direction "ill be discussed% delving into
the co!!unication goals and outco!es# The case e*plores ho" &ansha"e "as able to recover
and !itigate the threats associated "ith the riot incident#
PART 1
History of Fanshawe College
&ounded in 1162 as the 3ntario 4ocational )entre% &ansha"e )ollege has beco!e one of
3ntario5s largest colleges# The college boasts 12%000 fullti!e students and 26%000 partti!e
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students annually# There are over 160 diplo!a% certificate% and degree progra!s% along "ith
various apprenticeship training courses offered as "ell# &ansha"e )ollege is spread over five
ca!puses# The !ain ca!pus is in 7ondon% 3ntario% the s!aller ca!puses are nearby in Si!coe%
St# Tho!as% 8oodstock% and Tillsonburg#
The Organization: Vision and Mission tate!ent
$s stated on the college "ebsite% &ansha"e )ollege5s !ission is to 9+rovide path"ays to
success% an e*ceptional learning e*perience% and a global outlook to !eet student and e!ployer
needs#: ;&ansha"e )ollege% )orporate infor!ation% 2013< This is elaborated upon in their
strategic plan as 9co!!itted to personal% social% and econo!ic success through =uality education
and learning for e!ploy!ent# 8e enrich the lives of individuals and !eet the changing needs of
our diverse co!!unities# 8e are innovative and responsive# 8e pro!ote opportunity# 8e are
&ansha"e )ollege#: ;&ansha"e )ollege% $nnual (eport on Strategic +lan% 2013<
The si* key areas the college "ould like to "ork on for their strategic direction are as follo"s
fro! the strategic plan> 91# +ursue e*cellence in learning% teaching% and service? 2# -ncourage
and enhance student success? 3# -ngage in applied research and scholarly activity? @# &oster a
"orkplace "here e!ployees are proud to contribute and gro"? 6# -ngage the support of
co!!unity partners and patrons? and 6# Support strategic gro"th in both current and ne"
!arkets% both do!estic and international#: ;&ansha"e )ollege% $nnual (eport on Strategic +lan%
2013<
@
Fanshawe Ad!inistration
Board of Governors:
$s co!!unity representatives% the .oard of Aovernors "orks to ensure the institution is
achieving their strategic goals at budgeted costs# The .oard also "arrants that the decisions and
activities of the college reflect the !ission and vision of the institution# They are also responsible
for policy develop!ent# The .oard !ust ensure that the institution is !eeting its strategic goals
through the "ork of the )ollege +resident# The .oard5s role is that of governance% but not
!anage!ent#
President:
The role of the &ansha"e +resident is to lead and !anage a full service% !ultica!pus% college#
The president is not only responsible for the student population of over @0%000 full and partti!e
students% but also the over 2%000 faculty and support staff% and a rapidly gro"ing population for
alu!ni of over 160%000 individuals# The president5s tasks e*tend beyond !anaging nu!erous
individuals# Be also "orks "ith the .oard of Aovernors to ensure that the college continues to
!oderni0e their progra!s% building a positive reputation and na!e for the college "ithin the
co!!unity% and helping "ork to"ards the institution5s strategic goals#
'r# Bo"ard (undle "as the +resident of the )ollege in 2012 and had previously "orked in
various positions at &ansha"e for over @0 years# Bis first position at the college% in 1122 "as as
the 'irector of +lanning# Be rose through various positions to beco!e 4ice+resident of
$cade!ics and then to +resident in 1116# Be held that role for 12 years% !aking hi! the longest
serving +resident of &ansha"e )ollege# ;'anis0e"ski% 2013<
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Marketing and Communications:
&ansha"e5s /arketing and )o!!unications tea! consists of 30 people# The co!!unications
tea! is !ade up of three co!!unication officers% one Senior /anager of )o!!unication% t"o
photographers% t"o videographers% and one fullti!e and one part ti!e "eb staff# The tea!
