Webster University Social Media History
HISTORY OF WEBSTER UNIVERSITY
The history of Webster University goes back to 1915 when it was founded by the Sisters of Loretto on November 1, 1915 in Webster Groves, Missouri. The school was originally named Loretto College after the Catholic religious organization which was founded in 1812. It was one of the first Catholic women colleges west of the Mississippi River. The organization wanted to give opportunity to the more unfortunate women to attend a school during a time when higher education wasn’t readily available to them.
The first graduating class of 1919 had two graduates. Five years later in 1924, the school changed its name to Webster College when the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredited …show more content…
the school. They changed the name so it wouldn’t be mistaken for the Loretto Academy in the Loretto Community on Lafayette Avenue in St. Louis. The college didn’t see much growth until the 1940’s and 50’s. One major change for the college that made an impact on what the school is today was the enrollment of males in 1962. As the student enrollment continued to climb they eventually opened their doors to accept males in the all girl college with only a limited list of courses availability for the males. There were only two males who enrolled that year. It took six years to incorporate a full coeducational institute with no course restrictions for the male population.
Webster University was involved in a controversy dealing with racial integration battles taking place in St. Louis during the early 1940’s. The segregationist policies were challenged in the Catholic colleges and parochial schools by the priests. In 1943, the bishop assigned the first black female student, Mary Aloyse Foster, to enroll into Webster College. Webster was St. Louis’ first Catholic college to integrate. However, the enrollment was blocked by Archbishop John Glennon after conversations between the Archbishop and the Superior General of the Sisters of Loretto. The controversial Archbishop started getting negative publicity through articles in national newspapers. It took three years for Webster College to give in and enabled their first Catholic African American women, Irene Thomas, to enroll. This was a stepping stone for Webster. 47 years later down the path the University was recognized in 1992 by the Black Issues in Higher Education for graduating more African Americans with master’s degrees than any other school in the United States. They endure the title of being the top not-for-profit institution in having master’s degrees awarded to African American students. This set precedence for the type of diverse school Webster University is today with the variety of ethnic backgrounds and international campus locations.
In 1967, Webster College entered into new ownership by having the Sisters of Loretto transferring it to a lay board of directors. The Sisters of Loretto saw this as being the best interest for the school as they had financial difficulties funding it through internal resources. As of today, the school is still operated by the lay board of directors. Webster is operated as a private, nonprofit, non-denominational university. Today in 2013, Webster University has five types of colleges - the School of Business and Technology; the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts; the School of Education; the School of Communications; and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Webster University has a list of awards, recognitions, and articles to back up their standings as being an excellent school for graduate and undergraduate degrees domestically and internationally. The Black Issues in Higher Education recognized them as being the top not-for-profit institution in having master’s degrees awarded to African American students. They were also mentioned in publications by Money Magazine and U.S. News & World Report. In 1995, Money Magazine recognized them as being one of the nation’s top 20 commuter schools. The U.S. News & World Report listed them as one of the top 31 in the country and as “Best Value” among Midwest Regional Schools. This magazine also recognized their Study Abroad Program as a “Program to Look For” and ranked it in the top 2 percent nationally. The University was also placed in their first tier of Midwest Schools for Best Universities for a masters degree in their annual rankings by America’s Best Colleges. In 2002, Webster University was recognized for their contributions to military education. Lastly, they have an impressive reputation of being ranked as having one of the highest graduate business enrollments in the United States by AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International.
Webster College received a grant in 1963 allowing them to offer a Masters program to full-time professionals. It was Webster’s first consideration to offer evening classes to accommodate the full-time professionals who worked during the day. The evening hour program was overwhelmingly popular in St. Louis. So Webster College decided to extend the offer of the different options to students throughout the state. In 1966, Webster expanded by opening a location in Kansas City, MO. This popular program was an interest to the U.S. Government who invited Webster to be the first college to open a location at Fort Sheridan near Chicago, IL. This created an open door for Webster’s future. The school was renamed to Webster University in 1983 to reflect its innovative and diverse institute. The college grew at magnificent rates and now offers higher education to the military service personnel at many military bases, along with having international locations. Today, they have close to 100 locations throughout the United States and abroad, including 32 metropolitan campuses, 21 corporate sites and 42 military installations. In the 1970’s international campuses opened which consist of being located in Geneva, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; and in The Netherlands and England. There are also several located in Asia, as in Thailand, Shanghai, and China. Webster is also in the process of opening its first campus in Africa. With having campuses worldwide this gives students a once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad.
Even though Webster University is known more for their academics, their athletic department has improved. They are now part of the NCAA Division III system and have won the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sports Award in 2000 for the first time in the University’s history and continued the streak for the next six out of seven years.
Webster University’s mission is “worldwide institution, ensures high quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.”
PROBLEM
The problem that Webster University is encountering is not being exposed enough locally in the St. Louis metropolitan area, throughout the United States, and globally. It is an excellent liberal arts school to get a higher education in the fields of fine arts, business and management, and communications. Webster University’s Centennial celebration in 2015 will give them more visibility not only in their own community, but throughout the world. They have been recognized through organizations and small publications, but need to expand their audience. If you would approach Webster’s stakeholders who live within the 60 mile radius of St. Louis and ask what the prominent colleges or universities are in the area, they will probably mention Washington University, St. Louis University, University of Missouri, or University of Missouri-St. Louis. This is a hurdle that Webster University needs to resolve. In this plan, there will be strategies and tactics to give awareness to the audience. There will be audiences unaware that Webster University has a program for students to study abroad. They need to become visible to stakeholders showing them the diversity of their school in all areas of study and bring awareness to the array of cultures they can become acclimated to globally. This is such an asset of the University. Webster University is overshadowed by other well-known schools and need to get the communication out and bring more awareness to the public.
Webster University’s Centennial is an important event because it shows how well the school has done as an organization. The history shows how they have adapted to the changes of time from starting as an all-girl Catholic school to opening their enrollment to males and minorities. They also took a leap by opening campus worldwide and near military bases. This shows strength and diversity.
