CUPRAP

Vice President for Marketing Communications Gwynedd Mercy University

Tue, 22 Sep 2026 19:19:30 GMT

Gwynedd Mercy University | Gwynedd Valley, PA

Gwynedd Mercy University, one of only 17 Mercy institutions of higher education in the United States, invites inquiries, nominations and applications for an experienced and innovative executive to join the leadership team of President Deanne H. D’Emilio as the Vice President for Marketing Communications (VPMC). This is an exciting opportunity to build on the University’s rich history of excellence and help guide the strategic direction of the university with a goal of achieving its vision of becoming the Catholic university leader in professional and healthcare education. The University is seeking a visionary and driven leader with knowledge of trends affecting higher education, and a proven ability to execute on strategic plans with successful outcomes.

Since its founding in 1948 by the Sisters of Mercy, Gwynedd Mercy University has grown from a small junior college with just 48 students to a nationally ranked private Catholic university with more than 25,000 alumni. The University serves about 2,000 undergraduate and graduate students from diverse racial, ethnic, religious, and socio-economic backgrounds, and offers a mix of traditional, on-campus and fully online, accelerated options across more than 40 programs within the College of Arts, Sciences and Professional Studies and the Frances M. Maguire College of Nursing and Health Professions.

GMercyU is a place where students not only gain the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their careers but also become part of a mission-driven community that embodies its core values of integrity, respect, service, and social justice. Located on a 145-acre parklike campus just 30 minutes outside Philadelphia, GMercyU is large enough to provide rich academic, athletic, and real-world learning experiences of a larger university, but small enough that professors know each student by name. It’s why the University was named an Opportunity University by the Carnegie Foundation and recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a top performer on Social Mobility; ranked as a Best Value College by Niche; selected for the FirstGen Forward Network; and a multi-year Higher Education Excellence and Distinction (HEED) Award winner.

In recent years the University has embarked on multiple campus transformation projects, including the opening of the 63,000 square-foot Frances M. Maguire ’55 Healthcare Innovation Center, complete renovation of its oldest residence hall, addition of a newly renovated baseball and softball field complex, and new outdoor gathering space for students, and new dining facilities, to name just a few. GMercyU’s Mercy in Motion comprehensive fundraising campaign, which exceeded its initial goal of $25 million nearly by more than $10 million, focused on further enhancing the University’s nationally recognized leadership in healthcare education, investing in student success through additional scholarship funding, and sustaining the University’s Mercy mission.

Reporting to the President, the VPMC is responsible for developing, executing, and assessing strategic marketing, communications, and growth initiatives that build brand awareness, increase in enrollment and revenue, support fundraising and donor stewardship, and contribute to long-term financial sustainability. The VPMC will lead all aspects of marketing and communications, including digital and OOH advertising, brand messaging and stewardship, creative services, crisis communications, email marketing, public relations, recruitment search, search engine/answer engine optimization, social media and website design and content management. The VPMC shall represent these areas to the Board of Trustees and be a member of the President’s Executive Council.

Job Responsibilities

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES include the following.
Other duties may be assigned.

Strategic Leadership

Partner with Academics and other University departments to develop, prioritize, market and launch new and innovative academic and non-academic initiatives that drive revenue growth and diversification

Partner with appropriate stakeholders to develop an institutional value proposition that supports the acquisition and onboarding of new students and external partners to grow and diversify revenue

Lead the development, implementation and measurement of a strategic marketing communications plan that supports institutional goals

Align and manage budget to support key performance indicator goals and ensure efficient use of resources

Recruitment Marketing and Revenue Generation

Partner with the VP for Enrollment and external partners on enrollment search strategies designed to grow the inquiry and application funnel for undergraduate and graduate programs; support application conversion and yield efforts through email marketing and other engagement strategies

Negotiate partner contracts, and set, monitor and evaluate initiatives against clearly defined key performance indicators

Develop strategic email marketing and advertising campaigns to grow the enrollment funnel; customize content based on audience and other characteristics. Advertising will include a mix of digital, outdoor, print, radio, direct mail, streaming and other tactics designed to grow specific market segments.

Provide strategic direction and support for University events, including recruitment, donor stewardship, and other on-campus events designed to drive enrollment, fundraising and revenue diversification

Brand Management and Stewardship

Serve as the primary steward of the GMercyU brand and brand messaging strategy

Ensure the marketing plan reflects the distinctiveness of the University, and honors and highlights its mission

Serve as a primary resource for messaging that impacts students, faculty, staff, donors, and other university stakeholders; prepare Office of the President and other University-wide communications, as needed

Oversee in-house Creative Services functions, including the design and production of University-branded materials

Develop and maintain a robust Crisis Communications strategy and serve as the primary crisis communications messaging steward

Partner with University Advancement on the design, content creation and production of the University’s alumni magazine, and other fundraising and donor stewardship materials

Develop a compelling brand message and onboarding process to support potential partnerships that grow and diversify University revenue