!anages and !onitors co!!unication for the college# There are processes in place to deal "ith
all types of issues or incidents% as proactive !easures# -!ergency (esponse Scenarios are
practiced once a year# The tea! heads to their )o!!unication (4 to practice the processes that
"ould need to be taken% on the !obile setup# This is just one portion of the co!!unication
depart!ent5s proactive approach at co!!unicating#
Fanshawe t"dent #nion
The &ansha"e Student ,nion ;&S,< is a student representative body that ai!s to !eet the !any
needs and e*pectations of &ansha"e )ollege students# Their !ission is as follo"s> 9The &S, is
an organi0ation co!!itted to e*cellence in service and student support "ithin the diverse student
co!!unity of &ansha"e )ollege#: ;&ansha"e )ollege% $bout ,s% 2013< &S, is a !e!ber of the
)ollege Student $lliance% "hich is a student leadership organi0ation that advocates for 3ntario
college and collegeuniversity students#
The !ost i!portant stakeholder for &S, are the &ansha"e students# &S, !ain task is to
represent the diverse student body# Their goal is to "ork "ith students to ensure that the ca!pus
environ!ent is inclusive% safe% fair and fun# Students are their raison d5etre% "hich is "hy they
!ust al"ays be a"are of "hat the students "ill think% feel% or need# The &S, is an organi0ation
that is run by students or recent graduates of various colleges and universities and their
respective progra!s#
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Fanshawe t"dent er$ices
&ansha"e is !ore than just a college? it is a co!!unity "ithin a co!!unity for students# Cn
addition to the typical classroo!s% labs% and other tools that are needed to obtain an education in
various fields% there are also nu!erous restaurants and cafeterias% residences% !edical services%
retail services% and a fitness centre and sport co!ple*# The college also offers services centered
at helping students on their career path# These services include resu!e develop!ent and various
career listings#
The college offers a student residence onca!pus that houses around D00 students# The )ity of
7ondon has a large student base% not only including those "ho attend &ansha"e )ollege% but also
the 8estern ,niversity of )anada# There are !any areas in 7ondon that offer offca!pus student
housing rentals# $ predo!inantly student do!inated neighbourhood near ca!pus is off of
&ansha"e )ollege .oulevard on &le!ing 'rive% Thur!an )ircle% and +rosperity )ourt# This area
has seen its share of student parties that have also escalated to illegal activity and !edia coverage
over the years#
Fanshawe t"dents
)ollege is often considered a rite of passage for )anadian youth# Ct is the first ti!e !any
teenagers leave ho!e and separate fro! parental units and their rules# 9$lcohol is regularly
considered essential to the youth5s idea of a good ti!e# Ct is increasingly difficult in 8estern
society to envision having a good time "ithout alcohol being a de facto re=uire!ent%E says 'r#
(obert Strang in a report titled% Reducing alcohol harms among university students: A summary
of best practices# ;/aclean5s 3n )a!pus% 2012<
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Student !isbehavior at &ansha"e has aided in putting 7ondon% 3ntario on a national !ap# There
is a general thought surrounding the institution as not only a place to get an education% but a good
place to party too#
/any postsecondary institutions are given nickna!es# &ansha"e has been given the unofficial
nickna!e of Funshawe. +ast Student ,nion +resident% 4eronica .arahona said this "as
so!ething they e!braced# This atte!pt to create a positive onca!pus environ!ent "as carried
out by the student union in a professional% but fun !anner# 98e "anted &ansha"e to be !ore
than just school# 8e "anted to !ake it ho!e%: 4eronica shared# 98e "anted people to have fun
at &ansha"e and "e "ere okay "ith being called Funshawe.:
&ro! a corporate standpoint% the nickna!e "as not e!braced as it is in the &S,# Ct poses a
concern about the pri!ary reason students co!e to the college# The na!e takes a"ay the
reputation of co!ing to &ansha"e )ollege to get a =uality education as a student5s priority# The
nickna!e is also a concern to parents% as it creates a reputation that the college is !ore about fun
than anything else# Tony &rost% -*ecutive 'irector of &ansha"e )ollege (eputation and .rand
/anage!ent calls the nickna!e a disservice to the college# The nickna!e !ay not have caused
past issues "ith parties near the college getting out of hand% but it !ay have affected !aintaining
the reputation of the college# 9Students co!e to &ansha"e for the "hole e*perience% "e
understand it is not only about getting an education%: e*plains &rost#
Ct has been noted by the &S, that so!e student5s choice to attend &ansha"e !ay be based on the
infa!ous parties in the &le!ing 'rive area# $t student open houses% youth often ask about
&le!ing 'rive% and "here it is located in pro*i!ity to the college# $lthough there are !any
e*e!plary students at &ansha"e% the partiers !ake the reputation#
D
&ansha"e students and their peers fro! other postsecondary institutes are constantly plugged in#
Students are not only e*tre!ely active online for educational purposes% but also on various social
!edia sites to co!!unicate "ith each other# 3DF of college students can5t go 10 !inutes
"ithout checking their s!artphone ;Kessler% 2011<# /any college students use the "ebsite%
&acebook#co! to stay in contact "ith friends fro! various postsecondary institutions# Ct is easy
for students to stay in contact "ith friends and invite the! to events# Cn 2011% &ansha"e5s +ast
'irector of )orporate )o!!unications and /arketing% -!ily /arcoccia% "arned &ansha"e
students about ho" social !edia is effecting neighbouring subdivisions#
$n article by the &ansha"e Student ,nion "as published after local celebrations got out of hand#
The article !entioned ho" the actions of those in the area reflected on &ansha"e% "hether the
students "ere fro! the college or not# /arcoccia "as docu!ented saying EKeep your parties
s!all% donGt advertise the!% donGt post the! on &acebook% it "ill attract people that are either
underage or fro! another part of the city% and very likely fro! another city: ;(osenkrant0% 2011<#
Students use s!artphones to post on T"itter% &acebook% and other social !edia sites/apps#
Students docu!ent their lives via social !edia# The convenience of s!artphones has allo"ed
students to post updates by the second% as events happen# This selfdocu!entation and net"ork
of over sharers creates an online trail#
Fle!ing %ri$e t"dent &ncla$e
The &le!ing 'rive area has beco!e a gathering place for young students% both high school and
postsecondary# The area !ainly houses students% "ith only a fa!ily or t"o re!aining in the
neighbourhood# 'ue to the fact that !ost first year students are underage and cannot go to bars to
drink legally% hundreds of students gather to party here on a regular basis# The &le!ing 'rive
