Upcoming programs - Summer 2014

Find more details and register on the events page. Miss a program? Find info and recordings when available on past programs.

Regularly scheduled Communicators Forum programs will begin in September.

Interested in shaping monthly programming for communicators? Contact Holly Santiago (hsantiag@umn.edu) and Laura Krueger Vitko (krue0192@umn.edu) to get involved in the Programs Committee.

Monthly Mixer
Thursday, July 10, 3:30-5:30 p.m. - Campus Club, Coffman Union

There's no formal program, just networking, and you don't need to be a Communicators Forum or Campus Club member to attend. Nachos provided, drinks on your own. Drawing at 4:45 p.m. to be entered to win free lunch at the Campus Club. RSVP here.

Events Circle Brown Bag Networking Lunches
We have this summer's Events Circle Brown Bags all lined up. If you plan an event (or two or ten...) as part of your job, you are welcome to this brown bag lunch, filled with informal discussion, idea generation and networking. No RSVP required.

• Tuesday, July 15, 12-1 p.m. - 125 Coffey Hall (St. Paul)
• Thursday, August 7, 12-1 p.m. - 100 Murphy Hall (East Bank)

Events Circle Presents: Muse Event Center Site Visit
Wednesday, July 16, 4-6 p.m. - Muse Event Center (107 3rd Ave. S., Minneapolis)

You're invited to an exclusive open house to tour and experience the newest event space in Minneapolis: Muse Event Center. CRAVE Catering (Muse's exclusive caterer) will offer food and beverages. Plus, learn about on-campus catering options from CRAVE Catering.

Transportation is on your own. There is meter parking available with paid lots nearby. RSVP here.

To connect with fellow event planners and stay up-to-date on the Events Circle, join the Event Circle Google Group.

2014 Maroon & Gold Awards now accepting submissions

The submission period is now open to enter the University of Minnesota 2014 Maroon & Gold Awards for Communications Excellence. The deadline for all submissions is 3 p.m., Friday, March 21.

Submit entries to the form on Submittable.

There is no cost to enter. Entries must be submitted by a University of Minnesota Communicators Forum member who is a member of the project team. Any work created and used by the University of Minnesota between March 1, 2013 and February 28, 2014 is eligible. Submission period is March 3-21, 2014.

This year, the submission form requires a digital file [PDF] of your entry to accompany your submission for verification purposes.

Awards will be presented at the annual Communicators Forum Member Appreciation Event, May 28, 2014, 3-6 p.m., Weisman Art Museum.

For more information and directions on how to enter, visit the awards section of the Communicators Forum website.

Please direct submission or other awards questions to awards committee member Echo Martin at mart1794@umn.edu.

Conference update

Keynote speakers announced

Our 24th annual conference is right around the corner, June 19 at the Carlson School of Management. This year's theme is "Craft the future" and we are excited to announce the keynote speakers: 

--Ellen Lupton: curator, author, teacher, designer

--Seitu Jones: Joyce Award Winner, visual artist, master gardener

--Dessa: singer, writer, rapper, producer.

Request for vendors

We're seeking vendors for the vendor fair at conference. The vendor fair helps make the low cost of conference possible. If you work with any vendors and think they might be interested in this inexpensive opportunity to raise their profile with potential clients, please contact Karina Carlson at carl2263@umn.edu as soon as possible.

2014 Communicators Forum Awards 

Our annual awards competition, the Maroon and Gold Awards for Communications Excellence, encourages high standards by recognizing excellence in communications at the University. You must be a member to submit an entry. This year's submission process will occur in March 2014.

Any work designed or produced by Communicators Forum member(s) and/or published / used by the University between March 1, 2013 and February 28, 2014 is eligible. Submission period is March 1-21, 2014. 

We revamped the award categories (Gold) and created several new sub-categories (Maroon) to better showcase the excellent and effective work being done by University communicators. 