Digital Content Management

Manage the design, content development and maintenance of a mobile-friendly University website; optimize the website site for lead capture and conversion

Develop a robust search engine/answer engine optimization strategy to drive inquiries and applications

Manage the University’s digital content strategy, including the creation and delivery of customized content based on audience, funnel stage, and engagement behavior

Oversee the University’s official social media presence, including the development of an editorial calendar to boost engagement levels and support the goals of specific departments, such as Admissions, University Advancement, and Student Life

Public Relations

Develop a comprehensive approach to Public Relations, including the development of thought leadership and other media pitches that result in a steady flow of positive media attention; manage agency support and strategically use University website and social media to extend media reach and impact

Respond quickly to media inquiries and prepare talking points and detailed responses to reporters’ questions within specified deadlines

Prepare standby statements and Q&A documents, as needed, to address issues that have the potential to have a significant impact (positive or negative) on University brand

Requirements

Minimum 15 years of progressive success as a collaborative and innovative Marketing Communications leader required; five or more years of experience in higher education preferred
Demonstrated experience with strategic planning and the ability to develop and implement new initiatives that support growth and revenue diversification
Demonstrated success in the development and implementation of advertising, branding, promotion, and integrated marketing strategies including the use of social media and information technology to improve the recruitment and enrollment of traditional undergraduate, graduate and adult students
Ability to fully understand enrollment models and apply best practice marketing strategies and solutions to assist the University in meeting institutional recruitment goals
Ability to synthesize data and use information from multiple areas to develop, launch and assess initiatives
Ability to hire, motivate, and develop high-achieving team members and work effectively with a wide range of constituencies in a diverse community to achieve stated goals
Ability to maintain confidentiality and build trust with constituents
Excellent listening, collaboration, communication, and presentation skills
Computer literate with skill in using Customer Relationship Management systems, and data reporting and analysis tools; proficient in MS Office, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint
Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications or related field; master’s degree preferred
Leadership at Senior/Executive level required

In order to be considered for this position, please upload your resume and a cover letter explaining how your qualifications and experience align with our organizational needs.

The deadline for all applications is October 22,, 2026.

Behind the Best of Show: Trust, Time and a Great Story

Thu, 27 Aug 2026 00:08:29 GMT

Last year's top CUPPIE honor, selected from 405 submissions, went to the launch video for the Edelman Fossil Park & Museum of Rowan University , created in partnership with Narrative Media. The film captures the wonder of a place where children can encounter science firsthand, researchers can continue to make discoveries, and Rowan can tell a larger story about its ambitions as an institution.

As CUPRAP prepares to open this year's CUPPIE Award season, we asked the team behind last year's Best of Show to take us behind the scenes—and share what made both the work and the partnership successful.

What story did you most want audiences to take away from the museum?

For Narrative Media, the starting point was a simple question: Why should people care?

The answer was both emotional and strategic. The team wanted to capture the excitement of young people encountering science and discovery while also conveying what the Fossil Park represents for Rowan: a distinctive destination that can attract visitors, scholars and supporters, and contribute to the University's broader aspirations.

"Our visuals of kids excitedly exploring the museum helped to tell that story," said Andrew Poag of Narrative Media.

Knowing the audience also helped determine how much of the story to tell. Rather than diving deeply into the science, the team sought to "pique their curiosity, whet their appetite, and leave them with just enough information to get them interested in visiting for themselves."

What made the client-agency partnership work?

Ask both sides, and the answers sound remarkably similar: time, trust, and a willingness to push each other.

Narrative Media and Rowan have worked together for more than a decade. From Rowan's perspective, that history means Narrative understands not just the institution's goals, but its voice and culture.

"[Andrew] has learned about the institution with each assignment and helped us develop a video storytelling style and voice that fits Rowan well," Joe Cardona, vice chancellor for University Communication at Rowan shared. "In planning stages, he listens well and returns to us with creative options that we can run with."

For Poag, that history has created room to take creative risks.

"When we first started working together, our projects were of a more limited scope, but as the relationship grew Rowan was more willing to take some risks and try things that we and they hadn't done before," he said.

The result has been increasingly ambitious work—and a partnership in which both sides feel invested in the outcome.

What should institutions look for in a creative partner—and vice versa?

Rowan's advice is to find partners who respect the expertise that already exists within an institution but aren't afraid to challenge it.

"We look for creative pros who've done their homework and respect our knowledge but still know how and where to push us out of our comfort zone to do something we couldn't have imagined," Marshall said.

Poag offers similar advice to clients: make room for new ideas.

"If you can let go of a little bit of control and allow room for fresh perspectives, it can do wonders for your work."

He also cautions against underestimating the time and resources required to make work stand out. Preparation, production and polish all matter—particularly in a media environment overflowing with content.

What's one lesson you'll take from the project?

For Poag, it's the value of time—especially time that creates room for the unexpected.