area% across fro! the college% has beco!e an enclave for young people#
1
Hot only does the notorious &le!ing 'rive have a reputation for ro"dy parties% it also attracts
local underage youth# &le!ing 'rive is kno"n across the city as "here you go "hen you can5t
get into a bar or "here you can go to score so!e alcohol# /any of these younger partiers often
engage in unla"ful activity as they fre=uently ai! to fit in "ith the collegeaged cro"ds#
4eronica .arahona% &S, past +resident and a 7ondon native says% 9/any students "ant to party
and go to "here there are other people# They "ant to !eet people and have a good ti!e#:
The &S, and college ad!inistration is a"are of the neighbouring enclave and takes proactive
!easures to infor! residents of the byla"s ;See Appendix 3< and ho" to stay out of trouble#
Past Fanshawe 'ncidents
The follo"ing environ!ental scan looks at the reputation of parties near &ansha"e )ollege in the
years leading up to 2012# The follo"ing stories picked up negative !edia coverage for the
college and its students#
2008
T"o &ansha"e students "ere arrested and detained after an alleged se*ual assault in one of the
&ansha"e residences# The t"o students% .rian )ooper% 11% and Ioseph 7a!anna% 21% attacked an
1D year old fe!ale in a co!!on area of the residence# The fe!ale "as not injured% but =uestions
about security "ere raised in the !edia# &ansha"e dealt "ith the issue by reinforcing security
!easures and letting stakeholders kno" they have nothing to be "orried about "hen it co!es to
safety and security ;+elisek% 200D<#
C!plications of the previous issue "ere changed to the )ode of )onduct# .efore 200D% the )ode
of )onduct only e*tended to students "hile they "ere on ca!pus# &ansha"e !ade the decision
to e*tend the )ode of )onduct to offca!pus for students "ho threaten the safety of others or
10
bring outside issues into the classroo!# This "as done as a "ay to ensure students are acting in a
"ay that reflects the college in a positive !anner% and repri!ands those "ho do not respect the
code#
2011
3n St# +atrick5s 'ay 2011% student parties on Thur!an )ircle% in the &le!ing 'rive
neighbourhood% got out of hand# +artying "as taken to the streets% a !attress "as set on fire and
one arrest "as !ade# There "ere concerns fro! the college and its stakeholders about the
reputational da!age a handful of students can have on the institution# 9CtGs unfortunate for the
!ajority of &ansha"e students "ho have learned to be responsible and "ho do celebrate
responsibly% that the actions of a fe" or !aybe even a do0en really ends up da!aging the
reputation of all%E said 'irector of /arketing and )orporate )o!!unications% -!ily /arcoccia#
She also shared the concern for ho" this issue "as covered in the !edia fro! the police
involved# EThey told us that the incident on Thur!an )ircle that a lot of people are referring to%
in their opinion% "as not as significant as it "as reportedE ;(osenkrant0% 2011<#
Pro(ect )&AR*
Cn 2006% &ansha"e )ollege began the initiative called +roject 7-$(H ;7i=uor -nforce!ent and
(eduction in Hoise<# The initiative is a city"ide effort to educate students of different !unicipal
byla"s surrounding the issues na!ed# 9The focus is to create a"areness of "hat behaviours are
acceptable and unacceptable%: e*plained Tony &rost# 98e "ant our students to be responsible%
but ulti!ately understand "hat it is to be a responsible neighbour#:
Through +roject 7-$(H% heightened police patrols are present in areas surrounding not only the
college% but also around 8estern ,niversity of )anada% other student housing co!!unities% and
do"nto"n 7ondon#
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Cn 200D% police cla!ped do"n on offca!pus student parties# Cn a press release% +olice )hief
.rad 'uncan !entioned the drop in cri!inal charges that "ere being laid in relation to different
byla"s being broken# 9&ro! 200D to 2011% there "as a noticeable reduction in the nu!ber of
)ri!inal )harges being laid> 130 in 200D and 6@ in 2011%: the release said# Ct is noted that of all
the charges% only a s!all percentage "ere postsecondary students# ;&aust% 2011<
The it"ation
'uring nu!erous parties that took place on &le!ing 'rive on St# +atrick5s 'ay in 2012% a
situation escalated that "ould shock postsecondary schools across Southern 3ntario#
The parties began in the early hours of the day# 'ue to past incidents in the &le!ing 'rive area%
the college took so!e pree!ptive !easures# The su!!erlike "eather and the end of the
se!ester approaching gave the school reason to believe that there "ould be a high likelihood of a
large celebration in the nearby student enclave# The college and &S, !et "ith 7ondon +olice
Services and the )ity byla" staff to set plans to heighten patrols in the neighbourhood# Bo"ever%
the )ity "as not prepared for "hat "ould co!e in the late hours of the night#
8hat started "ith the s!aller act of setting a couch on fire turned into over 1%000 young people
taking over the neighborhood% flipping a )T4 ne"s van and setting it on fire% and thro"ing
anything and everything they could find to fuel the fla!es> including televisions% propane tanks%
and other furniture# +olice% -/S% and the &ire 'epart!ent "ere called to the scene "here they
"ere also harassed% ite!s "ere thro"n at the!% and 12 police cruisers "ere vandali0ed# The )ity
of 7ondon faced over J100%000 "orth of da!age#
Throughout the evening5s events% rioters and bystanders captured !o!ents on their !obile
phones# +hotos% videos% t"eets and status updates "ere posted to various public social !edia
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outlets# This allo"ed authorities to track do"n guilty parties through a fe" clicks of
investigation#
&ansha"e )ollege faced a lot of criticis! postriot as the neighbourhood is inhabited by a lot of
their students# The riot not only !ade local ne"s% but also national and international ne"s# The
possible reputational da!age reached beyond the co!!unity and stretched across )anada# 3f
the initial 11 people "ho "ere cri!inally charged% seven "ere current &ansha"e students#
This "as the largest% !ore outofcontrol incident the )ity of 7ondon has ever e*perienced#
PART +
Fanshawe Res,onds
Ct "as 1>00 in the !orning on /arch 1D
th
% 2012% "hen &ansha"e )o!!unication !anager%
-!ily /arccocia contacted Student ,nion +resident 4eronica .arahona# The conversation "as
about "hat "as currently going on over at &le!ing 'rive and ho" the Student ,nion "ere to
respond on behalf of the student body# $ press release "ent out later that Sunday !orning# The
key !essage in the press release "as regarding so!e students being charged for the events that
unfolded the night before# The release fir!ly stated that the &S, does not condone this
behaviour fro! their students# Ct "as "ritten that this incident "ill inevitably look bad for the
school5s reputation% but that the actions of so!e do not reflect the behaviours of the student body
as a "hole# (See Appendix !