STAKEHOLDERS
A stakeholder in a communication plan is someone who has an interest in the messages being announced. They are an individual or group who is influential in the community. They are the audience you need to communicate with to achieve your objective. It will better to educate them on the issue so they are affected by the plan and can influence others.
There are many audiences who have a stake in this communication plan recognizing Webster University’s Centennial celebration. There are the high school students seeking options for college, college students who may consider transferring, parents of these students, alumni, and residents and business owners near all the campuses worldwide. It is important to make it visible to them how long the school has been around by giving interesting facts on the University, bring attention to the academic recognitions and awards, and doing fun activities.
It is very important to capture the attention of the high school and potential transfer students because they are in the market finding a school that fits their interest of study and their style which will give them an experience of a lifetime. It’s never too late to recruit new students of any age. There are students who are unsatisfied attending their current college or university because it may not be a good fit. This communication plan should make visible to them the history of how long the school has been around, the possible once in a lifetime opportunity to live and study abroad, and the surrounding environment of the campuses. The parents of these students are very important stakeholders since they are usually the primary source of payment toward their child’s education. Every parent wants what is best for their child.
The alumni are effective stakeholders. Even though they are finished with their education, they are still a part of the university’s family because of their involvement through organizations or contributing to a matching gift foundation. Alumni will have great interest seeing the school continuing to grow and get worldwide recognition. It will give them great pride graduating from such a school with long history.
They will be a stakeholder who will be effective in spreading the word about the Centennial.
The residents of the nearby Webster University’s campuses have an interest on the success of the school because it is the pillar of their community. The location of the school helps the homeowners’ property value. The business owners in the campus’ nearby communities also have an interest for the school to have a Centennial celebration and continue to grow throughout the years because it would mean increased revenue for them through visitor and local student spending. The University is a value-added for everyone.
KEY MESSAGES
Key messages are messages you want your stakeholders to see or hear. It must be consistent throughout the process and received by each audience for the communication plan to be effective. It’s what you wish to communicate to your audience about your initiative, your organization and your mission. The message needs to be concise, easily understood, and have impact. The outcome is when stakeholders leave with a good understanding of the message and relay it to the public.
“Celebrating 100 years, Webster University educates students worldwide who become leaders in their field.”
This statement is backed by Webster University’s School of Communications one goal, “to educate and prepare its students to excel as skilled professionals in a global field of communications”. Webster University has come a long way since their establishment in 1915. Starting as an all-girls Catholic college, it went through some controversy with segregation in the 1940’s to allowing the enrollment of male students in the 1960’s to expanding their campuses worldwide with the first international campus being located at Geneva, Switzerland in 1978. They have taken leaps in staying committed to serving their students and to be one of the best schools.
Webster University has had numerous graduates excel during their careers who have become high profiled professionals. They include professions locally, nationally, and internationally for acting and productions, musicians, politicians, and astronauts. There are an abundance of graduates from the acting field as in the 2005 Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz for Best Leading Actor in the musical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”; Academy Award nominee, Marsha Mason, for “Cinderella Liberty” and “The Goodbye Girl”; actor Rob Riggle from the Daily Show and Saturday Night Live; actor Dana Snyder; actress, television host, and singer Nikki Boyer; television producer Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin; and the 2005 Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell for his choreography in “La Cage aux Folles”.
Webster University has its own St. Louis original, Erin Bode. She is popular for her vocals in jazz. She has an astonishing voice that is too exquisite to miss. Along with Erin, St. Louis has a couple other local high profile professionals. They were both a former Mayor and Chief of Police of St. Louis, Clarence Harmon and Joe Mokwa. Beside the two St. Louis graduates who continued their career in politics there are John Boccieri, former U.S. Congressman from Ohio; Ann Walsh Bradley, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice; Phil Short, member of the Louisiana State Senate; and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia.
Who would have thought of a graduate from Webster University excelling in the field of science or engineering? If you asked astronauts Eileen Collins and Sidney M. Gutierrez they wouldn’t second guess that Webster University was the right choice of school for them. While in the military, they both took advantage of Webster’s campuses near their military bases. With Webster University positioning themselves near military bases they are the preferred provider for education to the military graduates.
“Pillar of Education – Locally, Nationally, and Internationally”
Webster University has sustainable core values of students, learning, diversity and global citizenship and attainable goals which have been retained. They focus on global education, advancing excellence, fulfilling unmet needs, placing students first, enhancing the school’s reputation, and utilizing resources. With all these goals combined it makes them the pillar of education.
The proof of global education is shown by the numerous locations worldwide. One university is located in 4 continents, 8 countries, and 60 cities with continuing expansion of their campuses internationally, the newest location opening soon in Ghana in the spring of 2014. This supports the goal for advancing excellence. They take pride in exceeding the national benchmark performance in graduation rates and expanding their academic curriculum internationally. They always want to place students first. They strive to make sure each student has a personal experience, which will in turn build a strong alumni base and have a lifelong connection to the University. The alumni have to be credited in part for the reputation the University has sustained. Webster University will utilize these resources to insure they retain their goals and continue to provide an excellent education to the surrounding communities locally, nationally and internationally. These are the pillars for their mission statement, “ensures high quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence”.
”Picture Yourself at Webster University”
This message conveys that the students at Webster University take pride in their school, have fun on campus, and enjoy the learning experience the school has to offer. It’s not only about the current students, but alumni also. Social media is an effective way to reach out to the audience. This message will encourage audiences to share their photos online with fellow classmates or connect with the alumni groups. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
SUCCESS
The success of the communication plan is to increase enrollment by 3 percent each year from the current combined student population of approximately 220,000, improve retention, and maintain or improve their ranking. These goals combined will affect the alumni population of the 157,000 who have a lifelong connection to the University and contribute to the awareness of the school to the public. This will in turn give Webster University recognition in reputable and notable publications for their rankings compared to other universities.