The production devoted a full day to filming children and families in the museum. That allowed the team to carefully capture what they had planned, but it also created room to experiment. One memorable shot through a dinosaur's mouth toward a family below wasn't on the original shot list. With time to play with the idea, the crew grabbed a ladder and made it happen.

And one of the most meaningful outcomes wasn't captured on camera at all.

After the shoot, Jarell, a young boy featured handling dinosaur bones and running up the museum stairs, sent Poag a letter thanking him and telling him how much fun he'd had. Poag wrote back, beginning a correspondence between the two.

"It was incredibly heartwarming to find out that we made his time with us a positive experience," Poag said. "His letter was the best reward for this project."

The CUPPIE was a pretty good one, too.

Information about the 2027 CUPPIE Awards and the entry process will be made available in late September 2026.

Building a Content Strategy From the Ground Up: How Lehigh University Aligned Storytelling Across a Decentralized Structure

Tue, 12 May 2026 15:13:57 GMT

May 12, 2026

Carina Sitkus, Associate Vice President, Content, Lehigh University

Audra Berner, Executive Director of Content Distribution, Lehigh University

Kristen DiPrinzio, Director of University Communications, Lehigh University

Lindsay Lebresco, Executive Director of Content Creation, Lehigh University

Launching a brand is a pivotal moment for any institution—but the real work begins when teams across campus bring that brand to life consistently and collaboratively. For our content team within University Communications and Public Affairs at Lehigh University, that meant developing a content strategy in alignment with Lehigh’s new brand that could unite more than 100 communicators and marketers around a shared approach to storytelling.

A core part of that strategy was the introduction of annual content themes: strategic story lenses designed to guide narrative priorities across the university. These themes help ensure our audiences walk away with the understanding of who Lehigh is and what differentiates us, while giving creators across campus a common framework to work from.

Below are the key considerations incorporated into the strategy we created and the lessons we believe other institutions can apply to their own work.

1. Framing the Strategy: Creating a Shared Narrative Framework

Why Themes Became the Foundation

We developed a set of annual themes designed to flex with emerging institutional priorities, key initiatives, and societal conversations. They are refreshed every year. Together with our brand pillars, which are evergreen and speak to topics such as academic excellence and student success, these themes (contact communications@lehigh.edu for the annual themes) keep our storytelling aligned across the university while still allowing for creative variation and timely content.

Building Governance That Could Scale

To make the strategy operational, we knew governance had to be built in from the start. Our approach included:
Cross-functional planning groups between central communications and advancement
Regular collaborative meetings with colleges and key offices
A two-way system for content sharing and amplification
A shared vocabulary that allows teams to quickly align on audience, purpose, and thematic fit

The result is a repeatable process where content creators and strategic leaders can decide together: What story should we tell? Who should tell it? And for which audience?

For institutions with decentralized communications teams, this type of structure is essential. It provides clarity without limiting creativity, and it ensures that the symphony of storytelling across the university is aligned and can scale into institutional impact.

2. Using Analytics to Inform Decisions and Improve Outcomes

Building Our First Thematic Analytics Framework

One of the biggest challenges in higher ed content strategy is connecting strategic intent with real performance data. To address this, we implemented a new analytics framework that ties every piece of content to its associated theme and/or brand pillar.

This allows us to measure:

Volume of content produced per theme/pillar
Views, engaged sessions, and engagement rate
Comparative performance between themed content and all content
Which themes/pillars resonate most strongly with audiences
Gaps where strategy and content output aren’t yet aligned

Key Insights From Our First Benchmark Year

Several insights emerged that changed how we think about content alignment:

High-performing stories often aligned with brand pillars, even when they weren’t intentionally crafted with strategy in mind.
Only a fraction of stories aligned with annual themes—an indicator that editorial habits take time to evolve.
Some stories performed exceptionally well because of SEO and topical relevance rather than strategic alignment—reinforcing the need for early integration of search strategy.
Analytics surfaced opportunities to standardize tagging across decentralized websites so performance data can be aggregated more effectively.

For others building a content strategy, your first year of analytics isn’t about perfection; it’s about building a baseline that allows for smarter decisions next year.

3. Opening the Strategy to the Full MarComm Community

A University-Wide Co-Creation Model

Once the initial governance structures were in place, we expanded theme development into a university-wide collaborative process.

We began with a seed set of ideas from our central content team, then invited communicators across admissions, colleges, advancement, and other units to submit their own theme concepts. A cross-functional leadership group synthesized these submissions and moved forward a refined set of themes for broader input and selection.

This process had two goals:

Shared ownership: ensuring this was the university’s content strategy, not just one office’s.
Collective clarity: enabling communicators to see how their work fits into a larger narrative.

4. Lessons Learned: What Others Can Apply to Their Strategy Work

1. Governance is the unsung hero of strategic storytelling. Without a shared structure, even the best strategy struggles to take hold.

2. Analytics must evolve with the strategy. Your first year of measurement won’t answer every question, but it will illuminate the right next questions and guide future actions.

