Conference Schedule

Wednesday, June 9:

noon to 1:15: Lunch Buffet

1:30  to 1:45 PM: Welcome

1:45 to 3:15 PM: Plenary Session with Conference Faculty

Integration: Trends, Significance, and Future

Scott Jaschik, Editor, Inside Higher Ed
Fritz McDonald, Vice President for Creative Strategy, Stamats
Kathy Cole, President, West Wind Consulting Strategies in Fund Raising, LLC
Elizabeth Scarborough, CEO and Partner, SimpsonScarborough
Jerry Smith, President, The J.F. Smith Group

3:15  to 3:30 PM: Break

3:30 to 4:45 PM: CONCURRENT SESSION #1

Breaking Down Silos: Organizing for Integrated Marketing and Communications Success
Presenter: Barbara O'Malley, Associate Vice President Communications, The University of Akron

Tracks: Alumni, Development, Government Relations, Marketing, Publications, Public Relations, Web

As collaboration becomes the norm and cross-discipline cooperation
become part of the higher education landscape, integrated marketing and
communications are taking on a new role. They can be a catalyst for
enhanced cooperation and collaboration among various colleges, schools,
majors, and departments. Effective alignment between marketing, public
relations, development, internal communications, government relations,
and athletics is critical to success. In this session, we’ll suggest a
roadmap for optimal integration of marketing and communications. Learn
how you might enhance communications and transparency through formal
and informal organizational structure, including direct and dotted-line
reporting. Leave the session with five steps to harnessing the
communications expertise available within your institution to create a
more powerful and integrated voice to enhance your brand.

Building Relationships        
Presenter: Paula Peter, President, The Solstice Group

Tracks: Alumni, Development, Government Relations, Marketing, Public Relations

Relationship building is both an art and a discipline. In this session,
Paula will help define what it means to build strong philanthropic
relationships and outline techniques for putting in place the
structural support to bring focus to your efforts.

A View from the Nation’s Capitol           
Presenter: Scott Jaschik, Editor, Inside Higher Ed 

Tracks: Development, Government Relations, Public Relations

This session will include an overview on the state of education funding
at the federal level. Where is the Obama administration heading and can
they get there? Inside Higher Ed’s Scott Jaschik will review the major
federal initiatives related to higher education and what effect they
might have on your SUNY institution. He will also look at the
relationship between federal policy and state policy as they relate to
higher education.

Do-it-Yourself Marketing Research
Presenter: Elizabeth Scarborough, CEO and Partner, SimpsonScarborough

Tracks: Marketing, Publications, Public Relations, Web

Few marketers have the budget needed to hire professional firms to
conduct the type of on-going research we all need to drive our
marketing programs. If you want marketing intelligence but can’t afford
to pay huge fees, educate yourself on the basics of qualitative and
quantitative analysis and learn to do some of the work yourself. In
this session, we’ll discuss cost-effective ways to conduct in-house
projects including in-depth interviews, focus groups, and even survey
research. We’ll cover all the basics and provide resources you can use
to develop a foundational knowledge of marketing research principles
that will serve you well throughout your entire career.

The Social Funnel: Social Media for Graduate and Adult Student Marketing
Presenter: Fritz McDonald, Vice President for Creative Strategy, Stamats

Tracks: Alumni, Development, Marketing, Public Relations, Web

Many graduate schools and adult programs would like to embrace social
media as a new marketing tool, but are not sure how to use it to
achieve recruiting goals. In spite of this, social media may be ideally
suited for these institutions, especially in a time of shrinking
applicant pools. Graduate and adult students have a much stronger need
for community than traditional undergraduates. Recent research from the
Pew Internet Foundation tells us that older adults are getting onto
social networks—in fact, adults now make up a larger portion of the US
population on social networks than teens. In this session, Fritz will
review social media principles and practices that apply to this unique
market. We’ll discuss the most effective and current social tools, the
core elements of an effective social media strategy, and the resources
you’ll need to integrate social media into your graduate and adult
student marketing. We’ll also look at how institutions like Boston
College and UC Berkeley are succeeding with social media.

