Month: January 2007

Just what I need: another blog to feed

Yes, I’ve unleashed another blog on the world. But this one is work-related, and my hope is that it will engage the students, alumni, faculty and staff of our university in an online discussion about a topic that is important to our future.

Name change conversations is the name of the blog, and we’ve launched it to better facilitate the discussion we’re having on our campus about whether to change our name. This site is designed to complement a white paper that outlines the rationale for a name change and to provide students, alumni, etc., with a constructive outlet for discussing the issues.

From the inaugural post:

Welcome to “name change conversations,” a weblog designed to inform the UMR community about Chancellor John F. Carney III’s proposal to change the university’s name to one that better describes its mission as a technological research university. While this is a university website, and is being managed by the UMR director of communications, its purpose is to foster a conversation about the proposal. In other words, we want this blog to be:

  • a source for useful information about the proposed name change.
  • a forum discussion about the issues being raised by the proposal.
  • an avenue for providing up-to-the-minute information about the proposal.

Let’s hope this foray into blogworld serves its purpose.

Friday Five: Quotables from CASE

One of the takeaways from futurist David Zach‘s presentation at the CASE District VI Conference earlier this week was a handout of “FutureQuotes” from Zach’s collection and speeches. Below are five that resonated with me. (Download the PDF for the whole collection.)

  • Civilizations begin with religion and stoicism; they end with skepticism and unbelief, and the undisciplined pursuit of individual pleasure. A civilization is born stoic and dies epicurean. — Will Durant
  • Do not wait for leaders; do it alone, person to person. — Mother Theresa
  • Let us not look back in anger or forward in fear, but around in awareness. — James Thurber
  • The trouble with the rat race is that even if you win, youʼre still a rat. — Lily Tomlin
  • The library is the temple of learning that has liberated more people than all the wars in history. — Carl Rowan

Social networking: a legitimate marketing tool?

Here’s something I was working on before the CASE conference. I’ll get back to CASE stuff starting with the next post. – AC

Bob Sevier of the higher ed marketing firm Stamats wants to know how universities are using social networking as a marketing platform. In the latest issue of Stamats QuickTakes newsletter, he explains that he’s working on a column about social networking for University Business, but he’s “having trouble separating the marketing wheat from the marketing chaff. If you are interested in joining the discussion (and perhaps being quoted in an upcoming column), please take a look at the following questions and e-mail me your responses.”

The questions:

  • How is your institution using social networking to build relationships with either prospective or current students?
  • Has social networking proven to be a helpful tool for you?
  • What site(s) are you using?
  • If you feel social networking has been helpful, what data do you have to support that conclusion?
  • What problems/surprises have you run into as part of your use of social networking?
  • Do you envision social networking becoming a long-term component of your recruiting/marketing plan?

Bob’s email: bob DOT sevier AT stamats DOT com.

Blogging from CASE District VI: post-conference wrapup (coming soon)

I’ve got a lot of notes to process about the rest of the CASE District VI Conference, which ended last night with a lovely banquet and awards presentation. (Congratulations to the UMR Communications Department for winning a total of seven awards, including the coveted “Sweepstakes” award for institutions of our size [5,000-7,500 students]. You guys are a great team!) But it’ll be a few days before I get around to processing. In the meantime, check out Tony’s Kansas City‘s take on his speaking gig at the conference. I was worried TKC would go easy on us, since we’re wonky higher ed newbies, but my fears have been allayed.

Blogging from CASE District VI: futurist David Zach

A quick post to give a hearty thumbs up to our keynote speaker today, futurist David Zach. The guy is one of the few people who actually have a degree in future studies. His presentation — a quick but comprehensive “tour” of the future — was thoughtful and thought provoking, sobering at times (I envisioned a Minority Report-like dystopia more than once during his presentation), and chock full of quotes from G.K. Chesterton, Will Durant, George Bernard Shaw and others. The money quote I took away from this session: The future will be “a society filled with choices, filled with people who don’t know how to choose.” This, he pointed out, is not a technological issue, but a pilosophical — and even theological — issue. Bottom line: choose wisely.

Would love to blog more, but I’m late for a reception.