3. Co-creation builds commitment. When communicators across the institution help define the strategy, they naturally help implement and advance it.

4. Themes are guides, not constraints; they are intentionally flexible umbrellas designed to encompass a wide range of topics that reflect institutional priorities. The goal isn’t uniformity, but clarity: themes provide direction to creators while still allowing room for creativity and innovation.

5. Distribution is as strategic as creation. A strong story with weak distribution rarely achieves institutional impact. Teams must think end-to-end.

The success of a content strategy is not defined by its documents, frameworks, or dashboards—it’s defined by how well people across an institution can activate it together.

For us, building our content strategy from scratch was as much a culture project as it was a content project. The frameworks, governance, and analytics helped. But the real momentum came from inviting our full communications community into the process and empowering them to shape the storytelling future of the institution.

For institutions looking to build or refine their content strategy, our encouragement is simple: Start with alignment, build structures that last, and trust your community to bring the strategy to life.

Meet Sekou Cherif, the 2026 CUPRAP Student Catalyst Fellow

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:21:28 GMT

March 20, 2026

Franklin & Marshall College student Sekou Cherif ’26 was named the 2026 CUPRAP Student Catalyst Fellow, a recognition of exceptional promise by an undergraduate in writing, social media engagement, video and audio production, graphic design, journalism, and related fields.

Cherif, a film and media arts major and economics minor, was praised for his creative portfolio, with particular attention received for short films he created in his F&M coursework and for Drama Club NYC, a nonprofit focused on improv programming for formerly incarcerated youth. He is the first F&M student to receive the award in the organization’s 46-year history. He was honored at CUPRAP’s annual conference, held in F&M’s home city of Lancaster, March 11-13.

“ When I received [the fellowship], I thought it’d be a great opportunity to engage with professionals,” said Cherif, reflecting on the news he was selected as this year’s fellow and that he’d be attending the conference. “It came at a fitting time, as a senior looking at prospective careers. It’s a great position to be in, because now I have all these new connections from colleges and different marketing agencies.”

Keep reading.

Sandbox Strategies: How Swarthmore Built Collaboration That Actually Ships Work

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 15:27:29 GMT

February 5, 2026

Higher ed marketing and communications often comes down to one deceptively hard job: getting people to “play nice in the sandbox.”

In a recent CUPRAP webinar, leaders from Swarthmore College shared practical case studies on how their teams improved collaboration across Communications, Admissions, Advancement, and the Provost’s Office—while also rolling out a major institutional rebrand.

Their message was refreshingly concrete: collaboration isn’t a vibe. It’s infrastructure. When you build the right systems, partners don’t have to “try harder” to work well together—the process pulls everyone into alignment.

Here are the key takeaways—and how you can apply them at your institution.

1. Stop hoping for collaboration. Build a system that produces it.

Swarthmore’s biggest wins didn’t come from better intentions or more meetings. They came from creating repeatable structures:

Clear intake pathways (forms, single points of contact within their office and campus partners)
Shared timelines and expectations
Templates for partners to use without going rogue
Cross-team roles designed specifically to bridge gaps

Takeaway: If your work depends on collaboration, don’t leave it to personality. Design it into the workflow and job descriptions.

2. Faculty storytelling needs a pipeline, not a pile of emails.

Swarthmore’s communications team identified a familiar challenge: important faculty achievements were sometimes missed—not due to lack of care, but because there wasn’t a reliable way to flag what mattered most. Emails arrived inconsistently, details were incomplete, and communicators couldn’t be experts in every discipline.

What they changed

They rebuilt faculty news promotion with two key moves:

Faculty Spotlight (launched)
A dedicated, magazine-style faculty feature experience on the website, built to showcase the breadth of scholarship and teaching. Faculty were selected in consultation with the Provost’s Office, and the content was created for repurposing across web, social, and alumni publications.
Faculty Submission Form (in development at time of webinar)
A structured submission process embedded in their CMS (Drupal), designed to replace scattered emails with consistent data capture. The goal: make it easy for faculty to submit news, make it easier for comms to triage impact, and increase the team’s ability to say “yes” to more coverage —even if some items aren’t full story-worthy.

What made it work

The Provost’s Office wasn’t just consulted—it was positioned as a co-owner and advocate, which is essential for adoption.
Budgeting included freelance support for writing capacity.
ITS support was required for a workable technical workflow.
The team was realistic about the hidden bottleneck: scheduling and producing photography.

Takeaway: The fix isn’t “ask faculty to email us.” The fix is a pipeline that captures the right info, flags impact, and supports different content formats.

3. Event branding isn’t decoration—it’s trust, clarity, and performance.

For Advancement, Swarthmore focused on Alumni Weekend as a flagship rebrand opportunity—an event already filled with joy, emotion, and identity.

Why that mattered: new visual systems can trigger skepticism, especially among loyal audiences. But a celebratory event provides a natural opportunity to introduce change in a way that feels welcoming.

