CHIEF OF STAFF DIVISIONANNUAL REPORT 2016-17

DRIVING REPUTATION AND RECRUITMENT

WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY

Western Carolina University’s Chief of Staff Division has the challenging but also exciting task of managing WCU’s external reputation among stakeholders and elected officials as well as the larger marketplace. We’re proud to say our reputation today is stronger than ever, as demonstrated by an overwhelming level of interest from prospective students and a strong level of confidence from our elected and appointed officials and leadership across the UNC System.

This year, we made key changes to ensure we can continue to drive our reputation forward. We formed a new team in University Marketing to ensure effective management of our website, including working

with IT to move two employees to marketing and reallocating a position to support web content management. We recruited and hired a new videographer in Communications and Public Relations who has dramatically increased the volume of videos we are able to produce. We promoted an existing marketing staff member to oversee the more than 20 media campaigns now running to support branding and recruitment. We reorganized staff in Special Events and took on management of a larger portfolio of events including Mountain Heritage Day, our annual community festival that attracts 20,000 visitors to campus. And, we dramatically increased our advocacy efforts in Raleigh, which resulted in WCU seeing significant support in the state budget for critical needs such as our steam plant. We also recently completed media relations training for key campus leaders, building essential skill sets for staff who are the face of Western Carolina University.

We also have proven ourselves to be a trusted leader in the UNC system to spearhead external relations and marketing efforts around NC Promise. As we look ahead to the changes NC Promise will bring, along with the need to balance capacity limitations with our desire to grow, we are confident in our ability to continue to define WCU as an institution where deserving students can access a high-quality, affordable education that can and will change their lives.

Chief of StaffMelissa Wargo

COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONSThe Office of Communications and Public Relations, which includes the university’s news, media relations, photography and videography functions, is led by Bill Studenc, who also serves as chief communications officer. The office includes University News Services (directed by Randall Holcombe) and Photography and Video Services (directed by Mark Haskett). It consists of three staff writers and editors, two photographers, a videographer and an administrative assistant who also provides support to other units within the Office of the Chief of Staff. The office is the official

liaison between the university and all news media, is responsible for photography and video used to promote the university, produces the university magazine and faculty-staff newsletter, issues press releases and answers media inquiries, and maintains news content and other messaging on the university’s website.

2016-17 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Completed administrative review process, received report from external review team, and began to implement changes based on feedback from the reviewers

• Led effort to reduce the amount of all-campus emails cluttering inboxes of faculty and staff by offering alternatives other than broadcast email to help publicize university events and activities (as called for in Integrated Marketing and Communications Plan)

• Empowered other units of campus (those with their own communications/ marketing personnel) to draft and disseminate news releases to external media, a major shift in long-standing practices (as recommended by external review team)

• Developed a more robust Communications and Public Relations web presence, in conjunction with University Marketing (http://www.wcu.edu/ discover/campus-services-and-operations/communications-and-marketing/), including a section for internal communications and alternatives to all- campus emails

• Developed a set of guidelines for external media regarding access to campus facilities and space, in conjunction with university Legal Counsel

• Streamlined production of the university’s online faculty/staff newsletter (The Reporter) and the electronic version of The Magazine of Western Carolina University for more efficient workflow, in conjunction with digital designers in University Marketing

• Completed successful search for a new videographer position with the hiring of Samuel Wallace, meeting previous year’s goal of increasing quantity of video projects without sacrificing quality

• Continued media relations and messaging around several ongoing high-priority subjects from 2015-16:

o NC Promise

o Chancellor’s health

o Campus activism and racial tension

o Koch Foundation gift and the Center for the Study of Free Enterprise

• Media relations and messaging around new issues arising in 2016-17:

o Catamount School

o Total solar eclipse on Aug. 21, 2017

o University-owned dam on the Tuckaseigee River

o Off-campus housing market for students and for faculty/staff in face of rising enrollment

• Provided campus communication throughout the SACS-COC reaffirmation process

• Worked with university’s emergency manager on development of all-hazards emergency operations plan for public information and external affairs

• Received three awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education:

o Gold Award for video in support of Lead the Way fundraising kickoff

o Award of Excellence in crisis/issues management for chancellor’s health updates project

o Special Merit Award for video in support of a new science building

• Nominated for the university’s Program of Excellence Award

• Chief photographer received the university’s Star Staff Award

• Produced two editions of the university magazine

• Produced 33 editions of The Reporter, including 19 website editions published prior to the January 2017 conversion to an emailed news digest format to increase efficiencies and eliminate duplication of effort

• Completed 548 different photo assignments, which includes everything from studio head shots, athletics events, student activities, awards, construction and area scenic attractions to shooting the inside of the ancient boiler unit inside the steam plant; the total number of images from these shoots is more than 26,000

• One of photo unit’s winter scenes was selected as the winner of a contest sponsored by Inside Higher Education and used across its social media platforms, giving WCU great exposure

• Videographer produced 70 video projects (37 for social media; 2 for magazine online content; 7 for marketing campaigns; 8 for Comm/PR projects; 10 miscellaneous and 6 as part of a new effort for live streams on university social media pages)

• Produced approximately 245 unique news releases for distribution to area media outlets, a figure that does not include other news stories produced solely for the on-campus audience and “home-towner” releases sent to the media on behalf of individual students.