This plan will also bring an increase of awareness to the public through Instagram and Facebook. The more followers there are on the social media the more they are aware of the school and will influence other audiences. There should also be a succession rate to the plan in the community’s businesses near campus locations worldwide. If the increase in enrollment is a success, then the local businesses near campuses should notice an increase in foot traffic which turns into revenue.
STRATEGIES
A communication strategy is the “big picture” of the plan. It should establish goals and objectives because that is the key to a successful plan. Each strategy should be independent of the other. The strategies will help the public decide what they need to learn about the organization and the issue so they can relay the message. It needs to be strong enough to solve the problem.
The three strategies being used in this plan for Webster University’s Centennial are media relations, awareness, and social media.
Media Relations
Media relations is one of the best strategies an organization can use. Developing and maintaining a good relationship with the media is key to an organization’s success. The objective through media relations is to communication the message to outlying areas of all the Webster Universities’ campuses worldwide. This will be generated through print media and radio. There is an audience that is unaware of Webster University and a press release and commercials during morning talk radio will be the beginning of the communications to the public to leverage their 100 year celebration. It will capture potential college students, students at other colleges, and most importantly, parents of these college students. It is a reliable strategy because it will reach a significant number of primary and pass-along readers and listeners.
Awareness
Awareness is used in a communication plan to relay information to audiences through activities or visual items so they become more knowledgeable and will spread the word to influence other stakeholders’ decision. Getting Webster University’s name and image recognized in the public eye is a way of promoting their school and bringing awareness about their Centennial. In the awareness process visuals are used, for example – signs, promotional items, or activities. These are used to influence attitudes. If the public is not aware of the organization’s activities or events, the plan will not be a success. It must leave a lasting impression.
Social Media
Social media is a tool of communication.
It is a communication that is a two-way street in an exchange of information. Social media is sometimes referred to as social networking. This form of communication has become a popular and inexpensive way to drive communication out to the public but effective. This advance technology has kept the world connected on real time and is an influential tool. It has become a medium for people reconnecting after years of being separated miles away. Social media helps organizations and groups spread the word on events and news that is worthy. This is why Webster University will include social media in the process of their communication …show more content…
plan.
TACTICS
Tactics are things you do to execute a strategy. If you have good tactics in place for your objective, you will get good results. Tactics are how you will implement the strategy all the way to the end. You have to have a detailed and precise procedure in place to grab the attention of the stakeholder so they will influence others. The tactics used in this communication plan are press release, sound bites on the radio for the media relations strategy; Christmas cards, street post banners, direct mail flyer for the awareness strategy; and Instagram and Facebook for social media strategy.
Media Relations
#1 Tactic – Press Release
The press release is a tactic that will be communicated through a local newspaper in the markets in which Webster University’s campuses are located locally, nationally and internationally. The newspapers need to reach audiences within a 60-mile radius of the campuses. The target is to place the press release in local newspapers, including any online versions, where the population is at least 13,000 and capturing an even bigger audience in that community’s surrounding area. This press release will be titled “Webster University-Celebrating 100 Years” and will give information on the history of the school for the last 100 years. Starting with the background on the founders, Sisters of Loretto, and how it became the school it is today. It will explain what their focus was back in 1915, describe how diverse they have become by accepting male students, to where they are today by expanding internationally. At the end of the article it will mention that Webster University will be scheduling events throughout their Centennial year.
For the local Webster Groves area, the key publications in which the article will be published are the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Webster-Kirkwood Times, Belleville News-Democrat, Missourian, and Farmington Press. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch will be the primary newspaper since it has the largest circulation. The Webster-Kirkwood Times is a good newspaper so the article can attract the attention of the Webster Groves and Kirkwood residents who already attend a different school outside of the community in the proximity of St. Louis. The Belleville News-Democrat will capture the audiences east of Webster Groves. It could reach an audience who is attending Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville or Southwestern Illinois College hoping to gain a transfer student. Placing the article in the Missourian will capture an audience in the communities of Washington, Union, St. Clair and Pacific, MO in the hopes to pull them toward Webster University instead of Missouri University in Rolla, MO or University of Missouri located in Columbia, MO. And lastly, need to place the press release in newspapers in cities near military bases, for example the Chicago Sun-Times for Fort Sheridan near Chicago.
For the international locations, the main newspaper of choice for the Geneva, Switzerland campus will be Blick. It is the most widely circulated Swiss newspaper. In Vienna, Austria the article will be placed in the Austrian Times, the Netherlands newspaper will be the De Telegraaf which has a circulation of approximately 610,000. In London, England the article will be placed in the Daily Telegraph and Asia will print in the most circulated newspaper in Thailand, Shanghai, and China.
#2 Tactic – Morning Talk Radio
Morning talk radio will be an effective way to get the message to a variety of audiences. During this air time the school will have the radio stations use a couple of the sound bites mentioned in the Key Message section of the communication plan - “Celebrating 100 years, Webster University educates students worldwide who become leaders in their field” and ”Picture Yourself at Webster University” . The radio stations selected for this tactic will be stations of genre that a typical college student would listen to. These stations would be Z107.7, KY98, and The Bull 93.7. For the parents of a student, they would typically listen to KHITS 96.3, 102.5 KEZK, and The Bull 93.7. After the “Celebrating 100 years…” sound bite, they would bring awareness to the audience with an interesting factoid about the school. They will run a few different factoids at various times throughout the day. This tactic will be used in local, national, and international locations in all Webster University’s markets. The words “Webster University” will be used repetitively in each commercial. Using words repetitive is key to getting a message across. It will burn an image in a person’s mind. The factoids that will be used are as follows:
“Did you know that the Sisters of Loretta was the founder of Webster University in 1915? It was the first 4-year Catholic women's college west of the Mississippi River” only Tier 1, private, nonprofit university with campus locations around the world
Webster University is home to one of the top Theater programs in the nation.
Ranked in the top tier among Best Universities in the Midwest Master’s Category
U.S. News & World Reports ranked Webster University’s study abroad programs in the top 2 percent as “America’s Best Colleges 2012”.
