There's Life Beyond the Four-Year University

http://www.flickr.com/photos/katsmykphotography/7900794370/

There’s Life Beyond the Four-Year University

Aaron Rester and Tonya Oaks Smith#mpd6 #heweb12

Tuesday, October 9, 12

Shari Erwin, Aaron Rester, and Tonya Oaks Smith

Some problems = same, same

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jdhancock/6216677689/#mpd6 #heweb12

AARON Attracting quality studentsFunding cutsAchieving recognition and rankings in an ever expanding market

Some problems =/= same, same

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hollytroschuk/8017121254/#mpd6 #heweb12

i TONYA ntegrating our particular communications needs and goals with those of a parent institution

a student-base that is perhaps more skeptical about traditional marketing techniques

our prospective students are already familiar with many higher ed processes

we can generally spend less time worrying about marketing to parents

What it do?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/danielpfleming/6296485331/#mpd6 #heweb12

• TONYA• Who are we?• Who are you?• How did this come to be?• Why is this important?• Intrastructural conflict• Interstructural conflict• Audience conflict

@aaronrester

•Worked in higher ed web since graduating from Oberlin College in 1999•Worked for central communications, small research center, and professional school•Career highlight: Put together "The Man in #000000" band at #heweb11

Photo by @onthelevel#mpd6 #heweb12

@UChicagoLaw

•No. 5 ranked law school in USNWR (not that we care, officially)•600 students, about 50 full-time faculty (one of smallest among peer institutions)•Staff of four provides print, web, and consultation support for: Alumni Relations & Development, Admissions, Career Services, Clinical Programs, Dean's Office, Events & Conferences, Individual Faculty Projects, Institute for Law & Economics, Student Services

#mpd6 #heweb12

@marleysmom by @radiofreegeorgy

@marleysmom

•Communications director at the UALR William H. Bowen School of Law•Worked as a reporter, internal comm for private company, for central communications, and professional school•Ambition: Become a true conquistador in fabulous shoes

Photo by @radiofreegeorgy#mpd6 #heweb12

@bowenlaw

WILLIAM H. BOWENSCHOOL OF LAW

•No. 9 ranked legal writing program, Top 50 PT program (we DO care, officially)•500 students, about 30 full-time faculty •Staff of one (me!) provides print, web, and consultation support for: Alumni Relations & Development, Admissions, Career Services, Clinical Programs, Dean's Office, Events & Conferences, Student Services, three journals, and whatever else pops up

#mpd6 #heweb12

Who are you?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/highedweb/2922852848/in/photostream#mpd6 #heweb12

TONYA Technical or marketing/communication? Both?Main campus or specialty school?Community colleges or special schools?

How did this come to be?

AARON- years of attending conference sessions that only marginally addressed our audiences- recognition that our mission overlaps (but is not identical) with central comm. offices- wondering if we and those like us are missing out on valuable information sharing opportunitiesSpecialized conferences for those like us are often missing granular approaches or specialized technical approaches - frequently it’s only the 30K feet view

•Help main campus folks understand why these things are important to us

•Create system of support and understanding

•Perhaps create another track within the HighEdWeb world

Why does it matter?

Problem 1

http://www.flickr.com/photos/buehlerphoto/491135197/in/photostream

Intrastructural conflict

• Small units tend to have smaller budgets/staffs than central communication teams but often asked to do similar tasks•Often set up on client services model

(no charge-back)• Increased demand from other

departments not usually accompanied by additional resources

#mpd6 #heweb12

AARON(what happens "within the building")-

Problem 1

At Chicago...

•Creation of new Institute for Law & Economics• Projects increase, staff does

#mpd6 #heweb12

Problem 1

At Bowen...

•One communication person reports directly to the dean • Internal and external

communication in all media and for six assistant deans

#mpd6 #heweb12

TONYA Because we don’t have a charge-back system in place, folks are not aware of the toll their missing deadlines and constant changes on production items takes on my ability to deliver good customer service. Enter - education on how the process works in the real world - when you have to pay someone for every little change order. Also, I defined a process that people must follow in order to get work done.

Talk back time

•What are your battles over resources?•How do you help others

understand how to use your office better?

#mpd6 #heweb12

Problem 2

http://mdivah.blogspot.com/2012/04/venn-diagram-communities.html

Interstructural conflict

• Separate but entwined brands• Too much - or too little - guidance

from main campus level•Demands of stakeholder groups to

separate from main brand

#mpd6 #heweb12

Problem 2

At Bowen...

•Alumni base doesn’t want to be associated with the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, preferring to call themselves “Bowen grads”

http://mdivah.blogspot.com/2012/04/venn-diagram-communities.html#mpd6 #heweb12

TONYA TRuth be told, the integration of Bowen with UALR hurts us with USNWR voters and our alumni base. Solution - promote the “Bowen brand” to those folks who need to remember we’re different from UA. And help our current students understand the importance of staying within the University brand for their student org things. Teaching appreciation early will help us later on with branding and alumni.

Problem 2

At Chicago...

•University revamped identity guidelines (typefaces, logo)•Campus-wide campaign

questions re: imaging, messaging

#mpd6 #heweb12

Talk back time

•Do your audiences agree on branding from main campus?• Is there confusion about

branding of institutes, programs, symposia?

#mpd6 #heweb12

Problem 3

http://www.connectioncafe.com/posts/2011/08-august/my-audience-is-my-community.html

Audience conflict

• Super-specific audiences•Multiple audiences• Peer institutions and reputation

#mpd6 #heweb12

Problem 3

At Chicago...

•Admissions/development audiences very different•Using communications intended for one audience

to speak to another

http://www.connectioncafe.com/posts/2011/08-august/my-audience-is-my-community.html#mpd6 #heweb12

AARON- fighting “where fun comes to die” with prospectives vs. nurturing with alums- turning alumni magazine into “law porn”

Problem 3

At Bowen...

• Professors not used to communication that is not academic-style•Community as a whole not used to

marketing and promotion of the school

#mpd6 #heweb12

Talk back time

•How do you explain to one audience the importance of communicating with other audiences?•How can you justify the use of new media, which

many academics can be wary of?

#mpd6 #heweb12

Wrap it up

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jeremy_dennis/4217349446/#mpd6 #heweb12

Get with us

Aaron Resterarester@uchicago.edu @aaronrester773.702.4782

Tonya Oaks Smithtosmith@ualr.edu@marleysmom501.324.9896

There's Life Beyond the Four-Year University

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