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MUSC Rumor Mill clarifies ground rules, participation As a service to MUSC, the Rumor Mill clarifies rumors within the university and medical center. In recent months, however, the Rumor Mill has made few updates  to its list of inquiries. During that time, many people submitted direct questions, not rumors.  The Rumor Mill does not respond to direct questions. It passes such inquiries to an appropriate university or authority official.  The officials respond directly to any employee who provides his or her name. For that reason, anonymous submissions of direct questions are deleted. In order to ensure appropriate use of the Rumor Mill, the following groundrules apply to all submissions: Groundrules Posted The Rumor Mill is intended to address internal communications, so only inquiries from MUSC faculty, staff, and students can be accepted.  Rumors that fall outside these  groundrules will not be accepted.  It will prioritize submissions and address the ones with the most global or campuswide impact first. If a rumor is widespread or would potentially affect everyone, it will be given priority.  It will not respond to any rumors discrediting individuals. Such information can be mean spirited or otherwise harmful, and won't be posted, even if well countered or disproved, is not in keeping with our principle of teamwork.  The Rumor Mill was not set up to respond to any of the following: rumors about individuals; rumors requiring urgent or immediate response; rumors posing questions that replicate information already available from other public sources; and direct questions as opposed to rumors.  Its intention is to accept and investigate anonymous submissions, but we will give priority to signed rumors. Signing your name tells us the submission is made in earnest. You have our pledge that we will continue to support honest and open communication, you do not have to fear retribution as a result of a submission to this Web site.  Since it is not able to contact the originators of anonymous rumor inquiries, there is no way you can be notified if the rumor does not fall within these groundrules and thus will not be addressed. If the originator does not see the rumor posted within a reasonable amount of time, he/she can assume it did not meet the groundrules. If they disagree, they can repost with their rationale as to why they feel it does.  Your name will not be posted, even when you send it to us. Unless specified otherwise, all responses from the mill will be straight from the responsible and most knowledgeable university official or office.  One rumor per submission. If you have several rumors, send multiple requests.  Some requests are simple, and can be addressed and posted within a day. Some may take a little longer.  If any faculty, staff member or student does not have direct access to the Internet to log an inquiry, deposit your written inquiry in the Rumor Mill boxes located at University Human Resources, 1st floor HOT, MUHA Human Resources, 1st floor CSB, and Public Relations, 1st floor Library/Admin. Building.  Catalyst Online is published weekly, updated as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public Relations for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of South Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at 792-4107 or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to Catalyst Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to petersnd@musc.edu or catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Community Press at 849-1778.