Academic Freedom

There's been a lot of talk lately about academic freedom. As communicators at a public university, it should inform everything we do. If you are wondering what exactly our policy on academic freedom is, look no further.

BOARD OF REGENTS POLICY ON ACADEMIC FREEDOM AND RESPONSIBILITY

SECTION I. GUIDING PRINCIPLES.

The Board of Regents (Board) of the University of Minnesota (University) reaffirms the principles of academic freedom
and responsibility. These are rooted in the belief that the mind is
ennobled by the pursuit of understanding and the search for truth, and
the state well served when instruction is available to all at an
institution dedicated to the advancement of learning. These principles
are also refreshed by the recollection that there is commune vinculum omnibus artibus, a common bond through all the arts.

SECTION II. ACADEMIC FREEDOM.

Academic freedom is the freedom
to discuss all relevant matters in the classroom, to explore all
avenues of scholarship, research, and creative expression, and to speak
or write without institutional discipline or restraint on matters of
public concern as well as on matters related to professional duties and
the functioning of the University.

SECTION III. ACADEMIC RESPONSIBILITY.

Academic responsibility
implies the faithful performance of professional duties and obligations,
the recognition of the demands of the scholarly enterprise, and the
candor to make it clear that when one is speaking on matters of public
interest, one is not speaking for the institution.

Twins Baseball and corporate speak in academia..or, "Word optometry"

Ron Gardenhire, manager of the Minnesota Twins, is not a professor of baseball, but last night after the Twins game he had a teaching moment, at least for one reporter. "He learned him good," you might say.

Gardenhire is an angry man, and has been ejected from a higher-percentage of games (per games coached) than any other baseball manager. When a player asked him something to the effect of how do you see the Twins "moving forward" into the playoffs, Gardenhire replied (paraphrasing, as I can't find the actual press conference footage, "Moving forward? What the hell does that mean, moving forward? Do you want to move forward into the next room and ask me the same question? Because if you do, I'll give you the same answer." He is an angry man.

But "moving forward" is a weasel word, there's no doubt. It says and asks nothing specific, and as far as providing an actual vision for anything, it is a word in dire need of an optometrist.

We're guilty of weasel words at the U, too. I have a friend who used to play a game called "Bu** Sh** Bingo," which is probably explanation enough.

So how do we avoid language like this? How do we talk and communicate like normal people? It might help to first look at causes, and then maybe we can find the corrective lenses.

Self-consciousness is surely a cause, perhaps especially in academia. Trying to sound flashy and smart in a sea of PhD's is a natural inclination, but if it's not a natural you, people will see through it, and whatever you're trying to convey will be lost. Word obesity is often the phrase used to describe the outcomes, like when I tell people that I work in "Universitas Relatus." If you say what you mean, you're much more likely to mean what you say, and those who hear you are more likely to see what you say and believe.

Check out some examples from this great blog, and feel free to add your own or comment at will.

• If you want ice in your drink, do you think about it as "adding value"?

• Do you "request the status of the deliverable" when you're wondering if lunch is ready?

• We don't help set something up, we "coordinate to facilitate it".

Here's some more on talking normal from our British friends.

Lastly, can anyone suggest a faculty member who might be willing to give a tutorial on the subject, perhaps even sharing insights about communications at the U?

Social media and alumni

Last week I saw a great social media presentation by Amy Phenix with Macalester College. Her team is finding creative ways to target their alumni through Facebook ads and posts. Her presentation showed how they are reaping the benefits through increased alumni interactions, awareness-building, and fundraising.

Are you reaching out to alumni online? Post tactics that you have found effective.

 

Average open rates for communications at the U

I received a question from the Forum's chair elect Kelly O'Brien, who recently began a new CLA newsletter for faculty, staff, and student workers (mostly grad students, I believe) as to what are the average open rates (unique opens) for regular email updates/newsletters here at the U. I told her that for Brief, the number varies between 20-25% and has seen 30% on some occasions.