Why branding mattered (beyond aesthetics)

Swarthmore highlighted practical benefits that resonate across institutions:

Unified narrative: consistent design makes varied stories feel connected
Trust & credibility: well-designed communications reduce skepticism and confusion in an era of scams/phishing
Recognition: alumni can instantly identify official event messages in a crowded inbox/feed
Stronger experience: a coherent brand environment elevates engagement and belonging
Improved performance: better design and consistency correlated with improved email metrics and event attendance

A smart language move

In some environments, “branding” can be a loaded term. Swarthmore initially framed their approach as “institutional visual storytelling” to reduce resistance and keep stakeholders engaged.

Process mattered as much as design

They used rebranding as an opportunity to reset timelines and expectations:

Email planning with an ideal multi-week runway for drafting, review, approvals, and final checks
Print planning with longer lead times due to vendor dependencies

Takeaway: Branding becomes easier to defend when you connect it to trust, recognition, and measurable performance—not just visuals.

4. If a relationship is strained, treat the relationship as the project.

One of the most resonant moments of the webinar was a candid look at a previously strained relationship between Communications and Admissions.

What they heard:

From Admissions: “I waited until the last minute so you couldn’t tell me no.”
From Comms: “Admissions is the problem child—good luck.”

They named what many teams experience: when trust erodes, people work around each other. And that damages outcomes.

What changed everything

They didn’t just “collaborate more.” They changed the structure:

Leadership from the very top (the Dean and VP of Communications) was committed to improving this relationship and understood its impact on the College’s bottom line
A dedicated Admissions communications lead became the single intake point for all communications projects going through the Admissions Office
Intake was built into Admissions’ system (Slate) and routed into Comms’ project workflow (Wrike)
Teams were intentionally embedded:
Comms attended Admissions weekly meetings and retreats
Admissions comms lead participated in Comms retreats and professional development
Monthly leadership touchpoints between both offices kept priorities aligned

The empathy insight that mattered

They surfaced a root cause: people in Admissions were asked to do communications work without it being in their job description or skill set. Naming that created space for empathy and justified the staffing change.

The results they credited

Stronger coordination through major disruptions (FAFSA delays, SCOTUS decision)
Higher morale and smoother execution
Recognition from senior leadership
Admissions became a high-trust, high-priority partnership instead of a friction point

Takeaway: When the partnership is broken, your next campaign won’t fix it. Your operating model will.

5. “Easy wins” that scale into culture change

Swarthmore’s recommendations weren’t flashy—but they’re the kinds of moves that compound:

Create partner-friendly templates (flyers, posters, email modules)
Establish lead-time norms for video, web, and email requests
Build a simplified style guide for non-designers
Maintain regular leadership alignment
Invest in rapport: informal connection builds the trust that makes hard feedback possible

Takeaway: If you want fewer last-minute requests, you need more clarity, easier tools, and a process people can follow without friction.

Final thought: Collaboration is built, not wished for.

Swarthmore’s “sandbox strategies” weren’t about perfect harmony. They were about building roles, systems, and shared expectations that make collaboration the default.

If your institution is navigating rebranding, partnership challenges, or capacity constraints, this webinar offered a powerful reminder:

You don’t need everyone to agree. You need a process that helps everyone move.

Want to implement one thing this month?

Pick one:

Build a structured intake form for a recurring content need
Create a simplified style guide for partners
Establish a standard lead time policy for major deliverables
Formalize a single point of contact for a high-impact partner office

Small infrastructure changes can create outsized results.

Members can watch the recording of this CUPRAP webinar with Swarthmore by logging in.

Beyond Crisis Comms 101: Navigating a Viral Moment

Wed, 03 Dec 2025 15:23:00 GMT

December 3, 2025

 Jamie Yates , Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Gettysburg College
Mike Baker , Deputy Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, Gettysburg College
Staci Grimes , Director of Marketing and Digital Engagement, Gettysburg College

Crises are nothing new to those of us working in higher education communications. A sensitive issue that reaches your constituents can test your messaging discipline and coordination. But when a campus incident goes viral—when it’s picked up, amplified, and distorted across social media—the challenge takes on an entirely different magnitude.

As communicators and marketers, we’re entrusted with protecting and advancing our institution’s reputation. Yet, in the digital age, when misinformation spreads faster than official updates and emotional narratives eclipse the facts, it becomes all the more challenging to feel in control of a situation. The rise of social influencers—many of whom seek clicks over accuracy—has only added fuel to the fire, thrusting even small-campus incidents into national headlines and international newsfeeds.

At Gettysburg College, we’ve experienced our share of issues management moments, navigating difficult stories while staying closely connected to our key audiences. But last fall, we faced something bigger—a campus issue that truly went viral. Not Gettysburg viral. More like “What’s Trending” viral. Suddenly, managing the message wasn’t just about timely communication; it was about cutting through digital noise and reclaiming the narrative.

Yes, you need a phone bank ready. Yes, you need to keep your key constituents informed. Yes, you need prepared press statements and campus partner talking points. Still, above all, what you really need are lessons that extend beyond Crisis Comms 101.