Tying Together Students and Their 2.0 Tools
Presenter: Kevin Prentiss, Red Rover

The directory on most college websites still works on the online
phonebook model and hasn't changed much in ten years. Web 2.0 has given
us folksonomies. It's time that we used them to better connect
students, staff, and departments. In this session, Kevin will cover a
case study from John Jay University, where John Jay allowed students to
attach their preferred social network and Web 2.0 tools to the school
directory. This mashup creates a rich profile for increased
searchability and service within the educational context. The
combination of various online tools can create streams of
student-created content. Whole new worlds of cross-department
collaboration, authentic content, and live assessment open up when we
allow students to combine their preferred web tools and networks with
the school web presence.

4:45 to 6 PM: Free Time

6 to 7 PM: Reception

7 to 9 PM: Awards Dinner
* SUNYCUAD Awards
* Charlton Scholars

Thursday, June 10:

8 AM: Breakfast

8:30 to 9:15 AM: Chancellor Nancy L. Zimpher: The Power of SUNY

9:30  to 10:45 AM: CONCURRENT SESSION #2

The Art of the Ask         
Presenter: Kathy Cole, President, West Wind Consulting Strategies in Fund Raising, LLC.

Tracks: Alumni, Development

In this session, Kathy will help you shift the paradigm for what asking
is all about, find effective and respectful language for making the
“ask” and, as the asker, get clear on what is and what is not your
responsibility.

Measuring the ROI of Integrated Marketing and Branding Initiatives
Presenter: Elizabeth Scarborough, CEO and Partner, SimpsonScarborough 

Tracks: Alumni, Marketing, Publications, Public Relations, Web

Higher education marketing professionals are under tremendous pressure
to prove the effectiveness of their marketing and branding
initiatives.  To ensure continued funding, marketing offices must
measure return on investment and communicate success to the right
people.  This takes time, energy, and a strong understanding of
marketing measurement—all of which can be difficult to come by. This
session will provide you with a step-by-step primer on how you can (and
can’t) measure the return on investment for integrated marketing and
branding initiatives.  You’ll learn best practices, potential pitfalls,
and more than twenty examples of how you can calculate the ROI of your
marketing initiatives.

The Strategic Messaging Exchange: Integrated Messages for Cross Channel Communications
Presenter: Carol Leven, Assistant Vice President of Communications, Fashion Institute of Technology

Tracks: Marketing, Development, Publications, Public Relations, Web

FIT’s marketing department is not the only communications hub in the
college, which is true of many academic institutions. Faculty, deans,
and administrators publish to web sites, write grant proposals, and
talk with prospective students, parents, alumni, and public officials.
Through the communications office’s efforts, FIT adopted five key
institutional messages for use in the college’s centrally-created
marketing communications. The challenge was how to integrate the
program throughout the institution by getting departments to adopt the
messages as their own, while also developing related key language for
each major area. In this session, we’ll discuss FIT’s Strategic
Messaging Exchange, an engaging, effective, and cost-efficient workshop
that achieved buy-in from every participant—even the most recalcitrant
chair. The result was on-point, ready messages for all institutional
departments for all types of communications. We will talk you through
the process and help you learn how to put together a model to take back
to their campuses.

Alumni Engagement 2.0: Creating a Total Web Presence for Alumni
Presenters: Kimberly MacLeod, Communications and New Media Manager, SUNY
Delhi Christopher Quereau, Creative Director/Owner, GrafiQa Creative Services

Tracks: Alumni, Public Relations, Web

In this session, we’ll walk you through a web engagement plan created
for the SUNY Delhi’s Alumni Association. We will address the strategy
behind the creation of a microsite for alumni 40-65 years of age and
how Web 2.0 and social media technology were tailored for the target
audience. We will show how these tools were used, not merely as bells
and whistles, but as solid tactics that related to the overall goals
and objectives of the plan. In addition, we will cover how the
microsite’s content identity was developed, how messages were tied to
tactics, and how the plan created a total web presence by aggregating
content and pushing it out to external sites across the Web. Most
importantly, the presentation will show how measurement tools and a
“listening schedule” can evaluate the success of these endeavors. 

The Real-Time Web          
Presenter: Colin Nekritz, Director/Principal, Image Wranglers

Tracks: Alumni, Marketing, Public Relations, Web

The next big evolution of the internet is upon us, the real-time web,
the “always on” experience. Innovation is happening with real time
messaging and interactivity. From Twitter to Google Wave, the pace of
disseminating information is getting quicker and moving toward real
time. In this session, we’ll discuss the realtime web, from a
non-technical aspect, and look at examples and how it's being used,
both in higher education and in business.