More to come, but start planning what you want to submit for these 2014 award categories: 

--Design: Expanded the previous print category to include design for non-printed items; applications, infographics, web, video, and display items. 

--Interactive: Expanded the previous electronic media category to include interactive blog, application, single social media. Coordinated social media is now a part of the Campaign/Series category. The website subcategory has been broken into three subcategories: website, web section and web page.

--Writing: Expanded category to include writing for websites, newsletters, and messages. 

--Campaign/Series: The least changed of the four categories, added coordinated social media.

In addition a new maroon award has been added in each of the four categories: Innovator. The innovator award will be given to work in Campaign, Interactive, Design, and Writing that uses new media, techniques, tools, or combinations of communication tools in innovative ways heretofore unseen by the University of Minnesota community.

--Illuminate: Best use of this year's "Driven to Discover" campaign theme: "Discovery Illuminates Everyone." Any communications piece can be submitted for Illuminate award consideration.

--MIKE: The "people's choice" award. Any communications piece can be submitted for MIKE award consideration.

--Margo: Award for the highest impact for the lowest dollar amount. Any communications piece can be submitted for Margo award consideration.

Communities of Practice Expo hosted by Project and Change Management Collaborators (PCMC)

Thursday, January 9, 1-2:30 p.m.

312 Science Teaching & Student Services Building (STSS)


*While this event is not hosted by the University of Minnesota Communicators Forum (UMCF), they will be represented at the event.*

 

The Communities of Practice Expo hosted by Project and Change Management Collaborators is a professional development and networking opportunity for anyone interested in community leadership or participation at the University.

How can communities of practice around the University learn from each other? The goal of the session is -- through collaborative, small group discussions -- to develop and share best practices for organizing in a decentralized environment. Discussion topics include generating communities to solve problems, sustaining communities over time, and understanding when a community should dismantle.    

Tables hosted by leaders from University communities of practice including Communicators Forum, PCMC, Art of Hosting, Enterprise Systems Upgrade Project, Government and Community Relations, IT@UMN, and other IT communities of practice.

Communicators Forum Monthly Mixer

Thursday, November 7, 3:30-5:30 p.m. - Campus Club, Coffman Union

There's no program, just networking, and you don't need to a UMCF or Campus Club member to attend. Starting in November, these will be held on the first Thursday of every month. Snacks are provided, drinks on your own.

Monthly mixers start this week -- come and bring a friend!

Don't forget that we are starting a regular social hour called the UMCF Monthly Mixer, and the first one will be this Thursday, Sept. 26.

There's no program, just networking, and you don't need to a UMCF or Campus Club member to attend. Starting in November, these will be held on the first Thursday of every month. Snacks are provided, drinks on your own.

Please let us know if you can come, so we can order enough nachos:
Register now.

--Ann Nordby, UMCF board

Upcoming Programs

Find details and register for upcoming programs.

Kick-Off

Wednesday, September 18, 3-4:30 p.m. - Digital Technology Center, 402 Walter Library

Kick off the new year with the UMN Communicators Forum. This event features a reception and networking, plus a presentation from OIT's Matt Nuttall, who will give us a run-down on such IT initiatives as Lyris mass email replacement, drupal, Google sites and more. 

Register here.

UMCF & Web Standards present Health Quest: Story of a UMN iPhone App

Friday, September 20, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. - 35 Nicholson Hall

Pizza at 11:30 a.m. 

Presentation w/Q+A: Noon to 1 p.m.

This presentation will be available live via Google Hangout and a recording will be provided afterwards.

Do you want to make an app but aren't sure where to start or the commitment involved? Justin Paquette, Patrik Dousa, and David Krewinghaus from Academic Health Center (AHC) Communications will share the story of creating their first iPhone app called Health Quest, a photo scavenger hunt for the Minnesota State Fair. From initial concept, in-house development/design, and approval from Apple, to the hot summer Fair days of cheese curds, Pronto Pups, and the KARE 11 barn, we'll cover:

1. Overview (why an app, how it works)

2. Design and development process

3. Promoting the app

4. Results, lessons learned, and future plans

There will be a Q&A session after the presentation with time for anyone in the audience to share their own experiences with creating an app. This presentation is for a wide range of audiences and will cover both technical and general aspects of this app project.

