The Campus Life internal marketing meeting identified several key issues: (1) a disconnect between Campus Life values and administration's values, (2) insufficient communication of Campus Life's worth and successes, and (3) difficulty fully engaging and exposing student voice. The document outlines goals and strategies to address these, including better communicating Campus Life's alignment with administration, value to the campus community, and involvement of student voices. It provides tables comparing current and ideal time/resource allocation and suggests collecting evaluation data and revamping commuter services.

1. Campus Life Internal Marketing Meeting Summary of 5/7/2009
I think this was an incredible meeting that brought out a lot of interesting
information. Unfortunately, because of time, we were unable to discuss as a group the
next steps. I heard a few things as I facilitated: (1) A disconnect between the values of
Campus Life staff and what administration might value; (2) An insufficient focus on
communicating to the audiences that matter about the worth, value and success of
Campus Life; and (3) Student voice is important and it seems difficult to take the time to
fully engage it and expose it to the community. From this I have created some goals to
think about with some suggested activities and room for you to continue the
conversation.
GOAL: Campus Life is viewed by the campus audience as in touch with the goals
and objectives of administration and those that “matter.”
What To-Do?
Reason for approach:
Aim budget items directly towards your
target audience, in addition to programing
goals.
If money is not aimed at the goal of better
communicating your values and
accomplishments, then is it a priority?
Keep track of when a “request” for
programming or help with is received and
when you are able to respond/
accommodate that need. (ex. Responded
to 87% of requests received by campus)
To communicate the level to which
Campus Life accommodates and uses its
funds to collaborate on campus, this
information must be tracked separately.
Everyone in the office should be tailoring
their language to talk about what they do
and why in a similar way. Review each
semester with the changing goals of
Administration. (A statement for email
signatures and voicemail messages
too...)
This helps answer the question “What is
Campus Life?” for people. If you donʼt
brand yourself, you will be branded. It
shows both that Campus Life is diverse
in its work and understands University
goals
Suggestions

2. Campus Life Internal Marketing Meeting Summary of 5/7/2009
GOAL: Campus Life is effectively communicating via staff and students the value,
worth and success of their programming and activities.
What To-Do?
Reason for approach:
Strategy of audience engagement. Take
If you are doing something but not talking
your tools for engagement and focus time about it, who would know you are doing
and energy here. Regular communication it?
documents for SLG and target audience.
A Campus Life newsletter would be an
easy way to communicate to any group.
Create a student leadership committee
and special population engagement
committee. This could be an internal
committee with some external seats that
meets regularly, maybe an admin invited
as an advisor to the discussion?
This consolidates the Campus Life voice
on these topics. The committees could
work towards
Create a statement, train on sharing your
message.
Data collection and communication
checklist for everyoneʼs activities. Create
a list that helps people organize who they
might invite to an event, what evaluation
to pass out, what numbers to collect, and
possible channels to communicate/
advertise activity. Every activity, not just
Arts and Entertainment.
This will help diversify the image of
Campus Life. If every activity, training, or
event considers a route to track
information and ensures it is
communicated to someone outside of the
department. The question will change
from “Do I advertise this to students?” to
“Who can I tell about this?”
Prepackage activities into series,
sessions, festivals, topics, etc. Ensure
the title conveys the purpose. It is
leadership, is it student engagement, is it
learning?
This makes Campus Lifeʼs activities
easier to digest and talk about. Instead
of a bunch disjointed events, this gives
an easier way to communicate what you
are doing.
Telling your personal message (tag lines
in email answering “Why campus life?” or
“I love it when Campus Life does”), this
can be combined with other messaging
strategies. Maybe ask certain
administrators, students, etc. to submit an
answer to those questions too and use it
on publications/website.
Make Campus Life personal.
Suggestions

3. Campus Life Internal Marketing Meeting Summary of 5/7/2009
What To-Do?
Ask target audiences HOW they get
information, if at all, or prefer getting
information about Campus Life.
Reason for approach:
They might not be checking your website,
reading your emails, or seeing your fliers.
Where do they investigate or do you
have to give it to them?
GOAL: The voices of students are represented in all Campus Life activities,
programming, reports, and by the student themselves.
What To-Do?
Reason for approach:
When recruiting students, consider their
ability to communicate. Are they sharing
the events and activities of Campus Life
with their friends? Why or why not? Make
it easy to share (surveys, student staffonly meetings/committees that report out
to staff).
Even though they may be planning the
event, would they attend it. Because of
the supervisor power dynamic even the
most outgoing students might not feel
comfortable sharing their opinions.
Train students on the Campus Life
message. Let students (esp. SLG) in on
problem solving meetings so they have a
clear understanding of the issues.
Students value seeing the “underbelly” of
things and it teaches them to intuit the
complexities of Campus Life activities.
The result will be they actually contribute
in useful ways to problem solving.
Are you tracking the requests and
collaborations on campus (see above)?
Suggestions

