We are excited to host our Summer Conference at Laurel Ridge Community College, Fauquier Campus, June 6-7, 2024.
Thank You to our
Summer Conference Sponsor
Thursday, June 6
6-7:30 p.m. - Networking and Happy Hour at Altered Suds
Friday, June 7
8 a.m. — Registration & Breakfast
9 a.m. — Welcome
9–10:30 a.m. — Keynote
Protests, Encampments & Graduation Cancellations: Crisis Communication Lessons from the Latest in Higher Ed News
Barkman Family Conference Center
Rachel Spencer — AccessU
Brenda Drake — AccessU
Colleges and universities have long been places where ideas were discussed and sometimes protested. The history of protests on college campuses includes the Civil Rights movement, anti-apartheid movements and Black Lives Matter. Walk away with actionable information to prepare for urgent issues and events on your campus, including pre-planning and inter-agency response checklists.
10:45–11:45 a.m. — Session Block 1
Social media trends: what makes something trend-worthy vs. cringe-worthy?
Barkman Family Conference Center
Saher Randhawa, Senior Social Media & Communications Manager, VCU
What makes something trend-worthy? and what makes it cringe-worthy? how to leverage a trend to showcase your brand. when do you jump on a trend and when do you let it pass by.
Striding into Hiring Success: Navigating Recruitment, Interviewing and Onboarding
123A
Tiffany Beker, Director of Digital Marketing, W&M
This presentation will share lessons learned from seven years of managing other humans in higher education, while constantly adapting to the ever-changing hiring landscape. It will offer actionable strategies and steps to:
1. Attract top diverse talent
2. Streamline the screening and interview process
3. Craft insightful interview questions
4. Navigate timelines and expectations to ensure you don’t lose top candidates
5. Effectively onboard new hires, create a welcoming and productive environment and set them up for success Strategic recruitment and nurturing talent early on are essential to both build a strong team to help your organization succeed and for your own development as a leader.
Magazine Redesign Creative Process
123B
Martha Holland, Georgetown
Kelly McMurray, 2Communique
Your magazine embodies the culture of your community and the identity of your institution. The team behind the award-winning redesign of Georgetown Business will tell the story of how they evolved the publication from a traditional alumni magazine to a branded business magazine that connects with its community and stands out in a saturated market.
12–1 p.m. — Lunch & Business Meeting
1:15–2:15 p.m. - Session Block 2
Changing the world without triggering a no-confidence vote!
Barkman Family Conference Center
Jeffrey Kraus, Director of Executive Communications, VCU
Jamie Stillman, Director of Strategic Communications, Office of the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, VCU
As institutions address the “perfect storm” of external factors challenging the higher education sector, like the forthcoming enrollment cliff, academic repositioning is increasingly a necessary exercise. However, trust issues can easily make the process adversarial between administrators and members of the faculty and staff – even leading to votes of no-confidence and career-threatening resignations. This presentation will share the communication strategies and experiences from the VCU Office of the Provost as it led such an exercise during the 2023-2024 academic year, and where the institution is going now that final recommendations have been made.
Camera Movement In Video Production
123A
Chase Parker, Multimedia Producer, VT
Looking to take your videos to that next level? Camera movement can deliver energy to your storytelling, but done poorly, it can ruin your story and add unnecessary distractions. So when do you use it? How do you use it effectively? I'll share examples, discuss and demonstrate the different types of camera movements, and share tips & tricks for adding that 'something special' to your next video.
HTML for Communicators
123B
Scott Chandler, Digital Accessibility Officer, VT
Learn how even a little HTML and CSS can improve the web experience for everyone. Content creators need to know how to turn a visually correct website into one that benefits from assistive technologies. Efforts to improve web content also radically increase search engine optimization (SEO).
2:15–2:30 p.m. — Break
2:30–3:30 p.m. — Session Block 3
Roundtable Open Guided Topic Discussions
The Barn
Student Panel: The Market Mindset of a Student in our own words
Barkman Family Conference Room
Amy Ostroth, Assistant Vice President for Communications, Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine