College Web Guy

My university is in Little Rock, Arkansas, so it was pretty much a given that my boss would sign up everybody in the office for a CASE Conference, which will be held next week a few short miles from campus.

The schedule looks interesting. And I’ll probably meet fellow college-web-people from my region. In fact I’m supposed to moderate a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, early in the morning. And by early, I mean ridiculously early. 7:30 - 9:00 am. So I might be the only one at the table, moderating the voices in my head.

Some of the sessions look pretty interesting. I plan to attend the ones focused on new media and design, leaving about the boring stuff, ..you know: fundraising, management hoopla, etc..

Weathering the Storm:
How to Respond When the Inevitable Hits the Fan …
Hear expert analysis of the institutional responses to Virginia Tech, Duke University’s lacrosse scandal and other well known higher education crises, while learning how to design, implement and evaluate a campus-wide crisis communications plan.

Presenters
Elizabeth Scarborough. ……………………………………President and Partner,
Simpson Scarborough
Teresa Valerio Parrot. …………………………………….Senior Project Director,
Simpson Scarborough

What’s After Email?
How to Leverage the Power of Web 2.0
The future is open source. How do you take advantage of the collaborative and decentralized nature of the internet to boost affinity and giving? This session will enlighten you on Web 2.0 and enable you to leverage the power of your affinity group in a way that will increase participation, loyalty and giving.

Presenter
Matt Frazier. …………………………………………..Founder and CEO, Pursuant

When Your Logo Morphs Into An Animal and Other Graphic Identity Horror Stories
Most of us know what it’s like to try to rein in renegade imagery on campus, from a proliferation of logos to simple good taste in publications. In this session, Auburn University communicators talk about how they did it, from logo creation and generating campus support and compliance to, externally, how trademark licensing can really pay off. And, yes, there are a few horror stories, so those with weak stomachs are duly cautioned.
Presenters
Camille Barkley. …………….Director of Marketing and Creative Services
Deedie Dowdle. ……………………..Executive Director of Communications
and Marketing, Auburn University

Back to Basics
The Grid, The Rag, and Everything in Between: Looking for some sizzle, but all you can muster is fizzle? Try it “old school.” If a great layout begins with a great foundation, go back to basics and learn how you can put the spin back into your designs. This session will discuss how to use the grid and how to break it. We will discuss good rag, tips for choosing typefaces and how to get the most from your page layouts.
Presenter
Trisha Dubina. ……………………………………….Instructor of Graphic Design
Nicholls State University

Internal Marketing:
Managing the Human Side of Web Redesign
You have a vision for a redesigned Web site: new features, better graphics and updated content. But if you want to win rave reviews, don’t neglect the human side of Web redesign. Use these ideas for planning your redesign, selling your ideas to stakeholders, testing with key groups and getting users involved in maintaining “their” site.
Presenter
D’Lyn Ford. ……..Publications Director, Eastern New Mexico University

Web-based Communication, You Have Mail and More!
Electronic communication is fast becoming the format preferred by most alumni. Learn how to effectively reach and interact with your constituents faster, better and cheaper than conventional media. The University of Missouri has been on the forefront of several electronic communication trends this decade earning three CASE Circle of Excellence Gold Medals. Learn what Mizzou is doing to maximize the potential of electronic communication through e-newsletters, mass e-mail and web-based services. The session outlines the planning process, describes what has and hasn’t worked, and tells how various programs can be adapted to most alumni associations.
Presenter
David Roloff. …………………………………….Director of Alumni Membership
University of Missouri

How Writing Affects the Design Process
As a process, writing and graphic design can merge into a powerful creative tool. How does active writing and visual mapping affect the graphic design process? What does it mean to allow one’s themes to remain ambiguous in both writing and graphic design until late in the process of creation? Is this merely a selfish act? Does this require copious amounts of reflection time? Is this a method of creating that can be practiced on smaller time scales? Does the idea of a clear vision now find itself vestigial? Or has the designer/writer process become a novel means to getting at new connections?
Presenter
Ray Ogar. ……………………………… Assistant Professor of Graphic Design
University of Central Arkansas

What Do You Do When Your World Gets Rocked? Communications After The Whirlwind
On Feb. 5, 2008, an EF-4 tornado ripped across the campus of Union University in Jackson, Tenn., destroying nearly half of the residential college’s housing and leaving most of the remaining housing unusable. Landing in the national spotlight while their campus was out of commission, Union’s communications team sought to maintain information flow to an array of constituents. Hear – and see — how they fared, just two months after the storm.
Presenter
Mark Kahler. …………………………………………..Associate Vice President for
University Communications, Union University

How to Conduct a Creative Session
Though you may not have access — or the funds — to hire a marketing and advertising firm, you can assemble and conduct your own in-house creative session. Learn about the players that comprise a successful creative team and how to identify the qualities
in these types of personalities among your staff or volunteers. Then, learn techniques and processes for conducting a creative session that get people beyond the blank page — all with a focus on the objective or need at hand for your fundraising and/or marketing efforts. This is a hands-on, how-to session that allows participants to experience the process
themselves in order to replicate it at their own office. Leave with tools and tricks for encouraging creativity in a non-stressful, energizing way.
Presenter
Cheryl Taylor Bowie. ………………owner, Right Angle advertising agency