4. Campus Life Internal Marketing Meeting Summary of 5/7/2009
GOAL: Focusing time and energy in the most effective manner.
What To-Do?
Reason for approach:
Create a process for new ideas and
proposals, engage in active review of
what you are doing and should continue
doing. Regular (quarterly) meeting that is
specifically for this adjustment purpose.
If once in a while everything isnʼt put on
the table then long-term issues can stir
quietly until it is difficult and impossible to
change. This gives room to say, “OK, we
probably need to start from the ground up
with this.”
Can target audience be invited to events?
How can that process be made easier?
How can marketing also reach
administration? Maybe send
administration packets of event
advertisements shrunk into a page or
two?
Lots of work is already being done how
can that work be extended to reach the
audiences you want?
Suggestions from meeting evaluation:
“Perhaps we need to more clearly identify what priorities need protecting and what new
initiatives can be advanced by our student leaders.”
ACTION: Create a clear statement of priorities and any new initiatives so everyone is
aligned in the same direction going forward
“I'm not quite sure what the next steps for me as a student are...”
ACTION: Keep students involved and informed in a more than superficial way.
“open minded discussions and brainstorming”
“We still need a common language and shared brand.”
ACTION: You can begin to use worksheets passed out to develop this language. This
speaks to a few of the suggestions above.
Suggestions

5. Campus Life Internal Marketing Meeting Summary of 5/7/2009
“Top 3” Summary:
Take note of the discrepancies between where you spend your time and resources right
now versus where you think you should be spending your time and resources:
Time Resources
Priority Value
Campus Activities (8)
Campus Activities (5)
Orientation (6)
Info/Marketing Campus Involvement(3)
Staff Leadership/Facilitation (2)
Acclimate students to college (4)
Info/Marketing Campus Involvement (1)
Positive CL staff experience (3)
LBC/FYE (1)
Orientation (2)
Collaborations (1)
ECA (1)
***The colors show which activities are in both column vs. those that are not.
“Bottom 3” Summary:
Is there anything that is getting the least time and resources that could use a boost? Is
there anything that you ranks as your least priority below that is getting too many
resources right now?
Time Resources
Priority Value
Transfer Orientation (4)
Veterans (3)
ECA - Engaging (3)
ECA- Engaging (3)
Veterans (3)
Help with admissions (2)
Faculty Collaboration (3)
Connecting with the City Staff and City
Police (2)
Org Advising (2)
Commuter Newsletter/Listserve (2)
Special Programs --> Faculty (1)
Commuter Advocacy (1)
LBC (working w/ existing faculty
programming) (1)
Community for Transfer Students (1)
Info for the community (1)
Hotels/Local Businesses (1)
Mentoring (1)
Info for the community (1)
Connecting with the City Staff and City
Police (1)
Meeting Summary

6. Campus Life Internal Marketing Meeting Summary of 5/7/2009
BIG TAKEAWAYS:
There were a few themes in the meeting that could be pulled out for immediate action,
delegation or discussion. They were identified because of the frequency in
conversation or key leverage in their impact. Additionally they could be seen as places
in need of direct support or funding from the University if Campus Life is to expand.
1. Evaluation/Data - Create an evaluation and tracking systems that give useful
information (data) for reports and advertising. This was described as a must have for
communicating to the audiences you identified.
2. Commuter Services - Revamp the concept of commuter services into servicing
specific populations on campus that have specific needs (mentioned groups: veterans,
single mothers, ECA, transfer students). This would provide a targeted and more
effective approach as well as allow for tracking and description of how you service the
specific needs of populations identified by leadership, even if it changes in the future.
3. Student Leadership - Create a integrated look at student leadership that aligns all
activities around a particular model/curriculum.
LETTING YOUR AUDIENCE KNOW:
There were common themes in the strategies that could be used to present data to the
audiences that you want to see it. I would consider these your points of information
leverage. With scarce resources I would recommend aiming programming and planning
around meeting these communication objectives.
1. Proper information to SLG
2. Easy to digest data
3. Formal invites to your key audience on campus
4. Identify where CL manages campus risk
5. Engage leaders in the “How” of the process
6. Newsletter or other easy to read/disseminate document
7. Collecting demographics
LEVERAGE ACTIVITIES:
Student Activities
LBC
GREEK/Student Org Support
Data
Website
Engaging students of color, transfer, and differencing life experiences
Student Leadership
“I guess we, the students, were told this meeting was going to be something completely
different from what it actually was so we weren't sure what role we had there. I did
learn a lot and am thankful for the opportunity to be able to participate in such
discussions; it definitely got my mind thinking in ways I hadn't thought before because
I am a student, not a professional staff member. It was neat to see their perspective
on everything.” -Student on meeting evaluation
Meeting Summary