UPCOMING

• With the all-hazards emergency operations plan for public information and external affairs completed, will work to update the crisis communication plan

• Assist in completion of media training for Executive Council and other university leadership

• Assist in development of fundraising communications plan

• Continue working with director of marketing to implement Integrated Marketing and Communications Plan

• Assist in resumption of Chancellor’s VIP email project

• Initiate redesign of the university magazine

• Seek approval of addition of an internal communications specialist to the Comm/PR team

• Ensure that photography/video unit obtains proper training and certification for drone usage

• Work with the recently launched WNC News Share (a news-sharing initiative launched by The Sylva Herald) to help get WCU news into news media outlets across WNC

• Develop a practices/procedures manual for the office

EXTERNAL RELATIONSThe Office of External Relations is led by Meredith C. Whitfield, who came to Western Carolina on Dec. 1, 2013, as the university’s official advocate with elected and appointed officials from the municipal to the federal levels. The office pursues federal funding for WCU through congressional appropriations mechanisms and state funding through the University of North Carolina system’s established budget priorities process. In addition, Meredith serves as university liaison to important economic development entities within the local community and the greater Western

North Carolina region, including chambers of commerce and regional economic development organizations.

2016-17 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Inclusion of $750,000 to fund design of steam plant in FY17-18 budget

• Increased funding for NC Promise, maintain out-of-state funding

• Improved working relationships with legislators leading to increased responsiveness and open lines of communications

• Successful legislative reception in Raleigh

• Board of Visitors “gratitude” campaign to legislators

• Successfully staffing Board of Visitors advocacy subcommittee

• Increasing external contacts, relationships and visibility such as participation in homegrown leaders training and the MountainWest partnership

• Successfully hosting stakeholder groups on campus (new legislators, fiscal research, etc)

• Economic Engagement and Innovation search committee participation

UPCOMING

• Continued work on legislative visits to campus – get state House and Senate leadership to campus

• Find ways to organize and positively use growing number of advocates who have self-selected to speak on behalf of WCU

• Monitor NC Promise and changes to enrollment funding model

• Increase External Relations visibility with faculty, staff and students

UNIVERSITY MARKETINGThe Office of University Marketing, which includes the university’s branding, advertising, design, and social media functions as well as the WCU Printing and Mailing Services, is led by Director of Marketing Robin Oliver. In 2016-17, the office expanded its staff when the university moved two employees from IT to Marketing in order to unify the team working on the external website. University Marketing completed its web team with the addition of a Web Content Manager in May. The office also includes two art directors overseeing design for all recruitment collateral and

advertising as well as the university magazine, a social media strategist overseeing all institutional social platforms and providing guidance to unit social managers, a media planning and research specialist overseeing a long list of paid media campaigns to support recruitment, and a marketing services manager handling project intake and providing strategic marketing guidance for campus clients.

2016-17 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Completed a restructuring of staff to support the university’s external web presence

• Completed the migration of more than 100 unit websites to the new mobile-responsive web design

• Began implementation of the social media strategy developed in 2016, including:

o expanding the university’s presence on popular platforms such as Snap Chat

o acquiring equipment and launching livecast capabilities on social platforms, which included a series of live chats with prospects and accepted students about key issues to drive yield

o expanding the use of video on all social platforms

o leveraging social content and social advertising to support fundraising campaigns, including the Catamount Club Annual Giving campaign and the I Love WCU campaign

• Expanded the university’s broadcast campaign into the digital space with pre-roll and social advertising

• Partnered with the Office of Communications and PR on a comprehensive content marketing effort to support our ongoing broadcast campaign

• Planned and executed the second annual comprehensive graduate school marketing campaign working closely with WCU’s Provost Council, which is on track to support a second year of growth in our graduate population

• Planned and executed a social marketing campaign to support summer professional development and camp programs in partnership with Ed Outreach

• Completed a branding website to help stakeholders inside and outside the university to access brand assets and understand WCU’s brand positioning, and partnered with the Office of Communications and PR on a Marketing and Communications website to provide resources and direction to campus units

• Completed two successful searches for a new Web Content Manager and a new Marketing Services Manager to better support growing marketing needs

• Worked closely with UNC General Administration, UNC Pembroke and Elizabeth City State University to plan and implement first-phase marketing support for the NC Promise Tuition Plan. Built a microsite (www.ncpromise.com) and filmed an informational video to support NC Promise communications

• Developed a logo package, collateral, advertising, signage and a website for The Catamount School, WCU’s new lab school opening in August of 2017

• Nominated for the University’s Program of Excellence Award

UPCOMING

• Partner with General Administration and UNC system peers and on the second phase of marketing for NC Promise

• Continue the expansion of the university’s advertising campaign into the digital space, advertising in on-demand video and pre-roll