Here are 7 ways that you and your team can prepare for a viral incident:

1. Test your digital response beforehand

Before a crisis arises, review your established social media policy on your institution’s website, testing whether it can both guide your response strategies and be a useful resource worth sharing—with secondary account managers, with concerned community members, and with general users interacting with your digital channels throughout the course of a crisis. Will your policy stand up in the heat of a crisis?

Be prepared to protect the identities and contact information of individuals who might be targeted for online bullying or doxxing as an issue escalates. Try to examine all your digital spaces with fresh eyes. If the world were to look through your channels right now, what conclusions could they draw based on what they see there? Does the content accurately reflect your institution?

2. Listen carefully: Know your digital normal

It’s important to understand what normal looks like on your institution’s social platforms. Practicing regular social media listening through average days can help you recognize when the tides are beginning to shift. With quality social listening tools, a tonal change can be discovered hours or even days before an incident escalates.

If you see a trend beginning to bubble up that might be cause for concern, think carefully about your subsequent posts—each may be the last one for an extended period of time, if you need to pause from your regular posting during an incident. The last post shared before this pause on your social media platforms will become the digital “face” of your institution during the duration of the crisis.

3. Cultivate trust and authentic voices now

When social media narratives were spinning beyond our control, something powerful happened at Gettysburg: our students stepped in on their own. They went to TikTok and reached out directly to social influencers, helping to correct misinformation and share their lived experience of what was really happening on campus. In many cases, it worked.

We didn’t script them or direct them to do this. They spoke up because they wanted to, and because they trusted the College enough to defend it in their own way. That trust didn’t materialize overnight—it was the product of ongoing relationship-building, transparency, and a communications culture that treats students as partners rather than audiences.

After the story broke, we brought in the most-affected students and had genuine conversations about what happened, what our response would be, and the challenges a viral story posed for all of us. The lesson: authentic advocacy is earned, not orchestrated. When your community feels informed and respected, they can become your most credible messengers.

4. Empower traditional media to dig deeper

When misinformation starts to spread, it can feel instinctive to retreat, to shut down all communication until the storm passes. But one of the most effective strategies we found was to lean in and work with journalists who were committed to getting the story right.

In our case, several reputable outlets—including the Associated Press, ESPN, and local media—approached the story as a genuine investigation. They wanted accuracy above clicks. We couldn’t (and didn’t) violate FERPA or share protected details, but we found ways to let journalists in—to provide context and institutional perspective that helped them frame the situation truthfully.

5. Revisit your digital advertising strategy

During a viral situation, even your paid media can become part of the problem if left unchecked. Review your list of placements and ads to consider how to approach each. It’s better to pause advertising in the face of a full-blown crisis than to appear alongside negative coverage or heated discussions.

Additionally, if you don’t configure a list of negative keywords for strategies like PPC, you may actually end up paying for users to search for your institution on the internet in the context of the crisis and to visit your site.

6. Protect owned digital communities

Your institutional channels are often the first places audiences will go for answers—and the first place they’ll go to vent. Moderation is more complex during a crisis. Balancing freedom of speech with community standards requires judgment and consistency. Learn in advance what platform tools exist that may be applied on an as-needed basis to protect your digital communities from irrelevant or abusive engagement: negative keyword filters, comment settings, and hiding engagement (which can help with the “bandwagon effect”).

The goal isn’t to silence conversation; it’s to ensure that dialogue in owned channels is safe and constructive.

If you’ve paused posting on your main college channels, sometimes secondary accounts can be used to continue sharing content with audiences. And when you resume activity, your first posts matter enormously. Choose content that signals transparency, care, and a return to mission.

7. Recover by flooding the zone

Stay connected to public sentiment through listening tools throughout the crisis. While things may still seem very heated in the comments on your social channels—often by the same collection of frequent fliers—actual attention to the crisis could be rapidly diminishing. This tipping point shifts the focus and signals when it’s time to proactively market again.

“Flooding the zone” with nuanced, authentic content across your channels not only reinforces to your audiences your mission and values, it also leaves little room for negative spin. In our case, when it was time to post again, we were ready with repurposed content and new content, and we flooded our channels with stories that underscored who we are as a community.

Reassert your institutional narratives to remind users why your community is so special and to help rebuild trust with your online audiences.

Don’t hesitate to invite your strongest online advocates to rejoin conversations with their own positive perspectives where it’s appropriate. Board members, alumni, employees, students, and even families and local residents can work together to help turn the tide. Generally, even the loudest critics run out of endurance when not only the brand content is forward-looking, but its digital communities show up in solidarity.

Meet Sarah Alice Keiser, CUPRAP’s New Executive Director

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:25:00 GMT

CUPRAP is thrilled to welcome Sarah Alice Keiser as our new Executive Director! With more than a decade of experience managing nonprofit programs and member-driven associations, Sarah brings a unique blend of strategic organization, relationship-building, and creativity to this role.