RSVP by Wednesday, September 18.

Communicators Forum Monthly Mixer

Thursday, September 26, 3:30-5:30 p.m. - Campus Club (4th floor, Coffman Union) - reserved area

There's a new opportunity to connect with colleagues for a professional, social, networking fun good time: introducing the Communicators Forum Monthly Mixer at the Campus Club. You know that time in between sessions at conference or at the start/end of a program where you get into a good conversation with a colleague but need to break it off? This is all about those informal but extremely helpful conversations.

- Anyone welcome -- stop in whenever and bring a friend, even if they aren't a member

- Nachos provided! (Drinks and other items on your own)

- Attendees will be entered into a raffle to win a free lunch at the Campus Club.

This is the launch of a monthly event held the first Thursday of the month (except this one). The next one and (first actual first Thursday) will be November 7.

Please RSVP if you think you might attend (to help with planning, you can still attend if you haven't RSVP'd).

The Enterprise Portal: Your Future BFF

Thursday, October 24, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - 102 Fraser 

Have you heard about the Enterprise Systems Upgrade Program (ESUP)? Did you know about the new Portal? Come to this brown bag to learn all about it and how communicators will play a crucial role in its success!

Check back here later for more details (including RSVP form); or find us on Facebook or Twitter!

 

Save the Date: Annual Communicators Forum Conference

June 19, 2014 - Carlson School of Management

Keynote speaker: Ellen Lupton

Year of the Communicator Conference | The Benefits

You already know the
advantages of attending the Year of the Communicator conference on June 25,
2013, but you may need some help convincing your supervisor.

Here are some tangible benefits of
attending this year's UMCF conference:

1. It is affordable!

With airfare consistently on the rise, attending the conference means you won't
only save on airfare, but hotel and food costs as well. Plus if you
register before May 30, you receive the early bird discount.

2. Expand your professional network.

Because the conference is for communicators at the University, you expand your
professional network across campuses. We rarely get a break to talk with our
fellow colleagues and this is an excellent opportunity.

3. Keep up with the trends in the communications field and be
inspired by inspiring people.
This year's conference has two
keynote speakers that are industry leaders. Krista Neher is an expert on social
media and will be addressing how higher education institutions can make social
media work for us. Debra Frasier, author and illustrator, will help guide you
on your path of creativity, something every communicator needs.

4. Attend together as a teambuilding activity.

Attending the conference as a team means you can talk about which sessions will
provide you with the most skills and choose your tracks together. Creating a report for your supervisor about
the sessions you attend also helps outline what you learned. Then you can discuss your day at the reception, surrounded by inspiring art at the Katherine E. Nash Gallery.

5. Gain topic-specific experience.

The strategies, tools, and skills that you learn can be taken back to your
department and applied immediately. The conference offers you two keynote
speakers and three breakout sessions geared to give you the tools that you
need to be the best at what you do.

Don't delay and register today!

Last chance to enter the Maroon & Gold Awards

Remember that awards entries are due by noon on Thursday, March 21. We know that you are doing great work, and we want to recognize you for it!

We particularly would like to see more entries for use of the Driven to Discover campaign theme, "Discovery illuminates everyone". Read about the categories and judging criteria.

Won't your boss be pleased when you tell her that you've won an award? By the way, you can invite her (or him) to the awards ceremony at our fabulous member appreciation party on May 29 at the Weisman Art Museum. 

Don't forget, entering is free. Learn more and enter.

--Ann Nordby, co-chair, awards committee

And the winner is ...

Have you produced good work in the past year? Of course you have, and you should be recognized for it in front of your peers! Start picking out your best work of the past year to enter in the 2013 Maroon and Gold Awards. The submission period is March 1-21.

