PR Issues Final Project - .ppt presentation

Prioritization and Protests and a New President…Oh My! 

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Columbia College Chicago Donyiel Crocker PR Issues

http://youtu.be/AZx15vJ4088?t=36s

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The college was founded in 1890 by Mary Blood and Ida Moore Riley as the Columbia School of Oratory The institution underwent 6 name changes, was overseen by 6 different presidents before it became the Columbia College Chicago Mission: To be an undergraduate and graduate institution whose principal commitment is to provide a comprehensive educational opportunity in the arts, communications, and public information within a context of enlightened liberal education Motto: "esse quam videri" – to be rather than to seem 11,000+ students currently attend the college 10,783 undergraduates and 473 graduate students o Gender – 47% Male; 53% Female o

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2,000+ employees (academic and operations)

PAST  Internal Issues: o o o o

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Major upset over college wide prioritization process of academic programs and operations Lawsuits from previous employees, including one from the C-Suite Current President telling student to “shut up” Strikes and accusations of unfair labor practices by part-time Faculty (P-Fac)

External issues: o o o

Declining enrollment due to recession Student debt is climbing and available financial aid is decreasing Safety and Security concerns (i.e. Columbine, Sandy Hook, etc.)

PRESENT/FUTURE (mostly internal)  Transition in Senior Leadership  Increasing the college’s graduation and retention rates  Low employee morale and engagement  Increasing the college’s endowment

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2008 – 2012 o o o o o

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Enrollment levels have decreased by 13%, resulting in an overall decrease of 1,681 students while tuition and fees have increased by 11% during the same time Giving has decreased by 38%, resulting in an overall decrease of $4.81M The college’s current graduation and retention rates are in the bottom quartile amongst colleges and university across the nation Graduation rate for students within 4 years of their entry into the college is 26.4% Retention rate for Freshman is 83.3% but drops sharply to 51.9% after students between their 2nd to 3rd year

Within the last two years: o o o

o o

According to the 2009 Student Satisfaction Inventory (SSI) report, students’ overall satisfaction with the college has greatly improved over the last two years Overall Students express satisfaction with the practical and hands on approach by the educators at the college; however, most express dissatisfaction with the academic support provided Overall employee satisfaction, morale and engagement has decreased and a majority report they are currently looking for employment outside of the college and report feeling disconnected from the overall mission and purpose of the college Employee approval rating for the current President has dropped 40% within the last year Both students and employees report a general mistrust of the Senior Leadership

 Prospective

and Current Students (Millenials, ages 18 – 24) and their Parents (Baby Boomers, ages 45 – 65)  Alumni  Prospective Donors (Generation X, ages 25 – 45 and Baby Boomers, ages 45-65)  Employees (Faculty and Staff)  Board Members (Baby Boomers, ages 45 – 65)

ď‚˜ Ensure

a smooth and successful transition of Senior Leadership, while inspiring trust from students and employees o Create and maintain an internal website (accessible by both

students and employees) which would provide basic and interesting facts/information about the incoming leadership o Create regular programs/events to provide students and employees with face-to-face experiences with the incoming leadership

ď‚˜ Increase

alumni and donor giving by 35%

o Create a new giving campaign geared specifically at alumni to

reconnect them with the institution o Identify prospective donors and create an aggressive new campaign to solicit donations while establishing the college as an innovative leader in arts, media and communications

ď‚˜ Increase

overall student satisfaction

o Promote and highlight areas of high student satisfaction o Identify and evaluate areas of high student dissatisfaction o Partner with Student Life and other student focused

departments to revamp communication and provide public relations training o Increase awareness of student offerings

 Transform

students and employees into brand ambassadors for the college o Create a new mantra for students and employees and

integrate into all correspondence o Establish “Pep Rally” events for students and employees to generate pride and excitement about significant events/changes o Update and re-design college’s social media outlets to encourage student and employee engagement

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Create public relations training courses (classroom and online) for Senior Leadership to teach them the proper way to interact with key audiences

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Increase and re-brand student communications to include social media content, i.e. YouTube videos of student events, vimeo of various students highlighting their bodies of work, etc.

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Create open house event for departments providing academic support

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Develop video content highlighting students who have benefited from scholarships and include snippets of the bodies of work to show how giving impacts their art

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Create candid videos and/or interviews to humanize Senior Leadership and post on Facebook and YouTube

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“Breakfast with the President” program which allows randomly selected employees the opportunity to interact with the President during breakfast

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Transition in Senior Leadership o

The college is and will continue to be an international leader and recognized pioneer in arts and media education

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The new Senior Leadership is student focused, accessible and savvy in technology and social media

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The new Senior Leadership is able and prepared to successfully lead the college

Increasing the college’s graduation and retention rates o

Re-discover Columbia – The college is focused on academic support and student success and here’s how

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The practical and hands-on education the college offers will prepare you to be a successful working artist who can thrive financially while doing what they love

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We will invest in you by providing you with the tools to be successful, academically and artistically, while you are at the college and beyond

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Low employee morale and engagement o

Our employees are integral to the success and future of the college

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We want to invest in your continued development, because when you’re better - we’re better

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We need your input to make the college better and stronger

Increasing the college’s endowment o

Donating to a college at the forefront of arts and media education is an investment in the future of those who will shape the culture of our time

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Donating to arts and media education is a good and solid investment

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The creativity of the college’s students, faculty and alumni has greatly impacted the world around us and will continue to do so

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Reactive

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The Chicago Tribune issued a news story about allegations of a member of the Senior Leadership being implicated in religious discrimination towards an employee o Our traditional media relations plan will include: • A standard news release indicating that religious discrimination is not acceptable and not in line with the values of the college. It would also highlight the various college coursework and organizations in place which include discussions about faith.

• Posting a statement on the college’s internal website informing students and employees of the issue and the college’s response and stance • Pitching a feature story to the Tribune on various students, alumni and employees who have incorporated their religious beliefs into their art and how the college completely supports the expression of all faiths o

Our social media plan will include: • Posting a youtube video featuring discussions from those courses which include discussions on faith • Posting a video clip of the President re-iterating the key messages of the news release • Tweeting on twitter feed about the discrimination and invite others to discuss/comment

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Proactive o

Public relations program • Establish an interfaith working group to create an art installation which celebrates the expression of faith and our freedom to believe in whatever religion we choose to.

• Establish and provide mandatory training on discrimination for anyone who manages employees; Upon completion of training, have supervisors and/or managers sign an agreement to uphold the values of the college and not engage in any activity which could be deemed discriminatory.

• Work with Interfaith Community Group to host a forum event to create a dialogue and promote understanding between different religions • Establish a process for employees to anonymously report acts of discrimination

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Ensure a smooth and successful transition of Senior Leadership, while inspiring trust from students and employees •

Conduct surveys and focus groups, 3-6 months, after the new leadership is in place, to measure employee satisfaction

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Compile attendance data from events with senior leadership

Increase alumni and donor giving by 35% •

Measure giving levels by amount and by type (i.e. alumni, donor, etc.)

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Measure number of potential leads and response rates

Increase overall student satisfaction •

Review retention and graduation rates to determine if they have increased

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Conduct surveys, focus groups and a follow up SSI to determine effectiveness of campaigns

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Review web analytics of social media outlets to determine responses (i.e. likes, reposts, followers, etc)

Transform students and employees into brand ambassadors for the college •

Conduct surveys and focus groups to determine student and employee engagement

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Review web analytics of website and social media outlets for click throughs and responses (i.e. likes, reposts, followers, etc.)