$n e!ail "as also sent out to all &ansha"e staff early Sunday !orning# The e!ail clarified that
there "ould be one key spokesperson to talk "ith !edia fro! the &S,> 4eronica .arahona#
4eronica spent the /onday% /arch 11
th
"orking "ith speaking notes and !edia training for the
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endless line of intervie"s she "as to be spokesperson for# +resident of &ansha"e )ollege% 'r#
Bo"ard (undle "as also to be a key spokesperson "hen speaking to the !edia and addressing
the issue fro! a corporate level# Tony &rost shared% 9&ansha"e has i!ple!ented a staged
approach to spokespeople#: 'epending on the issue% a different spokesperson "ill be used#
)ertain =uestions or issues only re=uire a Senior )o!!unication /anager# 3ther issues% like the
riot% re=uire the president# This ensures that the president isn5t being seen in the !edia for every
=uestion or issue that arises% and that a proper spokesperson is assigned to an issue/opportunity#
/onday% /arch 11
th
% 2012 "as a day full of !edia intervie"s and a press conference "ith al!ost
all the !ajor !edia outlets in South"est 3ntario present# 'r# (undle spoke to the !edia in a
press conference# Be addressed ho" the college "ould be handling those students involved% and
that the college "as going to "ork diligently to take back the reputation of the college as an
e*e!plary postsecondary institution#
'uring the press conference% 'r# (undle also spoke of others "ho could be to bla!e for the riot#
8estern ,niversity and Bigh School students also attended the parties# &le!ing 'rive landlords
are also addressed% as !any are not very involved "ith the happenings in the neighbourhood# The
7ondon +olice Service% -/S% and &ire beca!e victi!s# Be spoke of ho" the college "ould be
"orking diligently "ith authorities to bring the guilty parties to justice# (See Appendix "!
4eronica .arahona spoke on behalf of the Student ,nion# She "anted to reiterate that the actions
of so!e students do not reflect the &ansha"e study body as a "hole# Bo"ever% the conse=uences
of those students involved "ere not to be taken lightly# She ended her speech by saying that the
&S, "ill "ork "ith co!!unity !e!bers to find a functional solution and to ensure that nothing
like this happens again in the co!!unity#
1@
Re,"tation Manage!ent
$lthough only a s!all percentage of the people involved in the &le!ing 'rive riots "ere
&ansha"e )ollege students% the student body as a "hole took a hit# The school5s reputation "as
in jeopardy# &ansha"e5s credentials "ere being di!inished because of a very s!all percentage of
the student population5s behaviour# &ro! /arch until Iune% students "ere losing out on
internships% coops% and job opportunities si!ply because they had the &ansha"e na!e attached
to the!# $lthough this co!pletely died do"n after the beginning on the fall se!ester% !any
students took an unnecessary hit in the fe" !onths after the riots#
The incident "as a co!!unity issue% but "as highlighted as a &ansha"e proble!# 8hat "ere
really the &le!ing 'rive riots "ere constantly being !issreferred to as the &ansha"e )ollege
riots#
ocial Media
&acebook and T"itter posts "ere instantly posted across cyber space# C!ages and videos of the
)T4 van being flipped and ite!s being pelted at authorities are readily available for public
vie"ing online# These i!ages helped the authorities find guilty participants# $ &le!ing 'rive
'isturbance /ost 8anted page "as posted to the 7ondon +olice Service "ebsite using i!ages
found online of possible guilty participants# The i!ages have a s!all description asking the
public to identify the individuals in the i!ages to help in their case# T"eets can also be found
stating different parties clai!ing their guilt to participating? these posts "ere sent out during the
night of /arch 12
th
% 2012#
-oals and Ob(ecti$es
C!!ediately follo"ing the incident% the goals of &ansha"e "ere to deal "ith the students
involved# They also "anted to establish in the !edia !essaging about &ansha"e students being
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only a s!all percentage of the people involved# Ct "as i!portant for the! to share this !essage
but not to co!pletely dis!iss their o"n student5s actions# They "anted to reinforce the
e*pectations of the college on student conduct# The !ain goal "as to ensure a respectable
reputation "as associated "ith the college and to discipline the students involved# &ansha"e
ai!ed to !ake an e*a!ple of these people5s actions to deter it fro! happening again and to set
the bar higher#
The riot forced &ansha"e )ollege to deal "ith not only their students% but "ith the actions of
those in their co!!unity# The college "ill have to co!!unicate throughout the co!!unity and
beyond through !edia relations tactics# The !edia "ill "rite stories "hether or not the college
gets involved% but being proactive "ith !edia relations and !aking spokespeople available "ill
aid in co!!unicating the !essages that "ill contribute to the goals of &ansha"e# These !edia
tactics are a part of the crisis control# The goal co!ing out of this crisis is to !aintain or i!prove
the reputation of the college#
Fanshawe t"dent #nion
The ulti!ate goal for the &S, "as to keep doing "hat they had been doing in the past to