Awareness
#1 Tactic – Christmas Cards
One awareness tactic that will be very effective at all ages is the creation of a Christmas card. It is a way to express an important event. Webster University will sponsor an art contest at local elementary schools in the St. Louis area. The students will create artwork to the theme of “Webster University – Celebrating 100 Years”. The winning artwork will be made into Christmas cards for the public to purchase. Along with this winning artwork from the local schools, Webster University will also choose four of their own college students at four different international locations to create artwork with the same theme which pertains to their country. All five pieces of art will be generated into Christmas cards and sold as a variety pack of 5 different works.
#2 Tactic – Street Post Banners
Placing banners on every street post in every community in which a Webster University campus is located is an awareness program that will be seen by a wide variety of audiences. In respect to the St. Louis area, it won’t only be visual to the Webster Groves residents, but also by commuters who visit Webster Groves for shopping, dining or events. This will also be visible to commuters who travel through Webster Groves on their way to work. On these banners there will be an image of Webster University’s main campus building for each respective location locally, nationally, or internationally. However, there will be two different banners displaying two different phrases. One will read “Webster University-Celebrating 100 Years” and the other will be “Pillar of Education – Locally, Nationally, and Internationally”.
#3 Tactic – Direct Mail
Direct mail is a form of an awareness strategy that will encourage up and coming students to visit their campus to get a real life and global experience. A postcard will be mailed to high school juniors in the surrounding communities locally, nationally, and internationally of all the Webster University’s campuses. The postcard will be made specifically for the respective location in its market. It will have photos of the specific university campus main building and photos of random students. The phrase “can you picture yourself at Webster University” will be placed on it along with a few fun facts about the University, and a contact phone number. There will be a note on the postcard encouraging students to visit the campus. When the student schedules a campus visit, takes a tour, and enrolls with the school they will be registered for a chance to win free lunch for a year at the school’s cafeteria. This will bring traffic to the school and the local businesses near the respective campus.
Social Media
#1 Tactic – Instagram
The theme on instagram is “Picture Yourself at Webster University”.
Students love taking and sharing pictures with friends. In this tactic Webster University students are encouraged to post photos of themselves from somewhere on campus. These postings will reach all their followers on Instagram which will in turn have a secondary audience when it is forwarded onto their friend’s friends. Another benefit is that the University will have a channel of communication to the student enabling the University to stay connected with the student by sending them notifications on news and events happening at Webster University. It is a proactive and effective way to get a message across to a wide range of audiences in an inexpensive way. Once they post photos and tag the respective Webster University location, Webster University’s name will have an abundance of exposure around the
world.
#2 Tactic – Facebook
This tactic will be beneficial for the University and local businesses. The University will create a page on Facebook. To recruit and retain followers, they will encourage patrons to LIKE their page so they can have access to their weekly coupon special from local businesses. Examples of coupons to be published would possibly be getting a percentage off a certain item at a particular business or a BOGOF (buy one get one free) special. Since there are so many campuses the local business coupon will only be for the Webster Groves, MO area. The University will also post a weekly lunch special coupon for the campus cafeteria that can be used at any campus worldwide. After the first time the Facebook user LIKEs the page, a weekly posting from Webster University will automatically be on their news feed. Another benefit in using Facebook as a filtered to get the word out to the public for Webster University is being able to make frequent postings notifying the audience of different events throughout the year of the Centennial.
EVALUATION
The evaluation process measures the results of the strategies and shows what tactic was the most effective. It will describe how the communication plan will be assessed and whether or not the activities and events are meeting their objective. It will also determine whether or not the overall communication objectives are being achieved. The objectives need to be measurable. Having good results doesn’t always mean in the terms of quantity. To know if an objective was effective you can measure its value.
There are various ways to evaluate a plan. These results are measured in a stakeholder’s behavior, attitude, knowledge, and awareness. In this communication plan the three objectives to be measured are through media relations, awareness, and social media. Evaluating an audience’s awareness or understanding of a project can be done by asking participants to fill out a survey after an event, have an in-person questioning session with individual stakeholders, or count the number of people who visited Webster University’s website. These results can be used as a benchmark for future plans.
The first strategy used was media relations with a press release and morning talk radio blurbs as the tactics. To evaluate a press release and determine the results, it can be measured by listing the name of the newspapers that the article was published in and track the number of circulations for each newspaper. The school could also partner with a research firm to determine accurate results. The effectiveness will be evaluated by seeing the attendance at the schools events throughout the year and will indicate how well the message was delivered. It will also be evaluated by sending a survey to the markets where the press release was published in the daily newspapers near Webster University campuses. To evaluate the effectiveness for the radio time, the radio stations of choice will be contacted to obtain a copy of the ratings to determine the number of audiences the message reached out to. The results of this tactic can also be evaluated by the attendance of schools events.
The next strategy used was awareness. The tactics of Christmas cards, street post banners and direct mail postcards can be measured by quantities. The effectiveness of the art contest will be measured by the number of Christmas cards sold. It can also be measured in the awareness to the families who participated in the contest. Street banners will be effective if there is a noticeable increase in foot traffic to the school events and activities, or the local businesses. It will be measured on the increase in revenue at the local businesses. This increase will be the result of students visiting the area for campus tours and from the school’s higher enrollment. The direct mail tactic will be monitored by recording the number of postcards mailed and counting the number of appointments for campus tours and entries for the “free lunch” drawing.
The last strategy of social media will be measured by the number of followers on Instagram and Facebook. If the activity for both social media sites increases to 30,000 followers by the end of the Centennial year, the objective was a success. Both of these sites will also generate more activity on Webster University’s website. Another measuring tool to determine the effectiveness of the Facebook tactic will be the increase in revenue to local businesses by using the coupon on Facebook. Hiring a research firm could also be a tool for evaluating the success of these two forms of social media.
Positive results of this evaluation process will establish a reputation for Webster University’s excellent education and bring more awareness to the audience about their Centennial celebration.