Entering is free, and there are 22 categories all told for print, web, campaign, writing and more. See all the categories, past winners and details on the UMCF website.

This year we will give a new award for best use of the "Illuminate" Driven to Discover campaign theme. Also new this year, the "people's choice" MIKE award is going fully digital. Once submissions are in you will be able to see all the entries and vote for them online.

All the winners will be revealed and winning entries displayed at our fabulous Member Appreciation Party on May 29 at the Weisman Art Museum. (Along with mulling your MAG awards entries, you should start selecting your +1 now.) Watch for an e-mail on March 1 with complete instructions for entering.

Here are some tips for entering (and winning) a MAG award:

• You can't win if you don't enter. And people who win a lot of awards have usually entered multiple times in multiple categories.


• If you produced anything using the D2D Illuminate campaign, be sure to enter it. One of this year's MAG judges is from Olson, the agency that created the campaign.


• Crying when you receive an award is completely optional.

--Ann Nordby, awards committee co-chair

My Favorite UMCF Program

The UMCF Programs Committee has put together a list of some of their favorite programs in recent years. Do you have a favorite program? Join the discussion!

Cullean Colby, Associate Administrator, Carlson IT
department
My favorite program was last year's "Beginner's Circle: Videography 101". Michael Teachout, the Carlson Instructional Media Coordinator, created a presentation based on the questions
and topics gathered from attendees via a participant survey. The event topics
were perfectly catered to those who attended! We discussed camera options,
general planning for a video shoot, necessary video software, and University
resources. Most of the attendees were able to stay for lunch where we
continued the conversation with more questions and shared similar video related
struggles and issues. I loved watching the attendees collaborate, share
experiences, formulate ideas, and make connections while enjoying pizza!

Melissa Pierce, Communications, Extension Center for Youth
Development
My favorite program was "How to avoid death by
PowerPoint: Tips for giving better presentations" in April 2011. It was
very engaging, funny, and useful. I refer back to many of Todd
Reubold's tips when creating presentations.

Sarah Howard, Communications Manager, School of Journalism and Mass
Communication
The most helpful program for me was the Communications Job Study Panel. Within
the U, the communications jobs family had just undergone a restructuring and
some changes were made. UMCF gathered those who were behind the changes and had
them explain the changes and what it meant for communicators. All of my
questions were answered and I learned a lot about how jobs are structured
across the University. I'm not sure where I would have gone for this
information without this panel! With this type of event, I really felt like
UMCF was watching out for me!

Stephanie
O'Donnell, Executive Office & Administrative Specialist, Extension
Technology
I
joined the Communicators Forum earlier this year and have already had the
privilege of attending several great programs. My favorite thus far was the
"For the Common Good" Exhibit at Anderson Library this fall. Not only did I
benefit from hearing more about the archiving services the University libraries
offer communicators and departments on campus, but I also appreciated the
guided tour of the exhibit and the subsequent discussion surrounding the
history of the University of Minnesota as a land grant institution. It was a
great way to feel connected to the University and its strong community of
communicators.

Katie Evans, Lead Events Coordinator, Institute for Global Studies
The Communicators Forum program that I found most useful was the "Working
with University Relations" on November 15, 2012. It helped me get a better
sense of what types of stories the University was interested in promoting on a
larger scale. The program was also great to put faces with names and be able to
know who the direct contacts for different needs are.

5 steps to maximize your membership

The Communicators Forum board recently sent this email inviting members to make it your communications year and take advantage of membership benefits and value.

Here are five steps to maximize your membership.

STEP 1: Complete this brief member survey by Friday, November 16.

STEP 2:
Save the date for these signature events:

• 
  Member Appreciation Event - May 29, 2013, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis
• Annual Conference - June 25, 2013, all day, Carlson School of Management, Minneapolis
  

STEP 3:
Plan to enter your best work in this year's Maroon and Gold Awards, entries due February or March 2013 for work done anytime in 2012.

