{This is how experience is gained}

 

Reaffirmation of Accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

January – October 2014, Lees-McRae College

 

Each institution accredited by SACSCOC must undergo a formal review of all operations and processes every ten years. This review process requires the college to write 98 narratives, and provide appropriate evidence, explaining the college’s compliance or non-compliance with SACSCOC and federal regulations in each area of responsibility. My responsibilities included:

• participating as one of six members on the Lees-McRae SACSCOC Reaffirmation Committee

• writing multiple narratives regarding the publicity and measurement of student achievement and crisis communication policies

• reviewing and editing all 98 narratives for accuracy and consistency with official college language and formatting guidelines

• formatting the final document as well as an information sheet to be shipped to SACSCOC review committee members

• editing and designing the layout of the 40-page Quality Enhancement Plan, an internal requirement of reaffirmation

• designing and executing a three month promotional campaign for the Quality Enhancement Plan prior to the on-site visit

 

 

Marketing Strategy for the Office of Admissions

June 2013 – Present, Lees-McRae College

 

Prior to 2013, the Office of Admissions did not employ a strategy for collateral materials. In June 2013, in conjunction with the Design Manager, I developed a two-year marketing strategy that included the re-design of all collateral materials to be more appealing to prospective students and more cost efficient for printing and shipping, and the reimagining of all on-campus communications. The collateral materials, all designed in-house, include a travel piece, view book, rack cards, brochures, envelopes and promotional items. The on-campus communications include emails, posters, flyers, website content and social media content. As a result of this strategy, the college has experienced a:

• 12% increase in enrollment over two years

• 16% increase in current student retention over two years

• 14% increase in positive ratings for communication over one year on main campus (courtesy of the biannual Quality of Life Survey)

 

 

College Promotional Video

August 2014 - January 2015, Lees-McRae College

 

In August 2014, I was charged with the task of creating a college-wide promotional video to be used primarily for recruitment. In conjunction with the rest of the Communications Office, I vetted videographers and determined the overall goals of the video. We settled on the idea of using candid interviews with faculty, staff and students in which we asked questions centered around one main theme, "What makes you passionate about Lees-McRae?" In all, we filmed for three days, captured 16 interviews and more than 25 scenes of B-roll, which resulted in "Your Future Elevated," a three-minute promotional video for Lees-McRae College. Within 10 days of the public release in January 2015, the video was viewed more than 2,100 times in nearly 30 states and 10 countries.