The history of Webster University goes back to 1915 when it was founded by the Sisters of Loretto on November 1, 1915 in Webster Groves, Missouri. The school was originally named Loretto College after the Catholic religious organization which was founded in 1812. It was one of the first Catholic women colleges west of the Mississippi River. The organization wanted to give opportunity to the more unfortunate women to attend a school during a time when higher education wasn’t readily available to them.
The first graduating class of 1919 had two graduates. Five years later in 1924, the school changed its name to Webster College when the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools accredited …show more content…
the school. They changed the name so it wouldn’t be mistaken for the Loretto Academy in the Loretto Community on Lafayette Avenue in St. Louis. The college didn’t see much growth until the 1940’s and 50’s. One major change for the college that made an impact on what the school is today was the enrollment of males in 1962. As the student enrollment continued to climb they eventually opened their doors to accept males in the all girl college with only a limited list of courses availability for the males. There were only two males who enrolled that year. It took six years to incorporate a full coeducational institute with no course restrictions for the male population.
Webster University was involved in a controversy dealing with racial integration battles taking place in St. Louis during the early 1940’s. The segregationist policies were challenged in the Catholic colleges and parochial schools by the priests. In 1943, the bishop assigned the first black female student, Mary Aloyse Foster, to enroll into Webster College. Webster was St. Louis’ first Catholic college to integrate. However, the enrollment was blocked by Archbishop John Glennon after conversations between the Archbishop and the Superior General of the Sisters of Loretto. The controversial Archbishop started getting negative publicity through articles in national newspapers. It took three years for Webster College to give in and enabled their first Catholic African American women, Irene Thomas, to enroll. This was a stepping stone for Webster. 47 years later down the path the University was recognized in 1992 by the Black Issues in Higher Education for graduating more African Americans with master’s degrees than any other school in the United States. They endure the title of being the top not-for-profit institution in having master’s degrees awarded to African American students. This set precedence for the type of diverse school Webster University is today with the variety of ethnic backgrounds and international campus locations.
In 1967, Webster College entered into new ownership by having the Sisters of Loretto transferring it to a lay board of directors. The Sisters of Loretto saw this as being the best interest for the school as they had financial difficulties funding it through internal resources. As of today, the school is still operated by the lay board of directors. Webster is operated as a private, nonprofit, non-denominational university. Today in 2013, Webster University has five types of colleges - the School of Business and Technology; the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts; the School of Education; the School of Communications; and the College of Arts and Sciences.
Webster University has a list of awards, recognitions, and articles to back up their standings as being an excellent school for graduate and undergraduate degrees domestically and internationally. The Black Issues in Higher Education recognized them as being the top not-for-profit institution in having master’s degrees awarded to African American students. They were also mentioned in publications by Money Magazine and U.S. News & World Report. In 1995, Money Magazine recognized them as being one of the nation’s top 20 commuter schools. The U.S. News & World Report listed them as one of the top 31 in the country and as “Best Value” among Midwest Regional Schools. This magazine also recognized their Study Abroad Program as a “Program to Look For” and ranked it in the top 2 percent nationally. The University was also placed in their first tier of Midwest Schools for Best Universities for a masters degree in their annual rankings by America’s Best Colleges. In 2002, Webster University was recognized for their contributions to military education. Lastly, they have an impressive reputation of being ranked as having one of the highest graduate business enrollments in the United States by AACSB (The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International.
Webster College received a grant in 1963 allowing them to offer a Masters program to full-time professionals. It was Webster’s first consideration to offer evening classes to accommodate the full-time professionals who worked during the day. The evening hour program was overwhelmingly popular in St. Louis. So Webster College decided to extend the offer of the different options to students throughout the state. In 1966, Webster expanded by opening a location in Kansas City, MO. This popular program was an interest to the U.S. Government who invited Webster to be the first college to open a location at Fort Sheridan near Chicago, IL. This created an open door for Webster’s future. The school was renamed to Webster University in 1983 to reflect its innovative and diverse institute. The college grew at magnificent rates and now offers higher education to the military service personnel at many military bases, along with having international locations. Today, they have close to 100 locations throughout the United States and abroad, including 32 metropolitan campuses, 21 corporate sites and 42 military installations. In the 1970’s international campuses opened which consist of being located in Geneva, Switzerland; Vienna, Austria; and in The Netherlands and England. There are also several located in Asia, as in Thailand, Shanghai, and China. Webster is also in the process of opening its first campus in Africa. With having campuses worldwide this gives students a once in a lifetime opportunity to study abroad.
Even though Webster University is known more for their academics, their athletic department has improved. They are now part of the NCAA Division III system and have won the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference All-Sports Award in 2000 for the first time in the University’s history and continued the streak for the next six out of seven years.
Webster University’s mission is “worldwide institution, ensures high quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence.”
PROBLEM
The problem that Webster University is encountering is not being exposed enough locally in the St. Louis metropolitan area, throughout the United States, and globally. It is an excellent liberal arts school to get a higher education in the fields of fine arts, business and management, and communications. Webster University’s Centennial celebration in 2015 will give them more visibility not only in their own community, but throughout the world. They have been recognized through organizations and small publications, but need to expand their audience. If you would approach Webster’s stakeholders who live within the 60 mile radius of St. Louis and ask what the prominent colleges or universities are in the area, they will probably mention Washington University, St. Louis University, University of Missouri, or University of Missouri-St. Louis. This is a hurdle that Webster University needs to resolve. In this plan, there will be strategies and tactics to give awareness to the audience. There will be audiences unaware that Webster University has a program for students to study abroad. They need to become visible to stakeholders showing them the diversity of their school in all areas of study and bring awareness to the array of cultures they can become acclimated to globally. This is such an asset of the University. Webster University is overshadowed by other well-known schools and need to get the communication out and bring more awareness to the public.
Webster University’s Centennial is an important event because it shows how well the school has done as an organization. The history shows how they have adapted to the changes of time from starting as an all-girl Catholic school to opening their enrollment to males and minorities. They also took a leap by opening campus worldwide and near military bases. This shows strength and diversity.