broadcast the successes of their grads throughout the co!!unity# The &S, sa" that this "as a
co!!unity issue% and they didn5t feel the need to directly apologi0e% as it "as really out of their
hands# They spoke on behalf of the student population and advocated for the nu!bers of students
"ho "ere not involved# The &S, did not "ant the higher percentage of e*e!plary students to be
affected and painted "ith the sa!e brush as the fe" "ho "ere# $s previously stated% so!e
students lost out on different professional opportunities directly follo"ing the riots# The &S,
kne" this "as not right or fair#
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$fter the riot% the &S, stepped up to protect the student5s rights# /any students "ere not on
&le!ing 'rive "hile this incident unfolded# The &S, "as concerned about ho" the punish!ents
for students "ould affect these students fro! graduating college# 98e "anted to !ake sure
students could still earn their diplo!as#: said .arahona# 9&or !any students it "as si!ply a case
of "rong place% "rong ti!e#: &S, felt the need to protect students that "ere clearly not a threat
on ca!pus in order to keep the! on the path to graduating fro! &ansha"e# The &S, ensured
!atters "ere handled case by case to "ork to"ards a solution for students present for the riot#
+ast +resident of the &S,% Kack 'odge% "ho took office after 4eronica .arahona% didn5t "ant to
co!e off too fake or like they "ere trying too hard to rebuild their i!age# The !ain goal "as to
ensure that nothing happened again% to any e*tent% "ith their students in the ne*t year and
beyond# The school "ould not have been able to bounce back fro! another hit% no !atter ho"
big or s!all# The ne*t year "as very =uiet# Transparency "as the key ingredient to rebuilding the
school5s i!age# 9+resenting ourselves too strongly in the co!!unity "ould have co!e off as
fake and not genuine%: e*plained 'odge# 98e "anted to continue to e!brace day to day
successes of our students and do "hat "e "ere already doing in the co!!unity#: 8hile student
co!!unity outreach groups "ere for!ed% they "ere outside of the &S,#
The &S, took the initiative to build stronger co!!unication "ith various co!!unity outlets# .y
increasing the co!!unication efforts "ith +roject 7-$(H% the &S, infor!ed students of
various byla"s in order to infor! the! of different !unicipal la"s they are re=uired to follo"#
They also spoke up to )ity )ouncil and advocated against setting byla"s that "ere targeting
student groups# The &S, reached out to the landlords in the &le!ing 'rive area and developed a
basis of co!!unication "ith this audience#
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Students and co!!unity !e!bers alike "ere asha!ed of the guilty parties5 behaviour# /any
students felt betrayed by the incidents that unfolded that night# Student groups "ere for!ed and
organi0ed various co!!unity outreach events% this "as beyond the &S,# Students "ere very
reactive to the situation and "anted to sho" a different side# Bo"ever% these good ne"s stories
are rarely picked up by the popular !edia# $ year after the event% before St# +atrick5s 'ay 2013%
the !edia contacted Kack 'odge# Hothing had happened throughout the year that the !edia
dee!ed ne"s"orthy and St# +atrick5s 'ay 2013 ca!e and passed =uietly#
The !ajor resource that proved to "ork on behalf of the &S, "ere the fullti!e staff !e!bers#
The staff is recogni0ed as national trendsetters "ith different initiatives% such as +roject 7-$(H#
The group boasts strong internal cohesion and the ability to "ork together as a tea! to
acco!plish their strategic goals# The )ollege Student $lliance "orked "ith the &S, to provide
!edia training to teach the group ho" to handle the !edia% ans"er their =uestions and !aintain a
professional relationship "ith the audience# This proved successful as the tea! "as approached
several ti!es by the !edia% even a year after the event#
Fanshawe Ad!inistration
The goals of &ansha"e )ollege follo"ing the &le!ing 'rive (iots "ere to help people
understand "hat "as going on in an authentic% transparent !anner# They "anted to ensure the
reputation "as !aintained and that they "ere ahead of any other issues that could have co!e up#
3ne !ore issue could have set back the institution a great deal in regards to ho" the public
perceives &ansha"e )ollege#
The co!!unication efforts involved the +resident5s 3ffice as "ell as the )o!!unication and
/arketing 'epart!ent at &ansha"e# The &S, "orked alongside these offices "hich helped in
considering e*tra opinions# &ro! the onset% +resident of &ansh"e )ollege% 'r# Bo"ard (undle
1D
ca!e in strong and held people accountable for their actions# 9Be didn5t apologi0e for anyone%:
says Tony &rost% -*ecutive 'irector of (eputation and .rand /anage!ent# The institution
"anted to ensure that their actions "eren5t too obviously reactive% "hile still saving face#
9&ansha"e )ollege "as forced into an i!!ediate reaction%: says &rost of the college5s actions#
The i!!ediate reaction involved 'r# (undle5s strong !essaging about the actions of the school
in regards to student suspensions in a +ress )onference# 'r# (undle said% 9.eginning today% "e
are taking back the reputation of an e*ceptional college# 8e "ill not have students "ho behave
in this "ay# Cf they do% they "ill be re!oved#E (See Appendix "!
