UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS & CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY DUAL ASSURANCE,
12 May 2010
Present:
Professor Mark Overton (Management Lead), Peter Lacey (Lay Lead), Stuart
Franklin (Coordinator), Charlotte Blackwell (Secretary)
1. Marketing, Web, the Colleges and Cornwall
SDF confirmed Marketing had joined Communication Services on 1 May. It was noted
that the present Head of Marketing would continue, pending being able to backfill half
her College Marketing Manager role. SDF explained that he hoped to give the team a
broader brief, perhaps including topics such as internationalisation and fundraising. SDF
confirmed that he hoped to move one of the central Marketing roles into that of a College
Marketing Manager to cover the wider remit produced by the conversion to Colleges.
SDF noted that the Cornwall Campus was in urgent need of a specific
Marketing/Communications Manager as there were marketing and comms issues facing
Cornwall which differed from Exeter in addition to the need for greater control needed
over the look and feel of the campus. If the ESI bid was successful then such a post was
included in the bid. All were in agreement with the proposal that a Cornwall post should
therefore be recruited to as soon as possible. MO confirmed he would discuss with Steve
Trotter.
SDF confirmed that nearly all University publications were now being produced in-house
by the Design Team, which would ensure greater consistency and control in terms of
design.
SDF confirmed that the staff structure within the Web Team would be based on the hub
and spoke model. There is an issue about spread of duties in moving from the school to
college structure and he hoped to be able to spread the Web Officers’ time more equally
over the Colleges. SDF noted that the all of the front facing pages of the website were
scheduled to be in the new format by October 2010.
Action: MO
2. Events for the new age of austerity
SDF confirmed the importance of corporate events for the University but noted that the
events budget had been struggling to cope with the amount and extent of the events in
recent years. All were in supportive of the solution put forward by SDF as follows:
suspension of the staff garden parties; review of food and drink menus served at
dinners; and a set number of dinners to be held per year.
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3. Science branding
SDF confirmed that more and more sections of the University were requesting a
distinctive look and feel or branding and noted that the most recent request had come
from the Science Strategy Board. It was possible to incorporate a distinctive look and
feel for different activities into the overall University brand, but there were sometimes
tensions in this process.
4. Update on ongoing campaigns: capital programme; UoE campaign
The UoE Campaign had been launched with the support of CS and was now highy
visible on campus through building site hoardings and signage. Capital programme
communications were moving forward through BNiB and new hoarding runs, the latest
being hoardings for the Forum.
5. Employability ‘rebrand’
SDF confirmed the Employability look and feel would be reviewed with the aim of
generating a higher profile.
6. New staff
SDF noted that he was currently employing a freelance TV journalist to produce and film
material for the web news initiative as well as the forthcoming Exeter Debate sessions.
It was noted that Abigail Dixon and Sarah Hoyle were both on maternity leave and
replacements had been recruited to start work in June.
7. THE Awards
SDF confirmed that the University had been nominated for three THE Awards in the
following categories: Outstanding Fundraising Team; Outstanding Leadership &
Management Team; and Outstanding Marketing/Communications Team.
8. AOB
It was agreed PL should pay a visit to meet with the Communications Team within the
coming weeks.
Action: CB
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