10:45 to 11 AM: Break

11 to 12:15 PM: CONCURRENT SESSION #3

Trends in Fund-Raising: What’s In, What’s Out
Presenter: Jerry Smith, President, The J.F. Smith Group

Tracks: Development

The 21st century donor is not the same as the 20th century donor. 
Donors today are much more savvy and involved, and need a slightly
different approach.  Above and beyond our changing communication, from
direct mail to electronic mail, today’s fund-raiser needs to be a
facilitator.  In this session, we will discuss current trends in
fund-raising.  Learn how you can address the current needs and
opportunities within your prospective donor constituency.

Successfully launching and marketing a comprehensive campaign
depends heavily on leveraging the existing identity that is shared
among an institution’s key stakeholders. How do you prepare for a
campaign when your institution has a stronger identity among its parts
than its whole? How do you complement the existing brand loyalties with
“Crest” and “Tide” while getting people equally excited about “Proctor
& Gamble”?  At the University of Rochester, the office of
advancement grabbed the reins and conducted extensive qualitative and
quantitative research with both alumni and friends to explore and
discover the core elements of UR’s identity. In this session, we’ll
discuss the research, the results, and how they are being applied.
We’ll also describe the challenges and opportunities associated with
such an effort.

The Transparent Ask: Social Media Strategy for Institutional Fundraising
Presenter: Fritz McDonald, Vice President for Creative Strategy, Stamats

While we’ve seen some social media success stories on the
marketing and admissions side, college and university development
officers are just starting to explore this brave new world, from UC
Berkeley’s Great Minds Online alumni community to LaSalle University’s
Nonprofit University blog. Social media is a natural fit for
institutions seeking to build communities of engagement, especially in
fundraising. The challenge: using social media successfully requires a
change in fundraising culture, a shifting of priorities from targeting
donors to earning their trust. This presentation will discuss the
fundamental building blocks of a viable college social media
fundraising program, from strategic participation to optimal
transparency, and cover key tactics such as optimizing web sites for
social communication. It will also cover how such a program fits into a
larger institutional fundraising campaign, how it scales to meet the
unique demands of college audiences, and how it will change alumni
relations and advancement offices.

The Rise of Online Journalism. Have the Rules Changed?
Presenter: Scott Jaschik, Editor, Inside Higher Ed

Has higher education journalism and, concurrently, our
relationship with the media changed significantly over the past ten
years? Inside Higher Ed co-founder and editor Scott Jaschik will
discuss the rise of online journalism and the growing effects of social
media.  Scott will cover the foundations of pitching to a national
entity like Inside Higher Ed, and also discuss the ways the Web
continues to change how news about your school is generated,
disseminated, and consumed.


Implementing Your Agenda through Integrated Advocacy                                     
Presenter: Ryan McPherson, University at Buffalo

Tracks: Government Relations, Public Relations, Marketing

Implementing one’s legislative agenda is never easy, but doing it
without using all the available tools is nearly impossible. Integrated
advocacy is about strategically incorporating all the relevant
institutional players and resources to advance public policy and
funding objectives for your institution.  In this session, Ryan will
provide a case study of an integrated advocacy campaign in action. 
Elements of the campaign consist of several interconnected parts: a
grassroots network; lobbying; coalition building; public policy
development; direct, paid, and earned communication; and other key
elements that leverage the resources an institution needs to achieve
excellence, growth, and impact.  The context for this integrated
advocacy campaign will draw heavily from the UB 2020 initiative that
the University at Buffalo is pursuing as a vehicle to become a
preeminent public research university and develop an innovation economy
for Upstate New York.  

Is Print Dead?
Presenters: Panel Discussion

Where is print headed in a world that is increasingly driven by
web and digital content? What is your role in all this? How can you
continue to be a viable part of the publications process as the times
change?  In this session, we will discuss a variety of topics such as
college catalogs and course listings, using recycled content and other
green processes, creating online forms, long-document electronic
publishing and more.

