It is vital that we are always learning best practice. So much can be gleaned from the experiences of others. With that in mind, I wanted to create a helpful little list of resources I use to stay up to date about higher education communications. In no specific order, here are 9 links I would suggest you take a look at regularly (and I would love to hear your resources too!).
LSE Impact Blog
This web site is an absolute gold mine of information. Run by the London School of Economics Public Policy Group, the blog focuses on how to maximize the impact of academic work. The site is updated daily with fresh content contributed by academics, researchers and others. This blog has become a go to source for many, as evidenced by the 21,000 + followers on the LSE Impact Blog Twitter account.
Collegewebeditor.com by Karine Joly
Collegewebeditor.com, run by PR expert Karine Joly, has lots of news and tips for higher education communicators. Case in point: take a look at the recent series of interviews she has run on how different schools are leveraging SnapChat. The Collegewebeditor.com newsletter is a useful round-up of curated content, jobs and events from other sources.
SciLogs.com
Kirk Englehardt, director of Research Communications at Georgia Institute of Technology, writes about communication at the intersection of academia and research. Among the many helpful features is SciComm 25: a curated list of the week’s 25 most talked about science communication stories. Here is one such example.
PRSA Counselors to Higher Education LinkedIn Group
While there is some useful information on the site, I find real value in the PRSA Counselors to Higher Education LinkedIn Group. Usually I find Linked Groups to be havens for spamming people things. In the case of the PRSA Higher Ed Group on LinkedIn, I’ve benefitted from some from some of the discussions and have consequently expanded my network. It is definitely worth a look.
Professor Karen Freberg
As communicators working within higher education, it is important that we understand how professors integrate social media in the classroom. While we aren’t teaching in the classroom, it is beneficial to help our colleagues (professors) do this, as it is another way to communicate to external audiences and ideally enhances the student learning experience. One professor who does a very nice job in discussing how to leverage social media in the classroom is Karen Freberg from the University of Louisville. Check out her blog and particularly her piece – and corresponding Slideshare presentation – entitled How I learned to stop worrying and love social media in the classroom.
Inside Higher Education – Technology Section
In addition to understanding how social media is integrated in the classroom, I also think it is important that we as communicators have a big picture understanding about how technology is impacting higher education. With that in mind, I suggest you take a look at Inside Higher Education’s technology section on a somewhat regular basis. For example, here is an example of an article that deals with social media and university policies: Temporary Messages, Lasting Impact.
mStoner Blog
If you are looking for content on strategy and brand within higher education, then check out the mStoner blog. In addition, mStoner does interesting reports, such as this one on Social Media in Higher Education Advancement.
Higher Ed Live Podcast
I love podcasts – it is probably the form of content I consume more than any other. And on that note, I recommend to turn off the music on your next commute and give a listen to Higher Ed Live, also produced by mStoner. There are stand-alone shows dedicated to student affairs, marketing and advancement. In fact, just this morning I gleaned all sorts of insights by listening to host Ashley Budd speak with Tony Doody, Elyse Washington and Roxanne Delere from Rutgers University about marketing strategies that drive student engagement.
Rob Wynne – Forbes.com
Rob Wynne, founder of Wynne Communications, works in the higher education space and writes about PR over on Forbes.com. He hosts conferences that bring together higher education communications professionals with journalists. He often integrates examples from these events, such as in this article: What Journalists Really Think of your Press Release.
So there you have my resources. What about your resources? I’m sure that I am missing some great content. Please let me – and others – know what you would recommend in the comments section!
I’d be uncomfortable listing my own content in any “top” list, but in case you weren’t aware, I host a podcast focused on higher education communications that might be of interest to you! Here’s the link to previous episodes of For Immediate Release on Higher Education and you can subscribe via iTunes here.