External Relations Retreat
2007 Program
Thursday, October 25
- 8–9 a.m. • Registration and continental breakfast (Whittenberger Lobby)
- 9-10:30 a.m. • General Session, Panel of Customers (Whittenberger Auditorium)
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Panelists include: Talisha Coppock, parent of prospective IU student, Eduardo Fernandez, Ph.D. candidate, Animal Behavior; Michelle Smith, alumnus; Hannah Stewart, prospective IU Bloomington undergraduate student; Lisa Talbot Deinlein, parent of current IU student; Stephanie Turpin, current IU Bloomington undergraduate student
Each panelist provided a few minutes of biographical information and addressed their current relationship with (and knowledge of) Indiana University. The floor was then open for questions from the retreat participants to help determine if we are meeting the customers’ expectations and communication needs (how information is delivered, etc.). This session provided retreat participants with some candid feedback to a variety of issues, concerns, and methodologies that relate to serving, interacting, and communicating with our customers.
- 10:30 a.m.–12 p.m. • General Session, Yard Sale! Doing More with Less (Whittenberger Auditorium)
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Presented by David Wantz
Yes, you read that right. The goal of this session was to give you a new way to look at rearranging priorities and budgets. The problem with eliminating certain jobs or projects, even if they have become tired and worn out, is that they still have value. No one wants to get rid of something that has value. So, we take on more work and find it is less fulfilling. And it does no good to suggest that we try to think about what we would eliminate if we had 10 percent less to work with. That kind of exercise just freezes people in their tracks. If you can do with less…you’ll probably get less to do with.
In this interactive and practical session participants planned a yard sale and encountered all the troubles that come with pulling off a yard sale: Who will buy this stuff? What should we charge? What do we do about Mom’s dishes? How do we advertise? What do we just give away or haul to the landfill?
- 12–1:15 p.m. • Welcome Luncheon (Frangipani Room)
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Speaker: Mike Sample, Vice President for Public Affairs and Government Relations
Vice President Sample discussed the new organizational structure and goals and directions of Public Affairs and Government Relations.
- 1:15–2:45 p.m. • General Session, Student Recruitment: From Prospect to Alumnus (Whittenberger Auditorium)
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Presented by Roger Thompson and Sarah Booher
Recruiting the freshman class requires strategy, innovation, and the right tools. Roger Thompson and Sarah Booher shared two important tools for reaching a wide prospect pool (and the right prospect pool) to meet the recruitment goals of the Bloomington campus. This two-part session explored the ways in which Indiana University will be utilizing alumni and a new IU recruitment DVD, the first of its kind in the Big Ten and in the Midwest, to recruit the freshman class of 2008.
- 2:45–3 p.m. • Break
- 3–4:30 p.m. • Breakout Session 1
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- Now What?? How Admission Changes Will Impact IU Student Recruitment (Oak Room)
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Presented by Chris Foley, Jeff Johnston, and Terry Knaus
New changes to IU’s admission standards will have a definite impact on all of our campuses and the manner in which we communicate with our various audiences. This panel of experts provided insight and answers to questions that many of us will receive from prospective students and their families, alumni, and the public.
- Crafting a Strategic Presence for Events, Conferences, and Trade Shows (Walnut Room)
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Presented by Sherry Knighton-Schwandt, Jennifer Boehm, Sue Sgambelluri, and Joshua Hall
Many of us are charged with the responsibility for planning events, conferences, and trade shows that promote IU and our respective unit. This session outlined the major issues that are required to successfully carry out this task, from knowledge of your audience, exhibit design and material display, staffing and marketing, and the importance of assessment after an event. In addition, tools of the trade to get the creative juices flowing were presented.
- If You Build It, Will They Come? (Maple Room; ends at 4:15)
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Presented by Ken Baierl and Melissa Wise
The IU South Bend Elkhart Center opened for classes on August 27, 2007. It is a 25,000 square foot facility with 13 classrooms, a science lab, a computer lab, offices, and a lounge located in Elkhart, Indiana, about 15 miles from South Bend. It cost $4 million, raised entirely by a group of Elkhart business leaders. Ken and Melissa walked participants through the creative process, the marketing plan, the timeline, the material developed (ads, billboards, press releases, schedules, etc.), and the ups-and-downs of supporting and promoting the project, as well as recruitment of the first cohort.
- Branding Takes All (Dogwood Room)
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Presented by Jane Below and Kyle Haskins
This session focused on successful Web site branding through the use of new trends and technologies. The important role research plays in successful branding was discussed, and we also explored high-quality brands on the Web and reviewed case studies of some of our branding projects. Jane and Kyle also discussed plans for the new www.iu.edu Web site, how it will be maintained, and ways you might participate as a publisher.
- 4:30–6 p.m. • General Session, Newsroom Web Site (Whittenberger Auditorium)
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Presented by Susan Williams and Larry MacIntyre
The Office of University Communications launched a new IU News Center Web site on Aug. 31 that is intended to capture the most interesting and important news from all eight campuses, schools, and departments. This new site will be like a daily newspaper for Indiana University. Top news will be visible on the opening page, and there will be links to other news items, organized by campus and subject matter. Experience suggests that this page could draw well over a million page views a month from readers seeking news about IU. Unlike a newspaper, the site will also have buttons for audio and video subject matter. MacIntyre and Williams discussed their goals for the site and how they hope for participation by all news-producing offices and departments within the IU community.