To help members get to know her better, the CUPRAP Board of Directors sat down with Sarah Alice for a candid Q&A about her background, leadership approach, and vision for CUPRAP’s future. From community-building to conference planning, she shares what inspires her and how she plans to build on CUPRAP’s strong foundation of connection and collaboration.

She’s passionate about strengthening professional communities and helping mission-driven organizations thrive. Get to know Sarah Alice below!

Background and Experience

You’ve spent over a decade managing nonprofit programs and member-driven associations. Which past experience do you think most prepared you for your new role with CUPRAP?

All of my past experience has given me a unique perspective and skill set in association management, stakeholder engagement, and relationship building. I don’t think I can pinpoint one specific role — it’s really been the combination of all the interesting challenges I’ve faced, especially through the pivots required to survive during the pandemic, that have honed my skills. I love building community and have already met so many wonderful people through CUPRAP.

How would you describe your professional superpower — the skill that clients and colleagues consistently count on you for?

My professional superpower is taking big, complex ideas and turning them into clear, actionable plans that bring people together. Clients and colleagues count on me to create structure where there might initially be uncertainty — whether that’s designing a conference experience, launching a new program, or aligning a board around shared goals. I have a knack for connecting vision to execution in a way that makes projects feel both inspiring and achievable.

About Joining CUPRAP

CUPRAP is known for its strong community of higher education marketing professionals. What excites you most about supporting this membership?

What excites me most is the opportunity to strengthen and elevate a community of professionals who are incredibly generous with their ideas, creativity, and expertise. In higher education, the challenges are always evolving, but CUPRAP members consistently rise to meet them by sharing strategies and celebrating each other’s successes. I’m energized by the chance to foster that connection, create meaningful opportunities for collaboration, and ensure members feel both valued and inspired.

You’ve produced large-scale conferences and managed membership operations — both central to CUPRAP’s work. How do you hope to enhance members’ experiences through these areas?

I see conferences and membership operations as two sides of the same coin — they’re both about creating meaningful, lasting value for members.

For the annual spring conference, my goal is to help design an experience that feels both inspiring and practical: forward-thinking speakers, rich networking opportunities, and moments that spark creativity and connection.

On the membership side, I’m excited to build systems and programs that keep that energy alive year-round — from professional development and peer learning to simple touchpoints that make members feel seen and supported.

Vision and Goals

What does success in this role look like to you six months from now?

Six months from now, success would mean that I’ve built strong relationships with the board, committee leaders, and members — and that operational systems are running smoothly. I’d love for members to feel a renewed sense of connection to CUPRAP, seeing value not just at the annual conference, but throughout the year. If members feel heard, supported, and excited about where CUPRAP is headed, that’s success to me.

How do you balance operational excellence with fostering a sense of warmth and community?

For me, operational excellence and community-building go hand in hand. Clear systems create trust — members know things will run smoothly and that their investment is valued. But alongside that structure, I always bring warmth and personality into interactions. When the logistics are handled well, there’s more room to focus on people — their stories, their challenges, and their successes. That’s where real connection happens.

Personal Insights

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing that helps you recharge or stay inspired?

Outside of work, I recharge through baking — I operate a small from-scratch home bakery! It’s a creative outlet that connects me to friends and family. I love experimenting with flavors and seeing how food brings people together. I also find inspiration in travel — whether it’s a neighborhood coffee shop or a new city abroad. My husband and I recently moved back to Ohio after living in Montréal for four years, and I’m excited to rediscover Dayton as our new home.

If CUPRAP members could take away one thing about your approach or personality, what would you want it to be?

I genuinely care about creating spaces where people feel both supported and inspired. My approach is collaborative and relationship-driven — I believe the best ideas come from listening closely and working side by side. I hope members see me as someone who brings warmth and energy, along with a steady commitment to making sure their experiences with CUPRAP are meaningful and impactful.

CUPRAP’s strength has always been its people — and Sarah Alice is eager to keep building on that tradition of collaboration and creativity. As she steps into this new role, she looks forward to hearing from members, learning their stories, and working together to make CUPRAP an even stronger professional home for higher education communicators.

Welcome, Sarah Alice! We can’t wait to see all that’s ahead.

You can reach Sarah Alice by emailing info@cuprap.org .

The post Meet Sarah Alice Keiser, CUPRAP’s New Executive Director appeared first on CUPRAP .

Celebrating Betty Hanson

Fri, 05 Sep 2025 14:03:00 GMT

CUPRAP board members come and go, but Betty Hanson, has been the face of the organization forever. Since 2011, she has served as CUPRAP’s executive director, playing a leading role in planning and executing the annual Spring Conference, among other duties. Betty sat down recently with former CUPRAP President Tom Durso to chat about her involvement with the organization, her fondest memories, and her advice for new members.

Note: This has been edited for space and clarity.

TD: How did you get involved with CUPRAP in the first place?