Grant Writing Basics                                                                                                             
Presenter: Dan McCormack, Binghamton University

Tracks: Development

In this session, Dan will cover the basic components of common
grant proposals, including the need to be addressed in the project,
goals and objectives, plan of operation, evaluation, and budget.  Other
topics to be covered include: the general questions that have to be
addressed when developing ideas for grant funding, and the
identification of potential funding sources.

12:15 to 1:30 PM: Lunch and SUNYCUAD Business Meeting

Major on the Majors: Identifying Major Gift Prospects                                    
Presenter:  Jerry Smith, President, The J.F. Smith Group

Tracks: Development

In this session, Jerry will focus on major gift prospects and will
include information on assessment tools and techniques in advancement
that help identify these prospects. You will learn all the appropriate
steps in dealing with prospects, including building a prospect pool,
compiling and managing prospect information effectively, prospect
evaluation, prospect communication, and making the ask.

Lessons Learned from a Fast-Paced and Complex Integrated Brand Strategy
Presenters: Paula Monaco, Director of Communications and Marketing,
Hudson Valley Community College, Josanne DeNatale, Vice President &
Co-Founder, Cognitive Marketing Inc., and Laurie Bennett, Vice
President/Media, Tipping Point Media

A community college is among the most complex of learning
institutions in terms of the constituents it serves and the range of
programs it offers. Students pass through its halls at a rapid pace,
and while many are grateful for the education received, most leave
without becoming loyal alumni. Developing an integrated brand that
engages all constituents poses challenges, but it can happen, and the
lessons learned are instructive for other institutions, large and
small. In this session, we will share multiple perspectives and review
the successful brand program being implemented at Hudson Valley
Community College. We will compare this to how brand plays out at
various other institutions. Attendees are asked to submit examples of
challenges and successes they have faced in developing their brand
programs to be used as part of the interactive discussion portion of
the session. 

Integration Works!                                                                                     
Presenters: Jodi Bailey, Director of Marketing, Sue Goetschius,
Director of Communications, Gary Roberts, Director of ITS, Alfred
University

Alfred University recently took on the daunting task of redesigning
its website – in house. The offices of communications, ITS, and
marketing collaborated to bring this project to fruition. The directors
of communication and marketing served as the ‘clients’ while the
university designer and the web team infused the needs of various
campus constituents. Student focus groups provided input on the design
and content. AU’s previous website was completed in 2000 – it was
definitely in need of a face lift. The new site was done in conjunction
with updated and comprehensive identity standards, which include both
print and electronic elements to help ensure consistency in branding.
Doing the project inhouse was a necessity because of budget
constraints. The new website went live in November 2009.

Marketing Assessment Tools & Techniques on a Tight Budget                             

Presenters: Michelle Ashby, President/CEO, Tipping Point Media, Nicolette Hawks, New Media Specialist, Tipping Point Media

As New York State academic institutions face significant budget
reductions, there is increasing pressure to quantify the results and
impact of public relations, marketing, and advancement efforts.
Accountability and return on investment (ROI) are a recurring theme in
strategy and planning meetings. Michelle will discuss inexpensive, but
valuable marketing tools that can stretch your budget while justifying
the time, energy, and effort associated with implementing these
tactics. From analytics reports to tagging ads to monitoring chatter on
social networks, these ideas can enhance any marketing campaign. We
will showcase online college search sites that connect you to your
ideal student. We will demonstrate how behavioral, geographic, and
contextual targeting can reduce “waste” and how layering social
networking into the marketing mix will assist in developing a
relationship with the target. Once this relationship begins, the online
measurement tools we’ve presented will track students moving through
the recruitment funnel, ultimately leading to the retention of
qualified applicants.

Leadership Session:  Problem Solving for  CAOs
Presenter: Kathy Cole, President, West Wind Consulting Strategies in Fundraising, LLC.

Tracks: Development, Senior Leaders

Chief advancement officers sometimes find themselves in the middle
of some pretty “sticky” situations. This session is designed to help
CAOs steer through and even prevent these scenarios that can de-rail
productivity and/or threaten the quality of donor relationships.  
Kathy Cole will facilitate this highly interactive case study session
as participants work together to address several real-life situations. 
Participants will learn from one another while following a process for
diagnosing the problems presented, assessing the resources available,
and identifying the options for resolution.

11 AM: Conference adjourns