Student Affairs Communications Group Minutes
August 14, 2013
Attendance: Kami Hammerschmith, Kent Sumner, Colleen Schlonga, Wendy Little,
Jennifer Viña, Aaron Waldron, Kate Sanders, Jen Busick Stewart, Jennifer Edwards,
Marigold Holmes, Ruth Sterner, Laura Shields, Melody Oldfield
Next meeting of the Student Affairs Communications Group will be Wednesday,
October 16, 2013, 9 a.m. -10:30 a.m., MU Council Room. Topic: Drupal Updates,
Responsive Design and Wordpress with Sher Fenn & Presentation on Google Apps
with Suzanne Lucke.
Today
Melody Oldfield shared a Powerpoint presentation as a follow-up to the
conversation she and Steve Clark had with the group in May. She shared the
integrated marketing & communications plan timeline. They have been meeting and
having conversations with constituent groups to merge and prioritize 65 tactics.
They hope to have 5-6 immediate first year tactics, 5-6 second year and then those
“parking lot” ideas for the future. Once the tactics are named, they will work with
partners to implement them.
Melody shared the University Brand Statement – “OSU is an authentic community
whose accomplishments and inclusive excellence, innovation and leadership
promote a healthy planet, wellness and economic progress.” This is a statement of
who we are as a university.
Melody shared the seven core prompts and her six takeaways from May’s Student
Affairs Communications Group discussion. She then shared tactics for discussion.
(see Powerpoint)
Melody said she would like to see OSU create a consistent and branded welcome
experience for all guests to campus. She referenced the “Disney Experience.” A full
welcome center building is in the “parking lot” stage.
We then had a discussion/talk about the tactics:
• Signage is a huge issue on this campus.
• In creating brand ambassadors, we need to ask people to serve and let them know
what to say.
• Student Affairs has a new employee orientation
• Many discussion items from May tie in/will weave in with FYE
• Have an hour-long session about what Student Affairs resources are to faculty. The
question was raised as to whether this session could be tied to Training Days?
• What does it mean to be a Beaver/work at OSU? – employee satisfaction
• Here’s how you fit into the experience/part of something larger. It doesn’t matter
what job you have/everyone is contributing
• Look at Larry Roper’s Community Initiative work group on faculty/staff
satisfaction
• Remember the graduate student population – retention and student success (Post
Docs, too)
• Disney Institute provides campus-wide training
• Program to invite faculty/staff to come out to new student/prospective student
events to meet with students and parents
• Release time to participate – EmpCenter has some barriers for classified staff
• New leadership at info fairs, meet and greets with students – talk with them and
hear their concerns
• Convocation – getting faculty/staff to lineup on the street as students walk to
convocation
• Internal communications mechanism
• At ASU – giveaway t-shirts during summer orientation/welcome and again in
welcome week. Shirts have fight song on back. Also, faculty/staff wore giant “Ask
Me” buttons and shirts with “Ask Me” on back.
• OSU’s new employee breakfast was very welcoming. At ASU, they had a new
employee shirt, too.
Melody shared the next generation creative campaign. They are looking to create a
culture.
Beaver Nation
As University Marketing staff talked with different constituent groups, the words
“Beaver Nation” and “Beaver” were prominent throughout. The inspiration was also
seen in past images from yearbooks.
Currently there are posters with the Beaver Nation theme in the Kerr Admin Bldg
lobby. Melody will share the poster artwork for others to print for their offices.
2018 will be the 150th Anniversary of OSU.
“I am Beaver Nation” window clings were given to all new residence hall students.
University Marketing has also created campus posters, campus banners, posters for
campus communicators (template can be customized for program), newspaper ads,
new institutional video for TV and they are creating a website (BeaverNation.is).
The site should be up next week. It was suggested they create a 1920x1080 LCD
screen image.
The committee thanked Jen Busick Stewart for her service and wished her well on
her move to Virginia.
Wendy reminded the group of the Be Well Walk/Run on Friday, Oct. 11 at 3:30 p.m.