Matt Sumera in University Relations gave me stats on some recent high-profile emails, and those seem to average unique open rates of around 18%.

An interesting analysis on open rates by list size can be found at open rates by size.

For those of you who track your open rates, where do you fare?

U. of Kentucky Encourages Students to Check In via Facebook

Here's an idea about using Facebook's new Places location service on a college campus:

The University of Kentucky has planted giant, wooden pointer thingies --
like the tab that marks the map in the Facebook Places logo -- on its
campus to encourage students to check in at school.

"We're encouraging students to check in, so when they do, it'll show up
in their news feed and maybe their friends still in high school will see
it over and over again," said Kelley Bozeman, Big Blue's marketing
director, adding that the university's marketing efforts are focused on
undergraduate recruitment.

Read more

CASE V Mini-Conference "The Meaning of 'Like': Social Media and the New World Order"

How do blogging, Facebook, and other social media impact advancement?

Discover "The Meaning of 'Like': Social Media and the New World Order" at the CASE V Morning Mini-Conference Thursday, September 16.

Find out how blogging fits in with new social media. Discover how to measure activity and its impact. And, probe a case study on Facebook ads. Presenters:

• Mark Engebretson, Director of Electronic Communications at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health

• Amy Phenix, Director, Communications and Public Relations at Macalester College

• Paul Sorenson, Director of New Media and Brand Strategy at the Minnesota Medical Foundation.

Schedule:

    8-8:30 a.m. Registration and continental breakfast
    8:30-10 a.m. Panel presentation and Q&A

Events are in the Ski U Mah Room at the McNamara Alumni Center, 200 Oak St. S., Minneapolis. Registration is only $30 for CASE V members and $35 for others.

Swimming in Lake Superior with the Communicators Forum

Not long ago I was reading a story in the New York Times about some hardy folks up north that do not shy away, evidently, from icicles in their beards. This summer, it seems, according the the U's Minnesota Sea Grant project, Lake Superior is on track for possibly its warmest waters on record. So grab your swimming suit and take advantage, and while you're there, recruit other Forum members who will be attending the Sept. 17 Forum event, "Effective Outreach to Target Audiences." It's an opportunity to learn all about internet marketing success, ice beards not included. More details below:

Effective Outreach to Target Audiences
Friday, September 17, 2010

3 p.m. Program, Weber Music Hall:

Marty Weintraub, founder of aimClear, and Manny Rivas, aimClear SEO account manager, will explain the tools that build internet marketing success: pay per click, search engine optimization, online marketing, using social media, technical audits, reputation monitoring, and driving traffic. What works, what doesn't and why? Marty Weintraub is in demand as a speaker on this subject and we are grateful to UMCF member Cheryl Reitan of UMD for arranging this program.  aimClear is an Internet-focused advertising agency with a national client base and is located in Duluth, Minnesota. It offers clients a full service array of state-of the-art services and best-in-class demographic research capabilities. Their practice centers around online marketing and their client list includes well known US publishers and household brands.

This program is co-sponsored by the UMCF, UMD Labovitz School of Business and Economics, UMD Communicators Counci,l and The American Advertising Federation.

4 p.m. Refreshments and networking with the Ad Fed, UMD communicators, and Labovitz School students

6 p.m. Drinks at Zeitgeist Arts Café

7 p.m. Dinner at Zeitgeist Arts Café

The Suites Hotel at Waterfront Plaza (Canal Park) is holding rooms at $85 (studio king suite, sleeps 2-4), $90 (studio double suite, sleeps 2-4), and $100 (one bedroom king suite, sleeps 2-6) for Friday, September 17. Reserve by phone and mention the UMD Communicators Forum. 325 Lake Ave South, Duluth 55802, 218-727-4663, www.thesuitesduluth.com. Booking deadline is August 17.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

9:45 a.m. Free tour of Glensheen Historic Mansion for UMCF members courtesy of UMD

Register online for the program. Book your accommodation directly with the hotel. We will contact registered members for dinner and Glensheen tour bookings. Carpooling is encouraged.