STAKEHOLDERS
A stakeholder in a communication plan is someone who has an interest in the messages being announced. They are an individual or group who is influential in the community. They are the audience you need to communicate with to achieve your objective. It will better to educate them on the issue so they are affected by the plan and can influence others.
There are many audiences who have a stake in this communication plan recognizing Webster University’s Centennial celebration. There are the high school students seeking options for college, college students who may consider transferring, parents of these students, alumni, and residents and business owners near all the campuses worldwide. It is important to make it visible to them how long the school has been around by giving interesting facts on the University, bring attention to the academic recognitions and awards, and doing fun activities.
It is very important to capture the attention of the high school and potential transfer students because they are in the market finding a school that fits their interest of study and their style which will give them an experience of a lifetime. It’s never too late to recruit new students of any age. There are students who are unsatisfied attending their current college or university because it may not be a good fit. This communication plan should make visible to them the history of how long the school has been around, the possible once in a lifetime opportunity to live and study abroad, and the surrounding environment of the campuses. The parents of these students are very important stakeholders since they are usually the primary source of payment toward their child’s education. Every parent wants what is best for their child.
The alumni are effective stakeholders. Even though they are finished with their education, they are still a part of the university’s family because of their involvement through organizations or contributing to a matching gift foundation. Alumni will have great interest seeing the school continuing to grow and get worldwide recognition. It will give them great pride graduating from such a school with long history.
They will be a stakeholder who will be effective in spreading the word about the Centennial.
The residents of the nearby Webster University’s campuses have an interest on the success of the school because it is the pillar of their community. The location of the school helps the homeowners’ property value. The business owners in the campus’ nearby communities also have an interest for the school to have a Centennial celebration and continue to grow throughout the years because it would mean increased revenue for them through visitor and local student spending. The University is a value-added for everyone.
KEY MESSAGES
Key messages are messages you want your stakeholders to see or hear. It must be consistent throughout the process and received by each audience for the communication plan to be effective. It’s what you wish to communicate to your audience about your initiative, your organization and your mission. The message needs to be concise, easily understood, and have impact. The outcome is when stakeholders leave with a good understanding of the message and relay it to the public.
“Celebrating 100 years, Webster University educates students worldwide who become leaders in their field.”
This statement is backed by Webster University’s School of Communications one goal, “to educate and prepare its students to excel as skilled professionals in a global field of communications”. Webster University has come a long way since their establishment in 1915. Starting as an all-girls Catholic college, it went through some controversy with segregation in the 1940’s to allowing the enrollment of male students in the 1960’s to expanding their campuses worldwide with the first international campus being located at Geneva, Switzerland in 1978. They have taken leaps in staying committed to serving their students and to be one of the best schools.
Webster University has had numerous graduates excel during their careers who have become high profiled professionals. They include professions locally, nationally, and internationally for acting and productions, musicians, politicians, and astronauts. There are an abundance of graduates from the acting field as in the 2005 Tony Award winner Norbert Leo Butz for Best Leading Actor in the musical “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels”; Academy Award nominee, Marsha Mason, for “Cinderella Liberty” and “The Goodbye Girl”; actor Rob Riggle from the Daily Show and Saturday Night Live; actor Dana Snyder; actress, television host, and singer Nikki Boyer; television producer Mary Alice Dwyer-Dobbin; and the 2005 Tony Award winner Jerry Mitchell for his choreography in “La Cage aux Folles”.
Webster University has its own St. Louis original, Erin Bode. She is popular for her vocals in jazz. She has an astonishing voice that is too exquisite to miss. Along with Erin, St. Louis has a couple other local high profile professionals. They were both a former Mayor and Chief of Police of St. Louis, Clarence Harmon and Joe Mokwa. Beside the two St. Louis graduates who continued their career in politics there are John Boccieri, former U.S. Congressman from Ohio; Ann Walsh Bradley, Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice; Phil Short, member of the Louisiana State Senate; and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, President of Indonesia.
Who would have thought of a graduate from Webster University excelling in the field of science or engineering? If you asked astronauts Eileen Collins and Sidney M. Gutierrez they wouldn’t second guess that Webster University was the right choice of school for them. While in the military, they both took advantage of Webster’s campuses near their military bases. With Webster University positioning themselves near military bases they are the preferred provider for education to the military graduates.
“Pillar of Education – Locally, Nationally, and Internationally”
Webster University has sustainable core values of students, learning, diversity and global citizenship and attainable goals which have been retained. They focus on global education, advancing excellence, fulfilling unmet needs, placing students first, enhancing the school’s reputation, and utilizing resources. With all these goals combined it makes them the pillar of education.
The proof of global education is shown by the numerous locations worldwide. One university is located in 4 continents, 8 countries, and 60 cities with continuing expansion of their campuses internationally, the newest location opening soon in Ghana in the spring of 2014. This supports the goal for advancing excellence. They take pride in exceeding the national benchmark performance in graduation rates and expanding their academic curriculum internationally. They always want to place students first. They strive to make sure each student has a personal experience, which will in turn build a strong alumni base and have a lifelong connection to the University. The alumni have to be credited in part for the reputation the University has sustained. Webster University will utilize these resources to insure they retain their goals and continue to provide an excellent education to the surrounding communities locally, nationally and internationally. These are the pillars for their mission statement, “ensures high quality learning experiences that transform students for global citizenship and individual excellence”.
”Picture Yourself at Webster University”
This message conveys that the students at Webster University take pride in their school, have fun on campus, and enjoy the learning experience the school has to offer. It’s not only about the current students, but alumni also. Social media is an effective way to reach out to the audience. This message will encourage audiences to share their photos online with fellow classmates or connect with the alumni groups. As the saying goes, “A picture is worth a thousand words.”
SUCCESS
The success of the communication plan is to increase enrollment by 3 percent each year from the current combined student population of approximately 220,000, improve retention, and maintain or improve their ranking. These goals combined will affect the alumni population of the 157,000 who have a lifelong connection to the University and contribute to the awareness of the school to the public. This will in turn give Webster University recognition in reputable and notable publications for their rankings compared to other universities.