BH: I had not been working in higher education. My first job was at Philadelphia Magazine , and then I worked at two advertising agencies. Something came up at Widener, and I got a job there in the marketing department. My boss was just looking through professional development and said, “Well, maybe you should go to this conference and see how it is.” I got the job at Widener in ’86, so I guess this was in ’87 that I went to the first conference. I enjoyed it and have been a member ever since.

TD: And when did you get involved in your current role as an administrator?

BH: I was a member through the 90s, and then after that, I was on the board as treasurer. Then I left Widener and at the time, if you didn’t have an affiliation with a college, you had to step off the board, but I continued to be a member. Alan Janesch and I planned one of the spring conferences. It was not at all as encompassing with as many sessions and breakouts that we have now. It was a modest conference, but it was good. It was always a practical conference for people, and I think that’s what they appreciated. It was something that you could go to, and people would talk to you.

“It was always a practical conference for people, and I think that’s what they appreciated. It was something that you could go to, and people would talk to you.”

CUPRAP past president Paul Redfern and Betty Hanson

We used to have a one-day conference in October. We had a meeting in September, and nobody had remembered to plan the conference, and we had to quickly get it together. So we decided to hire Dick Jones to plan the conference, which his company did for a while. And then it reverted to Betsy Robertson, who was doing it on her own. And she did a great job. The conference started to just blossom and become larger and more welcoming, and it started including more topics that were relevant to different departments, like Enrollment Management and Development. Betsy was doing it maybe in the mid-2000s, and then when I got laid off from Drexel in 2011, Betsy got a full-time job with Susquehanna. They offered it to me, and I have been planning the conference since 2011.

TD: Besides just the conference, how would you say that the organization as a whole has evolved?

BH: Well, it always used to be that we had to have two members on the board from a community college, two members from a private university, and a public university. And it’s not that anymore. The board members can represent various entities; even vendors are now board members. We were very adamant before that we didn’t want vendors, but it turned out to work out really well. Our first was Mark Cunningham, and it added a dimension that we didn’t previously think we needed. But we do. So that was what has changed about the board members. Our constitution and bylaws were also changed to have more than a two-year term for the president, and also for board terms to be longer, so that they can get their feet wet and then continue to do good work on the board.

I think that a lot has changed, but a lot has not changed. What has not changed is the fact that people care about the members and about lifting up the members, which is our new branding. It’s about members and not about the organization — celebrating the members and their accomplishments.

CUPRAP Conference Agenda from 1997

“I think that a lot has changed, but a lot has not changed. What has not changed is the fact that people care about the members and about lifting up the members, which is our new branding. It’s about members and not about the organization — celebrating the members and their accomplishments.”

TD: What are some of your favorite memories from CUPRAP?

BH: At the Spring Conference, on Thursday after the CUPPIES, we used to have entertainment. One year, we had a hypnotist. I can remember a woman getting hypnotized. She was running around and being crazy. We used to have line dancing, and, really fun things. We had a poker night.

As far as the conference part is concerned, I think one of my best memories was when Barbara Marshall and I sat down at one of the retreats and talked about the CUPPIES. We hadn’t even named the CUPPIES — I guess the board named it. But we talked about having a competition for creative excellence. CASE had done it before us. Barbara and I sat down and thought about it, and we started to plan it.

When we had the first competition, it was really rewarding and exciting that so many people had entered. And their work was really good. At the time, people were coming from different agencies and institutions to do all the judging in person at one time. We didn’t have the online platform where the judges could judge from their office or whatever. I thought it was fun to get people together. That was one of my great memories. Sometimes, what happens now is that you can do so many things online the social aspect of things gets forgotten.

TD: How do you hope people see your legacy with CUPRAP?

BH: Well, I’m just hoping that it’s one of mentorship, because I’ve seen so many new people come in and they are excited about their growth. Our current president, Joe Master, will tell you that he had looked up to Ray Betzner and Andy Back and Mike Bruckner and thought, wow, these people are really somebody to emulate. I am hoping the new people will look at the seasoned people and think, wow, this is great. I want to do this or want to be like that.

TD: What kind of direction would you like to see the organization go in?

BH: I know that the board has been talking about getting people from other states, and we do have some members from California, a couple here and there. Most of them are from the Mid-Atlantic region, but we have some people from other states. I don’t want to get so big that we lose the essence of the organization. I know we want to grow our conference attendance, but I would like to see it retain the personal aspect as we grow. People should be able to attend, make new friends, reconnect with those they know and feel welcome.

TD: Any words of advice for new CUPRAP members?

BH: I would say don’t take yourself too seriously. The higher education climate is just so different and it’s easy to be anxious and upset about what’s going to happen to you and what’s going to happen to your job. Because a lot of people are. They are worried about that, and they should be worried about that. But enjoy the work, because I’ve enjoyed it for all the years that I’ve been in higher-ed marketing. Just have fun and try to do the best that you can for your school, and for yourself as well.

The post Celebrating Betty Hanson appeared first on CUPRAP .