STRATEGIC PRIORITY 4
CRAFT AND DEPLOY TIMELY AND RELEVANT NEWS AND INFORMATION TO INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL AUDIENCES
INSIDE UA
Inside UA is the official e-newsletter for faculty, staff and students, serving over 48K readers. A strategic approach and content strategy are vital for effective communication, engagement and expanding its reach within the University community.
UA NEWS CENTER
This year, the UA News Center continued to inform, engage and inspire, offering a dynamic platform for sharing our most impactful moments.
CAMPUS COMMUNICATORS NETWORK
DSC couldn’t be successful without our hundreds of partners across campus in marketing and communications roles. Their success is our success. The Campus Communicators Network continued to provide professional development, networking and other growth opportunities for these partners at ten events during the academic year. Word spread about how valuable CCN is, too. Membership grew to over 330, about a 30% increase since 2022.
CCN SUMMIT
The second annual CCN Summit – a daylong on-campus conference offered at no cost to CCN members – drew over 100 attendees, who gave rave reviews. “I’m so thankful to go to such a high-quality event for free,” said one attendee. “I’m bringing back a lot of knowledge to my team.” Through this interconnected group, we support each other and amplify our work to the benefit of the entire University.
ALABAMA IMPACT
The University of Alabama’s executive leadership tasked the communications department with creating a strategy to share the University’s impact on the citizens and the state of Alabama.
The communications team developed a series of stories highlighting how UA serves the state and its people. Several departments across DSC worked to amplify these stories through media outreach, the UA website and social media platforms. The communications department created content tailored for both external media and internal audiences.
The Alabama Impact strategy, along with DSC priorities, was strategically aligned with two UA institutional goals:
- To provide a premier education that enhances the lives of our students, graduates and the communities they serve.
- To increase the University’s productivity and innovation in research, scholarship and creative activities that contribute to economic and societal development.
LINKEDIN NEWSLETTER
The UA News Center attracts an average of 886K page views and 420K new users annually, indicating a strong interest in the stories of UA faculty, students and staff. This year, our communications team introduced a new tool to expand the reach of the University’s stories. By utilizing a LinkedIn newsletter distributed to everyone following UA’s official LinkedIn account, we engage our current followers and attract new viewers to the UA News Center, thereby telling UA’s story more strategically and dynamically. LinkedIn is UA’s second-most followed platform, with over 271K followers, making it a key component of our outreach strategy.
COMMUNICATING TO KEEP CAMPUS SAFE
Our communications department is vital in keeping our campus community safe during emergencies. This year, each communications team member achieved National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Federal Emergency Management Agency certifications in specialized training in communicating effectively during emergencies, adhering to the NIMS standards. This certification includes understanding communication protocols, using standardized terminology and working collaboratively with other agencies and organizations. It ensures our team can play a crucial role in disseminating information, coordinating actions and ensuring effective communication during incident response, demonstrating our proactive approach to safety.
MEDIA RELATIONS AND OUTREACH
This year’s media metrics underscore our expanding reach and engagement, showcasing the strength of our storytelling and audience connection. Our performance reflects increasing visibility, deeper interactions and impactful conversations across channels.
SOCIAL MEDIA MILESTONES
The social media team shares content daily to an audience of over 1.5 million followers across 8 platforms.
CAMPUS VISITORS GUIDE
To help prospective students and families navigate UA’s beautiful campus, DSC produces The University of Alabama Campus Visitors Guide each year.
PRESIDENTIAL COMMUNICATIONS
This year, presidential communications were crafted to support Dr. Stuart R. Bell’s leadership during his final year and advance the University’s mission. Every speech and strategic communication was aligned with the institution’s voice, honoring a legacy of steady leadership and student-centered progress. Key highlights included clear internal messaging that grounded the UA community through transitions and speeches that underscored the Capital Campaign’s progress, resonating with stakeholders.
The revamped Campus Assembly deepened connections among faculty and staff, while the Legends campaign enhanced engagement through a redesigned website. Dr. Bell’s active presence at national student recruitment events demonstrated UA’s commitment to attracting talent. In high-profile athletics transitions, remarks celebrated past achievements and embraced future potential. Ongoing support through messaging ensured that publications and events aligned with the University’s mission. Overall, the president’s communications effectively translated vision into impactful messages, reinforcing confidence in the leadership’s direction.
In January, Dr. Bell announced plans to step down in summer 2025, after ten years of service to the Capstone. To announce the change and pave the way for a new presidential hire, DSC created a presidential transition campaign that included emails to external and internal audiences, news center articles, social media posts, press releases and video content, culminating in announcing the successful hire of Dr. Peter J. Mohler in June.