STEP 4:
Attend a program. The next two are:

• November 15, 12-1:30 p.m., 100 Murphy Hall - Beginner's Circle: Working with University Relations (panel discussion)
  
• December 5, 12-1:30 p.m., 2-233 Carlson School of Management - Expert Insights with Dave Pyle, former bureau chief of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Associated Press
  
  

STEP 5:
Give yourself a creative reboot and try something new.

• Volunteer for a committee
• Visit a museum or see a performance on campus
• Explore UMCF communications resources, comment on Pinterest, tweet or retweet your UMCF colleagues
• Get creative sharing ideas in the comments on the member survey
• Comment on this blog

FULL EMAIL TO MEMBERS BELOW

Communicators Forum members,

As a Communicators Forum member you are part of a network of professional communicators who are smart, talented, inspiring, outspoken, strategic, reflective, candid, diplomatic, pragmatic, resourceful, thoughtful, pioneering ...

who execute social media campaigns, plan and write website content, design educational materials, set strategic direction, consult on best practices, create compelling videos, pitch stories that showcase the U's impact, manage creative teams, tell stories that matter ...

and the list goes on!

The volunteers working behind the scenes to make things happen have an exciting year planned for you (yes, YOU), with some programming and key dates below. We want you to make it = YOUR YEAR. It's the year of the communicator. Your year.

Some steps to maximize your membership:

STEP 1:

So we can shape activities to meet your interests, complete this brief member survey by Friday, November 16.

STEP 2:

Save the date for these signature events:

Member Appreciation Event - Year of the Communicator

May 29, 2013, 4:30-6:30 p.m., Weisman Art Museum, Minneapolis

This new event will celebrate members with appetizers and cocktails; inspiring display of awards entries, Mike (people's choice) judging, and awards ceremony (separated from the annual conference); group palm readings, and more surprises.

Annual Conference - Year of the Communicator

June 25, 2013, all day, Carlson School of Management, Minneapolis

The annual conference will be one to remember with a new location and exciting lineup in the works. Be sure to share any speaker/topic ideas on the member survey!

STEP 3:

Plan to enter your best work in this year's Maroon and Gold Awards. Submissions will be due sometime in February or March 2013, for work done anytime in 2012. All entries will be displayed and awards given at the member appreciation event in May. Share ideas for new awards categories on the member survey.

STEP 4:

Attend a program. Thanks to everyone who was at Wednesday's tour of the For the Common Good exhibit at Andersen Library, and congrats to raffle winner Allison Gahlon (Learning Abroad Center)!

• November 15, 12-1:30 p.m., 100 Murphy Hall - Beginner's Circle: Working with University Relations (panel discussion)


• December 5, 12-1:30 p.m., 2-233 Carlson School of Management - Expert Insights with Dave Pyle, former bureau chief of the Minnesota/Wisconsin Associated Press

Learn more and register >

STEP 5:

Give yourself a creative reboot. Take a walk. Go to a museum on campus. Visit the Forum website, comment on the blog, (check out these past poll results, very fun--many introverts and English majors!). Volunteer for a committee by contacting one of the chairs listed below. Forward this email and spread the word to colleagues who aren't members--that $40 goes a long way for value.

Whatever steps you take (whatever moves you make), we hope you dare to make it your communications year.

Sincerely,

your Communicators Forum Board of Directors, 2012-13

Kate Sophia, chair / Academic Support Resources

Rebecca Noran, vice chair / Academic Health Center

Kelly O'Brien, chair emerita / College of Liberal Arts

Sarah Hollerich, at-large director / Academic Support Resources

Melissa Wray, recorder / Northrop Concerts and Lectures

Didi Nguyen, treasurer / Academic Support Resources

Lani Payette, chair, technology committee / Training Services

Katie Covey, co-chair, marketing and promotions committee / Weisman Art Museum

Erin Kober, co-chair, marketing and promotions committee / Student Unions and Activities

Cullean Colby, co-chair, program committee / Carlson School of Management

Jen Thissen, co-chair, program committee / College of Liberal Arts

Kris Junker, co-chair, awards committee / College of Veterinary Medicine

Ann Nordby, co-chair, awards committee / University of Minnesota Extension

Erin Lauderman, co-chair, conference committee / Weisman Art Museum

OPEN: co-chair, conference committee (contact Erin at elauderm@umn.edu if interested)

Conference Early Bird Deadline Extended to May 18!