This plan will also bring an increase of awareness to the public through Instagram and Facebook. The more followers there are on the social media the more they are aware of the school and will influence other audiences. There should also be a succession rate to the plan in the community’s businesses near campus locations worldwide. If the increase in enrollment is a success, then the local businesses near campuses should notice an increase in foot traffic which turns into revenue.
STRATEGIES
A communication strategy is the “big picture” of the plan. It should establish goals and objectives because that is the key to a successful plan. Each strategy should be independent of the other. The strategies will help the public decide what they need to learn about the organization and the issue so they can relay the message. It needs to be strong enough to solve the problem.
The three strategies being used in this plan for Webster University’s Centennial are media relations, awareness, and social media.
Media Relations
Media relations is one of the best strategies an organization can use. Developing and maintaining a good relationship with the media is key to an organization’s success. The objective through media relations is to communication the message to outlying areas of all the Webster Universities’ campuses worldwide. This will be generated through print media and radio. There is an audience that is unaware of Webster University and a press release and commercials during morning talk radio will be the beginning of the communications to the public to leverage their 100 year celebration. It will capture potential college students, students at other colleges, and most importantly, parents of these college students. It is a reliable strategy because it will reach a significant number of primary and pass-along readers and listeners.
Awareness
Awareness is used in a communication plan to relay information to audiences through activities or visual items so they become more knowledgeable and will spread the word to influence other stakeholders’ decision. Getting Webster University’s name and image recognized in the public eye is a way of promoting their school and bringing awareness about their Centennial. In the awareness process visuals are used, for example – signs, promotional items, or activities. These are used to influence attitudes. If the public is not aware of the organization’s activities or events, the plan will not be a success. It must leave a lasting impression.
Social Media
Social media is a tool of communication.
It is a communication that is a two-way street in an exchange of information. Social media is sometimes referred to as social networking. This form of communication has become a popular and inexpensive way to drive communication out to the public but effective. This advance technology has kept the world connected on real time and is an influential tool. It has become a medium for people reconnecting after years of being separated miles away. Social media helps organizations and groups spread the word on events and news that is worthy. This is why Webster University will include social media in the process of their communication …show more content…
plan.
TACTICS
Tactics are things you do to execute a strategy. If you have good tactics in place for your objective, you will get good results. Tactics are how you will implement the strategy all the way to the end. You have to have a detailed and precise procedure in place to grab the attention of the stakeholder so they will influence others. The tactics used in this communication plan are press release, sound bites on the radio for the media relations strategy; Christmas cards, street post banners, direct mail flyer for the awareness strategy; and Instagram and Facebook for social media strategy.
Media Relations
#1 Tactic – Press Release
The press release is a tactic that will be communicated through a local newspaper in the markets in which Webster University’s campuses are located locally, nationally and internationally. The newspapers need to reach audiences within a 60-mile radius of the campuses. The target is to place the press release in local newspapers, including any online versions, where the population is at least 13,000 and capturing an even bigger audience in that community’s surrounding area. This press release will be titled “Webster University-Celebrating 100 Years” and will give information on the history of the school for the last 100 years. Starting with the background on the founders, Sisters of Loretto, and how it became the school it is today. It will explain what their focus was back in 1915, describe how diverse they have become by accepting male students, to where they are today by expanding internationally. At the end of the article it will mention that Webster University will be scheduling events throughout their Centennial year.
For the local Webster Groves area, the key publications in which the article will be published are the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Webster-Kirkwood Times, Belleville News-Democrat, Missourian, and Farmington Press. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch will be the primary newspaper since it has the largest circulation. The Webster-Kirkwood Times is a good newspaper so the article can attract the attention of the Webster Groves and Kirkwood residents who already attend a different school outside of the community in the proximity of St. Louis. The Belleville News-Democrat will capture the audiences east of Webster Groves. It could reach an audience who is attending Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville or Southwestern Illinois College hoping to gain a transfer student. Placing the article in the Missourian will capture an audience in the communities of Washington, Union, St. Clair and Pacific, MO in the hopes to pull them toward Webster University instead of Missouri University in Rolla, MO or University of Missouri located in Columbia, MO. And lastly, need to place the press release in newspapers in cities near military bases, for example the Chicago Sun-Times for Fort Sheridan near Chicago.
For the international locations, the main newspaper of choice for the Geneva, Switzerland campus will be Blick. It is the most widely circulated Swiss newspaper. In Vienna, Austria the article will be placed in the Austrian Times, the Netherlands newspaper will be the De Telegraaf which has a circulation of approximately 610,000. In London, England the article will be placed in the Daily Telegraph and Asia will print in the most circulated newspaper in Thailand, Shanghai, and China.
#2 Tactic – Morning Talk Radio
Morning talk radio will be an effective way to get the message to a variety of audiences. During this air time the school will have the radio stations use a couple of the sound bites mentioned in the Key Message section of the communication plan - “Celebrating 100 years, Webster University educates students worldwide who become leaders in their field” and ”Picture Yourself at Webster University” . The radio stations selected for this tactic will be stations of genre that a typical college student would listen to. These stations would be Z107.7, KY98, and The Bull 93.7. For the parents of a student, they would typically listen to KHITS 96.3, 102.5 KEZK, and The Bull 93.7. After the “Celebrating 100 years…” sound bite, they would bring awareness to the audience with an interesting factoid about the school. They will run a few different factoids at various times throughout the day. This tactic will be used in local, national, and international locations in all Webster University’s markets. The words “Webster University” will be used repetitively in each commercial. Using words repetitive is key to getting a message across. It will burn an image in a person’s mind. The factoids that will be used are as follows:
“Did you know that the Sisters of Loretta was the founder of Webster University in 1915? It was the first 4-year Catholic women's college west of the Mississippi River” only Tier 1, private, nonprofit university with campus locations around the world
Webster University is home to one of the top Theater programs in the nation.
Ranked in the top tier among Best Universities in the Midwest Master’s Category
U.S. News & World Reports ranked Webster University’s study abroad programs in the top 2 percent as “America’s Best Colleges 2012”.