The conference and the press releases fro! the Student ,nion and the college ad!inistration
"ere the e*tents of the i!!ediate reaction# &ro! here% &ansha"e began taking proactive
!easures to recover their reputation# 9-verything "e do is reputation defining%: says &rost of
ho" the college is perceived#
&ansha"e ad!inistration put together a "orking group# This group "as na!ed Students in the
)o!!unity 8orking Aroup and "as !ade up of the 7ondon +olice Service% &S,% &ansha"e
)ollege $d!inistration% the )o!!unication and /arketing 'epart!ent% &ansha"e )ollege
Security% offca!pus housing% and the college5s &acilities /anage!ent# Together% these uni=ue
stakeholders "orked to find "ays to reinforce the &ansha"e brand and !itigate proble!s that
have arisen in the past#
The 8orking Aroup also provided a !ore dyna!ic perspective on the +roject 7-$(H initiative#
3ne of the tactics included having garbage bins put in the &le!ing 'rive area at ti!es like
Septe!ber and $pril "hen !ost !ovein/out of the houses# $lso% they "orked "ith the )ity and
pay for e*tra garbage re!oval at specific ti!es of year to keep the area clean and avoid issues#
The "orking group ca!e up "ith the tactic of increased policing and !onitoring of the area
11
during popular celebration ti!es including &rosh 8eek% the end of school year% Ballo"een% and
St# +atrick5s 'ay#
The Media
The !edia "as the !ain culprit in putting the reputation of &ansha"e )ollege on the line# &ront
and center% the riots "ere being headlined as the Fanshawe #ollege riots not the Fleming $rive
riots# $lthough the neighbourhood is adjacent to the college% of the initial 11 arrests only seven
"ere confir!ed to be &ansha"e students# &urther along in the investigation it "as found that an
even s!aller percentage of the people "ho "ere at riots "ere actually &ansha"e students#
&S, !e!bers and the &ansha"e )o!!unications depart!ent "ere ada!ant to distance
the!selves fro! the headline# 9There "as a lot of association "ith the college and the riots and
"e "anted to !ake sure that the !edia "as respecting that they "ere not &ansha"e )ollege
riots% but a nearby offca!pus incident%: said .arahona# /any stories do not headline the story
as a &ansha"e incident% but &ansha"e )ollege is !entioned in !ost articles# The !edia
sensationali0ed the story to create a &ansha"e issue fro! "hat "as really a co!!unity housing
proble! close to the ca!pus#
The story not only broke locally and nationally% it gained international headlines# This ne"s put
&ansha"e )ollege on the !ap in a negative light# 9Aood ne"s stories never pick up the press as
a negative story%: e*plained &rost# 9+eople are carnivores "hen it co!es to ne"s# Ho one "ill
read that positive story# Ho paper "ill pick that up#:
/edia "as in contact "ith the college right before St +atrick5s 'ay 2013% looking for a story#
9The area "as very =uiet after the incident%: e*plained 'odge# 8ith nothing to report on% the
college kne" that this "as a oneti!e headline and the story5s legacy had died#
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O"tco!es
$fter the &le!ing 'rive riot% &ansha"e "as better e=uipped to deal "ith the partyculture
surrounding postsecondary institutes# &ansha"e took their current initiatives and honed the! to
better fit their needs# .y involving various stakeholders in the +roject 7-$(H initiative% !ore
solutions "ere found and put in place# +rocesses that had been in place before% such as faceto
face outreach in the &le!ing area% "ere repeated before popular celebration days#
The !ain outco!e fro! this incident "as a focus on proactive reputation and brand building# Ct
"as clear after"ards that reactive !easures are !uch less effective "hen convincing or
co!!unicating to stakeholders# Taking proactive !easures to build up the reputation "as
e*plained by Tony &rost as% 9putting !oney in the bank to take out later if "e need to#: .y
putting positive !essages out and building up a good i!age% the riot incident isn5t the first thing
to co!e to !ind "hen one hears the na!e &ansha"e )ollege#
$ great concern "as that this issue could beco!e a legacy associated "ith the college# Student
enclaves and other potential issues are inevitable# There are so!e things that occur naturally in
society that cannot be avoided# 8hat !atters is ho" an organi0ation "orks around it# /any
students "ere asha!ed of "hat had gone on% on &le!ing 'rive that night# The e!barrass!ent on
behalf of !any &ansha"e students !ade it clear to Kack 'odge that so!ething of this nature and
level "ould not happen again# The college and the &S, didn5t take the bla!e for the incident% as
it "as a co!!unity housing proble!# They did ho"ever ackno"ledge the event and infor! the
public on the suspensions of those involved#
Since going through this incident% the &ansha"e co!!unications tea! has had ti!e to reflect
and evaluate "hat the best practices are# The !ain one% as !entioned before% is a focus on pro
active co!!unication !easures# Tony &rost referred to this incident as a tsuna!i% and stressed
21
the i!portance of 9being ahead of the tsuna!i#: 8hen reacting% you shouldn5t be too e*tre!e or
defensive# Lou !ust tread lightly to help the! co!e to your position "hile re!aining open%
clear% authentic and consistent# 3bjectivity is e*tre!ely i!portant in co!!unicating due to the
fact that !any ne"s !edia outlets no longer "rite objectively and focus on sensationali0ing
stories#
$nother best practice is to "ork "ith partners# Cn order to have an effect% you !ust be a"are of
the different stakeholder5s needs# 8orking "ith these stakeholders gives insight into "hat is
i!portant to the! and allo"s future issues to be predicted# The spokesperson !ust be a"are of
the ins and outs of the situation and !ust be briefed before speaking "ith anyone# They !ust be
believable# The public "ants to be in the kno"% so a spokesperson should clearly and consistently
share !essages#
&ansha"e )ollege and the neighbouring co!!unity have been very =uiet since the St# +atrick5s
'ay incident in 2012# The only stories in the !edia regarding the &le!ing 'rive riots are those
charges being laid#
&ansha"e )ollege has seen an increase in the nu!ber of students "ho apply and accept to attend
the institution#
22
A,,endi.