Go for the Maroon and Gold

Communicators Forum 2012 Conference

Thursday, July 26, 2012

7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

St. Paul Continuing Education and Conference Center

Parking Map and Directions

The early bird deadline has been extended! Register by May 18 »

Session topics and speakers are now available online »

Go for the Maroon and Gold: Training Tip

Screen
printing. This is quite possibly one of the coolest forms of visual
communication. Conveying a message or brand through images is compelling
and, if you're an art enthusiast like me, more engaging than other
forms of communication (when done well).

A
great example is Twin Cities illustrator and print maker Adam Turman
who tells the story of biking in the Twin Cities through his collection of cycling prints.

Check out how to create the final product in this screen printing tutorial written by Turman.

And,
plan to attend Turman's UMCF conference session "Let's Print" where
he'll talk about the process of screen printing, but more
importantly, he'll be teaching how to pull some actual prints that
attendees can take with home.

Register by April 23 for the discounted rate.

Go for the Maroon and Gold: Training Tip

Social media is a constantly changing suite of tools. While each platform offers communicators valuable ways to engage with their audience and deliver key messages, managing all of them can be a challenge. That's why developing a social media strategy is crucial to posting successful updates.

Learn how to build a social media strategy in three steps and plan to attend the UMCF conference session on developing social media strategy. Rita Greenberg, interactive media specialist at Gillette Children's Specialty Healthcare, will present.

To register for the conference, click here. If you register by April 23, you'll pay the discounted rate of $120. Go for the Maroon and Gold!

Link Roundup: Olympic Design

In light of the upcoming "Go for the Maroon and Gold" conference, happening a day before the 2012 Olympic Games begin, some Olympic design-related links:

• 39 Olympic Logos From 1924 to 2012 


• Summer Olympic logos from 1896 to 2012, including many of the more colorful posters and logos


• The London Olympic Games Organising Committee on the 2012 Olympic brand: "The number 2012 is our brand. It is universal and understandable worldwide."
• According to an Olympic medals timeline, the London 2012 design is the largest Summer Olympics medal to date.
  


• Finally, who doesn't love the 2012 Olympics logo?

And don't forget to register for the conference. Rates go up after April 23!

Annual Conference with NPR's Michele Norris

"Go for the Maroon and Gold"

Thursday, July 26, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., St. Paul Continuing Education and Conference Center

• Register for the conference »

This year's keynote is Michele Norris host of NPR's
"All Things Considered." To us communicators, she is an Olympian. She
has done so much to advance the field and reach her goals that she is an
inspiration, much like a traditional Olympian, to communications
professionals.

• Read Michele Norris' biography »

Tune in on the UMCF Facebook page and Twitter feed for weekly training tips--the tips will preview the conference and provide helpful tricks of our trade along the way!

Telling a story. Or, "What Grog done."

A presentation on Feb. 8 at Walter Library brought Matt Jennings and communications professionals at several universities throughout the U.S. together via a web conference to talk about what makes a story. Jennings is a great writer, currently working for Middlebury College. 

But storytelling, no matter the medium--and these days there are many--essentially maintains similar elements. It likely always has, from the first time a story was ever told, somewhere long ago, probably in a cave. Maybe it went like this: "Grog got up tree. Hit the big thing with club. Surprise! Thing fall down. We eat. Full. Feel good now" (followed by, oohs, ahhs, and some small applause).

That's a story. Beginning, middle, end. Some element of tension. A plot. 

