University Communications Alignment Plan Overview

University Communications encompasses 52 staff members in News Services, Creative Services, and Marketing. They serve as experts in their related fields and assist ECU administrators, faculty, and staff with communication and marketing needs. The department creates and carries out strategic marketing and communication initiatives to support the mission and goals of the university.

Mission

To tell the stories of the leadership, excellence, and innovation of East Carolina University’s students, faculty, and staff, raising awareness of the university and enhancing its reputation through branding, media outreach, and communication services.

Vision

To elevate the perception of ECU as a leader in education and research.

Summary of Unit Strategies

M1.2: Expand Access to and Participation in Transformative Experiences and Experiential Learning

Unit Strategies:

  • Raise awareness of programs that advance student opportunities such as study abroad and experiential learning by writing homepage stories, sharing on social media, pitching to media outlets, and disseminating to internal and external stakeholders.
  • In partnership with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, the Graduate School, ECU Online, and other offices, promote transformative experiences and experiential learning opportunities to prospective students through the development and execution of marketing, advertising, and communication plans and materials.

M2.1: Increase Public Engagement with and Access to Educational and Cultural Offerings

Unit Strategies:

  • Increase public awareness and engagement of educational and cultural offerings by disseminating information to internal and external stakeholders via homepage stories, news releases, social media, and advertising.
  • Budgets permitting, expand the use of paid advertising to promote cultural & performing arts events offered by the university.
  • Integrate brand personality solutions into university communications and promotion to develop and strengthen brand engagement with our audiences.
  • As budgets allow, expand in- and out-of-state advertising in support of new student recruitment.

M3.2: Expand and Enrich External Partnerships

Unit Strategies:

  • Expand and enrich external partnerships through coordinated promotion and raising awareness of innovative programs. (Current examples: NCInnovation, Golden LEAF, MrBeast, and SECU Foundation).
  • Promote career fairs.

V1.2: Bolster Online Course and Program Offerings

Unit Strategies:

  • In conjunction with campus partners, develop and execute marketing and communication plans, including paid advertising to drive awareness, interest, and enrollment in online programs.

V2.1: Increase Support and Utilization of Faculty and Staff Well-Being Resources

Unit Strategies:

  • Increase support of faculty and staff well-being resources by providing strategic communication guidance to Human Resources.
  • Create new videos to support HR’s work to serve all employees.

V3.3: Collaborate with the Community and University Partners to Foster Comprehensive Well-Being

Unit Strategies:

  • Publicize community programs related to well-being (i.e., ECU Smiles for Vets, wellness clinics, low-cost days of care like Missions of Mercy dental CSLCs, nutrition and wellness programs, etc.) and cover them after the fact to increase visibility that these programs exist and are available to patients across the region and state.
  • Write news stories on the successes of our faculty and providers in seeking and finding ways to improve health, from researching cancer treatments to targeting positive outcomes for addressing health disparities.
  • Collaborate with ECU Health communications teams to ensure high-level coverage of innovative patient opportunities, clinics, and outreach (like Brody’s Legacy Teachers program, AHEC Scholars programs in rural communities, and health sciences’ multidisciplinary hands-on training events).