1/ Dr. Howard und!e: Press Conference "#eec$
/arch 11% 2012
23
2@
26
+/ %"& Media e!ease
/arch 11% 2012
26
0/ 'ondon Cit( B(!aws
22
2D
'oise (&)law
"*)12 + Consoli,ate, -ul& 2./ 2011
This 0&)law is printe, un,er an, 0& authorit&
o1 the Coun#il o1 the Cit& o1 2on,on/ 3ntario/ Cana,a
Dis#laimer:
The 1ollowing #onsoli,ation is an ele#troni# repro,u#tion ma,e aaila0le 1or in1ormation onl&! 4t is not an o11i#ial
ersion o1 the (&)law! The 1ormat ma& 0e ,i11erent/ an, plans/ pi#tures/ other graphi#s or te5t ma& 0e missing or
altere,! The Cit& o1 2on,on ,oes not warrant the a##ura#& o1 this ele#troni# ersion! This #onsoli,ation #annot 0e
,istri0ute, or use, 1or #ommer#ial purposes! 4t ma& 0e use, 1or other purposes onl& i1 &ou repeat this ,is#laimer
an, the noti#e o1 #op&right!
Copies o1 311i#ial ersions o1 all (&)laws #an 0e o0taine, 1rom the Cit& Cler$%s Department 0& #alling .16)771)
8.0.!
For 0&)law relate, 4n9uiries please #onta#t .16)6:0):.10!
For 0&)law relate, Complaints please #onta#t Muni#ipal 2aw En1or#ement 311i#ers at .16)771)8770 or
en1or#ement;lon,on!#a
Cop&right 2001
3FF4CE C3'S324DAT43'
4'C2UD4'< AME'DME'T "*)12)11001 =-ul& 2./ 2011>
(ill 'o! 21? 2006
(&)law 'o! "*)12
A 0&)law to proi,e 1or the Regulation an, "rohi0ition o1 'oise!
*@EREAS se#tion 6 o1 the Muni#ipal A#t/ 2001/ S!3! 2001/ #! 2./ as amen,e,/ proi,es
that a muni#ipalit& has the #apa#it&/ rights/ powers an, priileges o1 a natural person 1or the
purpose o1 e5er#ising its authorit& un,er this or an& other A#tA
A'D *@EREAS su0se#tion 10=1> o1 the Muni#ipal A#t/ 2001 proi,es that a muni#ipalit&
ma& proi,e an& seri#e or thing that the muni#ipalit& #onsi,ers ne#essar& or ,esira0le 1or
the pu0li#A
A'D *@EREAS su0se#tion 10=2> o1 the Muni#ipal A#t/ 2001 proi,es that a muni#ipalit&
ma& pass 0&)laws respe#ting: in paragraph ./ E#onomi#/ so#ial an, enironmental well)
0eing o1 the muni#ipalit&A in paragraph 7/ @ealth/ sa1et& an, well)0eing o1 personsA in
paragraph ?/ Seri#es an, things that the muni#ipalit& is authoriBe, to proi,e un,er
su0se#tion =1>A in paragraph C/ "rote#tion o1 persons an, propert&A in paragraph 6/ AnimalsA
in paragraph 6/ Stru#tures in#lu,ing 1en#es an, signsA
A'D *@EREAS se#tion 126 o1 the Muni#ipal A#t/ 2001 proi,es that/ without limiting
se#tions 6 an, 10 o1 the A#t/ a muni#ipalit& ma&: =a> prohi0it an, regulate with respe#t to
noise/ i0ration/ o,our/ ,ust an, out,oor illumination/ in#lu,ing in,oor lighting that #an 0e
seen out,oorsA an, =0> prohi0it the matters ,es#ri0e, in #lause =a> unless a permit is
o0taine, 1rom the muni#ipalit& 1or those matters an, ma& impose #on,itions 1or o0taining/
#ontinuing to hol, an, renewing the permit/ in#lu,ing re9uiring the su0mission o1 plansA
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3@
References
$nderson% /# ;10 Septe!eber 2012<# &ansha"e Student ,nion> Cnterrobang% %ondon
police to &eep close watch on students fro! http>//"""#fsu#ca/interrobangMarticle#phpN
storyC'OD626PsectionC'O1PissueC'O206
.arahona% 4# ;personal co!!unication% 26 Hove!ber 2013<
;2013% $ugust 6<# &ansha"e )ollege $nnounces He" +resident# #anada
'ewswire#
)anadian +ress# ;1D /arch 2012<# Buffington +ost> Fleming $rive Riot: Rioters (it %ondon)
*nt. 'ear Fanshawe #ollege fro! http>//"""#huffingtonpost#ca/2012/03/1D/fle!ing
driveriotMnM1366136#ht!lQs2113DDtitleOBelenMKalu0ny
)ity of 7ondon# ;26 Iuly 2011<# 'oise +ylaw fro! http>//"""#london#ca/cityhall/by
la"s/'ocu!ents/noise+812#pdf
'anis0e"ski% B# ;26 Ianuary 2013<# 7ondon &ree +ress% Fanshawe #ollege president
(oward Rundle retiring fro! http>//"""#lfpress#co!/2013/01/26/fansha"ecollege
presidentho"ardrundleretiring
'evlin% +# ;2013<# 7inked in >,eter - $evlin) ,resident at Fanshawe #ollege fro!