• Work with Development and Alumni Affairs on a comprehensive alumni engagement and annual giving campaign for 2016-17, culminating in the second annual I Love WCU campaign

• Partner with Alumni Affairs to improve content planning for social media and expand its reach on social platforms

• Partner with Academic Affairs on a comprehensive marketing campaign to fill all available capacity in distance programs

• Support the expansion of healthcare programs at Biltmore Park with advertising in Asheville

• Conduct user testing research on the university website and develop a plan to address any shortcomings as well as any accessibility issues

• Expand self-service tools available to campus for the creation of unit-specific marketing collateral

SPECIAL EVENTSThe Office of Special Events is led by Stacy MacGregor and supported by two special event planners. The team is responsible for the strategic direction, planning and implementation of top-level, university-wide special events on behalf of the Chancellor and the Chief of Staff, both on the campus and off. The special events team serves as advisors to the Chancellor’s Ambassador student organization providing leadership and event support for functions held by the Chancellor and Senior Leadership. The office also serves as event consultants for departments across campus.

2016-17 KEY EVENTS• Chancellors Alumni Tour –

o Asheville: August 2016

o Raleigh: May 2017

o Greensboro: June 2017

• Jamaican Luncheon: July 2016

• Opening Assembly: August 2016

• New Faculty and Staff Welcome: August 2016

• O. Max Gardner Award Reception: August 2016

• Employee Appreciation Day: September 2016

• Mountain Heritage Day: September 2016

• Golden Leaf Scholars: October 2016

• UNC Staff Assembly: October 2016

• Board of Trustees Meetings/Receptions/Retreat:

September, November, December 2016 & March, June 2017

• Board of Visitors Meeting & Receptions:

September 2016, March 2017

• Commencement

December 2016; May 2017

• Foundation Board Meetings/Receptions:

September 2016; November 2016; February 2017; May 2017

• 5 Football Home Games (Chancellor’s Box) & Post-Game Receptions: September – November, 2016

• Full Professors Reception/Dinner: November 2016

• Madison Society Scholarship Luncheon: November 2016

• MOU Signing with Isothermal: November 2016

• Student Leaders, SPA & EPA Holiday Open Houses: December 2016

• Chancellor Ambassador Retreat: January 2017

• Alpha Lambda Delta Reception: February 2017

• Chancellor’s Distinguished Teaching Award Finalists: April 2017

• Faculty and Staff Excellence Awards: April 2017

• Friends of the Arts Gala: April 2017

• SACSCOC: April 2017

• Legislative Reception (Raleigh): May 2017

• Leadership Academy Tour: May 2017

• Retiree Association Luncheon: May 2017

UPCOMING

• Develop and execute the 2017/2018 events plan to maximize ROI, strategy and expand creative excellence

• Collaborate with Development to define and design the event program for the comprehensive campaign

• Grand opening of new campus buildings, dedication ceremony of Judaculla Hall and groundbreaking for NSB

• Continue to evolve and grow the Mountain Heritage Day festival

• Update the Chancellor’s Box for the 2017 football season to improve guest experience

• Advise and assist the Chancellor Ambassadors organization through the transition of the new recruits and new executive council

PRINT SHOP AND MAIL SERVICESThe Western Carolina University Print Shop is an auxiliary service supporting all university needs for professionally printed materials including print collateral, academic resources, banners, signage and wall graphics, custom awards and engravings and more. Led by Print Shop Manager Tom Frazier, who brings 20 years of experience to the job, the team at the Print Shop includes a business administrator and four printing specialists who operate our commercial grade digital press, our two-color traditional print press, our large format poster and vinyl presses and a host

of commercial binding and finishing equipment. Our mail services unit is staffed by two full-time mail specialists who not only deliver daily to all units on campus but also work with the Print Shop team to offer mail services to units with mass mailings including Admissions and Development. We also employ several students in paid and work study positions to support services such as engraving and wall installation.

2016-2017 ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Completed a large-scale reorganization of the shop to address building safety concerns and began plans to add square footage to the building as we work to meet the increase in volume due to campus growth

• Completed the successful recruitment of a new large format and two-color press operator to replace a retiring employee

• Increased revenue and doubled profitability for the second year in a row

• Continued to support the printing and mailing of the accepted student communication collateral, including adding two new pieces for a total of six separate items sent to each accepted student

• Worked with IT to move ownership of Paw Print, our university desktop printing service, from Print Shop to IT in order to better align with server and device integration

• Completed a bid to replace aging digital equipment and create necessary redundancy in our digital presses while keeping the cost of printing low

UPCOMING

• Complete an external program review

• Hire and train a new business administrator to assist with billing and profitability analysis to replace retiring staff member

• Complete expansion of the shop and maximize new square footage to continue to improve operational efficiency

• Complete analysis of standard pricing and adjust as necessary to maintain profitability

• Work closely with facilities to support large format printing needs for environmental signage in newly opened buildings

• Support the annual giving campaign in partnership with University Marketing and Advancement

Melissa Canady Wargo Chief Of Staff 530 H.F. Robinson Building wargo@wcu.edu | 828.227.3082