- 6:30–8:30 p.m. • Themed focused dinners
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Small groups of pre-registered participants with identified moderators enjoyed cuisine from a variety of restaurants around the IU Bloomington campus and downtown Bloomington.
Friday, October 26
- 7:30–8:30 a.m. • Registration and continental breakfast (Whittenberger Lobby)
- 8:30–9 a.m. • General Session with President Michael A. McRobbie (Whittenberger Auditorium)
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President McRobbie recapped some of the main points of his inaugural speech and talked about how he hopes IU’s communicators will help him transform his goals into accomplishments. He also talked about inter-campus collaboration and how he wants IU to be publicly perceived.
- 9–10:15 a.m. • Breakout Session 2
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- Making Connections: Communicating With an Increasingly Diverse Audience (Walnut Room)
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Presented by Melanie Castillo-Cullather, Carol Rogers, Cynthia Murphy-Wardlow, and Professor Audrey McCluskey
IU communications does a good job of plugging into communities, but as populations of African American, Latino, and Asian American populations are growing across Indiana, IU is not seeing a comparable rise in the number of minorities enrolling in college. Despite other recruitment challenges, how do we find the right adapters for our communications about the value of an IU degree to be relevant for these audiences?
- IU Federal Relations 101 and Why it Matters (Maple Room)
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Presented by Douglas A. Wasitis
Indiana University Director of Federal Relations Doug Wasitis explained the what, why, and how of IU’s legislative initiatives in Washington, DC.
- Communications in the Eye of the Receiver: A Report from the Communications 2.0 Task Force (Dogwood Room)
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Presented by J T Forbes and other Task Force members
In today’s communications environment, institutions are challenged to cut through the clutter and communicate with clarity and purpose. This session outlined the challenge and describe a solution proposed by a group of IU communicators from around the university.
- The Why, What, and How of Podcasting (Oak Room)
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Presented by Lisa Townsend and Christine Fitzpatrick
Podcasting is a rapidly growing, fun, exciting, and effective way to connect—and stay connected—with the students in our backyard and our target audiences around the world. This session addressed common misconceptions about podcasting, investigated why it’s an important tool for all communicators, and showcased two new podcasting projects that are underway at IU.
- 10:15–10:30 a.m. • Break
- 10:30–11:45 a.m. • Breakout Session 3
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- Critical Incident Communication Plan (Walnut Room)
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Presented by Kirk White
A brief overview of the IU Critical Incident Communications Plan (formerly Crisis Communications Plan) followed by a step-by-step guide to developing a plan for your campus or department. The transition that occurs between the “plan” and the action that follows will most likely be carried out by your campus’ University Communications/Media Relations team.
- Integrated Communications at IUPUI (Dogwood Room)
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Presented by Steve Hodges
IUPUI has introduced several campuswide, integrated communications initiatives which work together to enhance reputation management, key indicators such as student retention, and help campus departments and student organizations better meet their communications needs. This true multimedia approach integrates traditional and new media, including the utilization of regional cable television, digital signage, podcasts, and embedded video on the web. Participants learned about the initiatives and outcomes and watched a demonstration of JagTV, IUPUI’s digital signage network. They also heard from students, faculty, and staff at IUPUI about their perspective on the impact of these initiatives.
- Integrated Image Update (Maple Room)
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Presented by Lisa Townsend
This session focused on the latest guidelines, reources, and research for integrated image updates.
- WE ARE, clap, clap, IU! (Oak Room)
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Presented by Sandra Bate, Cynthia Schultz, and Debbie Sibbitt
Working collaboratively with your IU partners can reap numerous benefits for your image, your message, and your pocket book. Participants learned how the IU Foundation, the IU Alumni Association, and Hoosiers for Higher Education came together to form a strategic partnership and the initiative that came from these efforts.
- Web Standards at Indiana University: A Grassroots Effort (Persimmon Room)
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Presented by Mike Halla, Rebecca Salerno, Margaret Londergan, Bob Flynn, and Kathy Horvath
Variation is the enemy of efficiency and, on the Web, the enemy of the user. In October 2006, a group of technology professionals at IU got together to discuss the benefits of establishing “must” and “best” practices in Web site development. At this session, participants heard about the group’s latest work in areas such as accessibility, emerging technologies, integrating institutional data, and visual standards. Participants also got a preview of the group’s plan to build an online community of technology professionals at IU.
- 11:45 a.m.–1:45 p.m. • Lunch, Critique of “Celebrate IU” week (Frangipani Room)
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Moderators for each table will be identified.
The first annual “Celebrate IU Week” concluded on October 21, so with those events still fresh in our minds, we discussed the 2007 events and brainstormed ways to make the next “Celebrate IU Week” even better. Retreat participants also watched a short slide show of the week’s events and activities.