http>//"""#linkedin#co!/profile/vie"NidO1100326@PauthTypeOH$/-MS-$()
BPauthTokenOR6$SPlocaleOenM,SPsrchidO1@2@21@2213D@D11012111Psrchinde
*O6PsrchtotalO1@PtrkOvsrpMpeopleMresMna!ePtrkCnfoO4S(+searchCdF3$1@2@2
1@2213D@D11012111F2)4S(+targetCdF3$1100326@F2)4S(+c!ptF3$pri!ary
'odge% K# ;personal co!!unication% 21 Hove!ber 2013<
-verest% +# ;20 /arch 2012<# 7ondon )o!!unity He"s> Students convicted of rioting face
expulsion: Fanshawe president fro! http>//"""#londonco!!unityne"s#co!/ne"s
story/1362126studentsconvictedofriotingfacee*pulsionfansha"epresidentupda/
&ansha"e )ollege# ;2013<# .hy Fanshawe fro!
http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/aboutus/"hyfansha"e
&ansha"e )ollege# ;2013<# #orporate /nformation fro! http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/about
us/corporateinfor!ation
&ansha"e )ollege# ;2013<# +oard of 0overnors fro! http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/about
us/corporateinfor!ation/boardgovernors
&ansha"e )ollege# ;2013<# Annual report on strategic plan implementation fro!
http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/sites/default/files/pas/plan131@#pdf
&ansha"e )ollege# ;20122013<# Annual Report fro!
http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/sites/default/files/assets/pas/report1213#pdf
&ansha"e Student ,nion# ;11 /arch 2012<# Fanshawe Student 1nion shoc&ed by the
behavior on Fleming $rive fro! http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/ne"sroo!/fsuM031112#pdf
&ansha"e Student ,nion# ;2013<# About us fro! http>//"""#fsu#ca/aboutMus#php
&aust% -# ;12 Septe!ber 2011<# &ansha"e Student ,nion> Cnterrobang% 0et smart with
pro2ect %3AR' fro! http>//"""#fsu#ca/interrobangMarticle#phpN
storyC'O2123PsectionC'O1PissueC'O122
&rost% T# ;personal co!!unication% 3 'ece!ber 2013<
Bilt0% (# ;1D /arch 2012<# The 8indsor Star> %ondon mayor says those involved in St.
,atty4s $ay riot should turn themselves in fro!
36
http>//"""#"indsorstar#co!/7ondonT!ayorTsaysTthoseTinvolvedT+attyTriotTshouldTtu
rnTthe!selves/632@322/story#ht!l
Kessler% S# ;31 /ay 2011<# /ashable% 356 of college students can7t go "8 minutes without
tech fro! http>//!ashable#co!/2011/06/31/collegetechdevicestats/
7ondon +olice Service# ;1D Iune 2012<# Fleming $rive $isturbance 9ost .anted fro!
http>//"""#police#london#ca/d#asp*NsO/He"sroo!/St+atricksMtips#ht!
/aclean5s 3n )a!pus# ;200D<# Fanshawe7s hands are tied fro!
http>//onca!pus#!acleans#ca/education/200D/01/10/fansha"eshandsaretied/
/aclean5s 3n )a!pus# ;2012<# +attling the +inge fro!
http>//onca!pus#!acleans#ca/education/2012/11/02/battlingthebinge/
3ntario )olleges# ;2013<# %iving and learning at Fanshawe #ollege fro!
http>//"""#ontariocolleges#ca/Search(esults/&$HSB$8-/M/H101@1eaN
Hs1O+rogra!MTitleMS3(TPHs2O0
+elisek% C# ;D Septe!ber 200D<# Cnterrobang% Student sexually assaulted in Residence fro!
http>//"""#fsu#ca/interrobangMarticle#phpNstoryC'O3@63PsectionC'O1PissueC'OD1
(osenkrant0% K# ;2D /arch 2011<# Cnterrobang% +ad behavior can ruin the reputations of
many fro!
https>//fsu#secure#!yhosting#net/interrobangMarticle#phpN
storyC'O6122PsectionC'O1PissueC'O122
(undle% B# ;11 /arch 2012<# ,ress conference fro!
http>//"""#fansha"ec#ca/ne"sroo!/fle!ingM20120311#pdf
36