Sorry for violating the one cuss-word policy, but this is getting discouraging. There are already 240 people in this office? OK, that includes the Schnitzer, but how many people are working on logos, fonts, and strategic sidewalk stencils?
Marketing Communications Strategist
University Advancement
Posting: 15046
Location: Eugene
Closes: Open Until Filled
Title: Marketing Communications Strategist
Department: University Advancement
Reports To: Senior Creative Director, Marketing Communications
Term: 1.0 FTE for 12 months (renewable annually)
Salary Range: $80,000 – $100,000
Review Date: Search will remain open until filled. To ensure consideration, please submit application materials by March 3, 2015.
The University of Oregon seeks applications for the Marketing Communications Strategist position. The Marketing Communications unit provides design and editorial services to produce major informational and recruiting publications for the University of Oregon. It also provides creative services for selected offices across campus, including the Office of Enrollment Management, the UO Alumni Association, UO Foundation, the Schools and Colleges, and others. Professional writers, editors, and designers work with departmental clients to ensure that UO marketing communications materials are accurate, well written, well designed, conform to the UO style guidelines and communication standards, are targeted to appropriate audiences, and clearly the product of a distinguished institution of higher education.
University Advancement, of which Marketing Communications is a part, is responsible for strategically positioning the UO with its various constituents and securing resources to further its aims. The division consists of approximately 240 employees primarily working out of Eugene, with offices in Portland and Bend. Departments within University Advancement include: Advancement/UO Alumni Association; Communications, Marketing, and Brand Management; KWAX; University Development; Advancement Operations; Federal Affairs; State and Community Affairs; and the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art.
Reporting to the Senior Creative Director, Marketing Communications, the Marketing Communications Strategist serves as a liaison between the central Communications, Marketing and Branding team and designated schools, colleges, and administrative units. In this role, the strategist develops and provides ongoing management of unit-level marketing communications plans, working directly with unit leadership and communications teams to determine communications goals and priorities, develop and execute tactics to achieve those goals, and measure success. The strategist oversees the work of unit-level communications staffs and provides regular communications-plan updates and reports to the dean or other unit leadership. The strategist works closely with designated school, college, or unit-level leadership and communicators to articulate the specific communications goals and audiences for that unit, and to develop strategies, tactics, and methods of evaluation attuned to the needs of each unit.
As a member of the university’s central Communications, Marketing and Branding team, the strategist accesses the expertise and broad capacity of that team to provide specialized support to designated units in the areas of graphic design, copywriting and editing, web development and strategic support, media relations, project management, social media consultation, and other communication support as needed.
Re: Branding crap: Keep an eye open for pizza boxes printed on the university dime and given to Track Town Pizza to distribute their cheesy goodness.
“The division consists of approximately 240 employees . . .”
This almost makes the football program seem modest in comparison.
And they are apart from the football/athletic program exactly how???
This is priceless. 240 positions for what most PR firms do with a staff of less than 20? If an administration at another school wants to learn to waste money they should base their business model on UO. So when can I expect my free pair of UO branded underwear or dog poop scooper in the mail?
There aren’t 240 people doing PR. Read the job description…there are
240 in the Advancement Department. This includes fundraisers,
government relations, operations, etc.
All these people aren’t doing PR work. Most are fundraising for the
academic mission of the UO
So what’s the ROI on 1 position??
Didn’t academics get $5M in donations in 2011? So that’s about $20,000 per person. Sounds efficient!
$5M in donations in a year for academics is pitiful if the goal is to raise more than $200M/yr overall
Hey Bill–Does this have anything to do with the kerfuffle at KWAX, which has resulted in local broadcasters being replaced with zombie satellite-radio Peter Van De Graaff programs? I just got a fundraising letter saying there’s a “hiring freeze,” that Rocky Lamanna has been laid off and his position eliminated, and yet that KWAX’s collapse is not the result of lack of funding–huh? Are we seeing the UO administration destroy another local institution?
I don’t know anything about this.
You need to re-read your fundraising letter. There is no hiring freeze. Catriona retired and Rocky’s job was eliminated over a year’s time do to reorganization. The letter clearly states they are looking to hire more broadcasters this fall. KWAX is totally donor and sponsor funded, receiving NO funds from UO and if you were actually a listener/donor, you would know this.
Um…here’s what the letter says, in part: “…I…want to thank Rocky Lamanna, who left the station the end of July. Because of the extensive reorganization of our parent department at the university, many of Rocky’s duties were reassigned to other personnel. His position was eliminated, and he was given notice of this more than one year ago.” Yes, I know that KWAX isn’t funded by the UO, but this statement says that it is “reorganization of our parent department at the university” that caused Rocky’s position to be eliminated–hence my query to Prof. Harbaugh about whether or not the reorganization of was _due_ (not “do”) to the other reorganization of University Advancement, of which, per Bill’s article above, KWAX is a division.
The letter continues “Due to a hiring freeze within the department” (i.e. the “parent department at the university” referred to in the previous paragraph) “we are just now beginning the search for new personnel. My hope is to have new announcers on staff by October first.” I do not find a “hope” very reassuring, especially since we will have had about four months of out-of-state satellite radio streaming onto our airwaves by that time. (Anyone who listens to KWAX knows that that’s what we’re getting most of the time right now.) While the UO declines to support KWAX financially, clearly it has significant control over KWAX’s hiring practices and prevented them from hiring new staff in time for them to be mentored and trained by the experienced staff who could have ensured the continuity of excellent local programming. (Not to mention that if the UO hadn’t imposed the hiring freeze, perhaps KWAX could have actually hired Rocky to when Catriona retired, thereby preventing this whole lapse anyway.)
As I said, I was curious–you don’t need to scold me for asking questions. I listen to and donate to KWAX. I want to see it continuing as a strong local station. Few of us in the community have much confidence in the UO’s ability to manage anything ethically these days, so it behooves us to ask questions.
Scolded? Ha!
Personally, I think Paul’s use of the phrase “hiring freeze” is misplaced, or else demonstrative of his possible irritation for not being able to hire someone during the summer instead of fall. The KWAX website has a place to ask questions. At the risk of touching off another quake in your domain, have you tried going to the source and asking them?
Frankly, I’m very much enjoying the programming change of pace with either Jack or Paul on locally in the mornings now, and non local Peter Van De Graaff in the afternoons. In July, they had a succession of different non local programs and some were quite good. Both Paul and Jack do a great job of announcing with voices that don’t distract from the flow of music with unnecessary explanations and pauses. It was time for a change.