Jennings specifically called out a few key elements I found helpful to keep in mind when considering, first, whether a story is a story at all; and second, how to write it once you decide it's a go. 

First: is it a story or a topic? 

A topic, according to Jennings, is static, passive, and is about "things." "Bill Smith: Alumnus of the Year" is a topic."Alumni in Hollywood" is a topic. Topics by themselves are not stories, but dig deeper and they may become more. 

Elements of a story include characters, dialogue, plot, tension, and scene. Personally, I feel like you get the most out of dialogue and tension. Tension, especially...if you can find some emotional connection and convey that to your audience, you can transfer the emotion. That can mean asking your characters hard questions sometimes. 

A story, then, is active, about people (not things), and shows; it isn't all tell.

Jennings says to find out if you have a story, ask, "Why does this matter?" and "Will people care?" Then, find out the players and how to tell it. Think about visuals or artwork from the beginning, he says--about how to tell the total story. And when it comes to characters, he says, "Don't tell the story of the army. Tell the story of the soldier." Tell the story from a unique perspective and show the audience things they would not see otherwise. A recent story on Northrop Auditorium's renovation is a pretty good example here, as the photographer and I were lucky enough to get access to the interior during demolition. Do all that, and one gets the idea that in the end, you'll be telling the story of the army more effectively simply by telling the story of the soldier. 

------

Speaking of storytelling, tell yours. U communicators meet monthly to share stories. Next meeting is Feb. 9, 3 p.m., 510 Morrill Hall.

Awards Season is Nigh!

Greetings fellow Communicators! If you were at the Experts Insights with Cyndy Brucato on Monday, you heard some exciting news about the Awards this year! If you weren't there, I guess I'll tell you now...

But first! Our new members might be curious about what the "awards" are. Maroon & Gold awards are presented annually to University
of Minnesota Communicators Forum members whose work
best embodies the University's core values: excellence,
innovation, integrity, diversity, academic freedom, collaboration,
sharing of knowledge, accountability, stewardship, and
service. Awards are submitted annually, judged by an independent panel of outside experts in communications topics, and awarded during the annual conference.  Receiving an award is kind of a big deal...not only personally, but professionally. In this day and age where we are all justifying our value to our colleges and units, an award from the UMCF says to your leadership that you and your work are highly valued and respected.

Here is the UMCF Awards website, where you can read all about the categories, eligibility, etc. Please note that we are in the process of updating the pages.

So, the big news for 2012 is that awards are FEE FREE!! That's right! You do not have to pay a single cent towards awards submissions this year. That means you have no excuse not to enter all your fabulous work! The awards submission window is March 1-March 30. The one change to the process due to the free fees is that we had to do a little something different with the MIKE Award. The MIKE Award is the "People's Choice" award, voted on at the conference. In the past, it was an additional $5 fee for an already entered item. This year, we have decided to cap the MIKE entries at 30. Each college or unit may submit up to 2 entries to be considered for MIKE. These 30 entries are first come, first served, so don't procrastinate!

Our last bit of news is that we are adding a new subcategory to the Writing category. In the past, we have noticed that articles of a more technical nature were not receiving the recognition deserved because they weren't as "captivating" to the judges when compared to other work, like magazine features, etc. We feel that technical writing, while maybe not as glamorous as speech or feature writing, is very much worth recognition because when done well, it is really amazing. More information and criteria will be added to the website soon.

We'll be sharing more information on the Listserv once we get closer to awards submission month! Have a happy February!

Venue change for Nov 30 event! Maximizing Your Social Media Influence

Expert Insights: Maximizing Your Social Media Influence

November 30, 3 p.m
Akerman Hall, Room 319 McNamara Alumni Center, Room 235
Presenters are Jennifer Kane and Kary Delaria of Kane Consulting

Jen and Kary are social media
consultants with an impressive client list. They will talk about how to
set goals and measure success in social media beyond return on
investment. For those of you who haven't heard them speak -- they are
insightful and entertaining. Heavy appetizers will be served.