Awareness
#1 Tactic – Christmas Cards
One awareness tactic that will be very effective at all ages is the creation of a Christmas card. It is a way to express an important event. Webster University will sponsor an art contest at local elementary schools in the St. Louis area. The students will create artwork to the theme of “Webster University – Celebrating 100 Years”. The winning artwork will be made into Christmas cards for the public to purchase. Along with this winning artwork from the local schools, Webster University will also choose four of their own college students at four different international locations to create artwork with the same theme which pertains to their country. All five pieces of art will be generated into Christmas cards and sold as a variety pack of 5 different works.
#2 Tactic – Street Post Banners
Placing banners on every street post in every community in which a Webster University campus is located is an awareness program that will be seen by a wide variety of audiences. In respect to the St. Louis area, it won’t only be visual to the Webster Groves residents, but also by commuters who visit Webster Groves for shopping, dining or events. This will also be visible to commuters who travel through Webster Groves on their way to work. On these banners there will be an image of Webster University’s main campus building for each respective location locally, nationally, or internationally. However, there will be two different banners displaying two different phrases. One will read “Webster University-Celebrating 100 Years” and the other will be “Pillar of Education – Locally, Nationally, and Internationally”.
#3 Tactic – Direct Mail
Direct mail is a form of an awareness strategy that will encourage up and coming students to visit their campus to get a real life and global experience. A postcard will be mailed to high school juniors in the surrounding communities locally, nationally, and internationally of all the Webster University’s campuses. The postcard will be made specifically for the respective location in its market. It will have photos of the specific university campus main building and photos of random students. The phrase “can you picture yourself at Webster University” will be placed on it along with a few fun facts about the University, and a contact phone number. There will be a note on the postcard encouraging students to visit the campus. When the student schedules a campus visit, takes a tour, and enrolls with the school they will be registered for a chance to win free lunch for a year at the school’s cafeteria. This will bring traffic to the school and the local businesses near the respective campus.
Social Media
#1 Tactic – Instagram
The theme on instagram is “Picture Yourself at Webster University”.
Students love taking and sharing pictures with friends. In this tactic Webster University students are encouraged to post photos of themselves from somewhere on campus. These postings will reach all their followers on Instagram which will in turn have a secondary audience when it is forwarded onto their friend’s friends. Another benefit is that the University will have a channel of communication to the student enabling the University to stay connected with the student by sending them notifications on news and events happening at Webster University. It is a proactive and effective way to get a message across to a wide range of audiences in an inexpensive way. Once they post photos and tag the respective Webster University location, Webster University’s name will have an abundance of exposure around the
world.
#2 Tactic – Facebook
This tactic will be beneficial for the University and local businesses. The University will create a page on Facebook. To recruit and retain followers, they will encourage patrons to LIKE their page so they can have access to their weekly coupon special from local businesses. Examples of coupons to be published would possibly be getting a percentage off a certain item at a particular business or a BOGOF (buy one get one free) special. Since there are so many campuses the local business coupon will only be for the Webster Groves, MO area. The University will also post a weekly lunch special coupon for the campus cafeteria that can be used at any campus worldwide. After the first time the Facebook user LIKEs the page, a weekly posting from Webster University will automatically be on their news feed. Another benefit in using Facebook as a filtered to get the word out to the public for Webster University is being able to make frequent postings notifying the audience of different events throughout the year of the Centennial.
EVALUATION
The evaluation process measures the results of the strategies and shows what tactic was the most effective. It will describe how the communication plan will be assessed and whether or not the activities and events are meeting their objective. It will also determine whether or not the overall communication objectives are being achieved. The objectives need to be measurable. Having good results doesn’t always mean in the terms of quantity. To know if an objective was effective you can measure its value.
There are various ways to evaluate a plan. These results are measured in a stakeholder’s behavior, attitude, knowledge, and awareness. In this communication plan the three objectives to be measured are through media relations, awareness, and social media. Evaluating an audience’s awareness or understanding of a project can be done by asking participants to fill out a survey after an event, have an in-person questioning session with individual stakeholders, or count the number of people who visited Webster University’s website. These results can be used as a benchmark for future plans.
The first strategy used was media relations with a press release and morning talk radio blurbs as the tactics. To evaluate a press release and determine the results, it can be measured by listing the name of the newspapers that the article was published in and track the number of circulations for each newspaper. The school could also partner with a research firm to determine accurate results. The effectiveness will be evaluated by seeing the attendance at the schools events throughout the year and will indicate how well the message was delivered. It will also be evaluated by sending a survey to the markets where the press release was published in the daily newspapers near Webster University campuses. To evaluate the effectiveness for the radio time, the radio stations of choice will be contacted to obtain a copy of the ratings to determine the number of audiences the message reached out to. The results of this tactic can also be evaluated by the attendance of schools events.
The next strategy used was awareness. The tactics of Christmas cards, street post banners and direct mail postcards can be measured by quantities. The effectiveness of the art contest will be measured by the number of Christmas cards sold. It can also be measured in the awareness to the families who participated in the contest. Street banners will be effective if there is a noticeable increase in foot traffic to the school events and activities, or the local businesses. It will be measured on the increase in revenue at the local businesses. This increase will be the result of students visiting the area for campus tours and from the school’s higher enrollment. The direct mail tactic will be monitored by recording the number of postcards mailed and counting the number of appointments for campus tours and entries for the “free lunch” drawing.
The last strategy of social media will be measured by the number of followers on Instagram and Facebook. If the activity for both social media sites increases to 30,000 followers by the end of the Centennial year, the objective was a success. Both of these sites will also generate more activity on Webster University’s website. Another measuring tool to determine the effectiveness of the Facebook tactic will be the increase in revenue to local businesses by using the coupon on Facebook. Hiring a research firm could also be a tool for evaluating the success of these two forms of social media.
Positive results of this evaluation process will establish a reputation for Webster University’s excellent education and bring more awareness to the audience about their Centennial celebration.