Publications Subcommittee Update

Like most universities, one of the goals of NC State is to tell the world about the research and discovery taking place on campus every day. Whether it’s through the personal stories of our scientists and students, or the hard news research features, publications are an important part of campus life.  They also play a key role in telling the stories.  But in today’s changing world, where more than 70,000 people a day visit NC State on the Web, it’s important that we stay up to date with how we treat university publications.

The Publications Subcommittee is taking a look at publications across campus and developing a strategic approach to how we handle publications now, and in the future.

Publications Subcommittee

•Scope includes:

–Regularly scheduled documents in print and/or electronic format

–Annual reports, progress reports, newsletters, e-newsletters and magazines

SWOT Analysis for Publications

SWOT Analysis – Strengths:

• Engaging and well-liked
• Tell the NC State stories; promote pride
• Good quality and award winning, esp. top-level pubs
• Promote the NC State brand; many follow Brand Book
• Reach a wide and diverse audience

SWOT Analysis – Weaknesses:

• Too many
• Varying quality
• Lack of success measure; goals/purpose unclear
• Don’t understand the audience
• Duplication of effort
• Planning and organization
• Preaching to the choir

SWOT Analysis – Opportunities:

• Savings; potential cost sharing
• Educate Administration
• Create support/training network
• Leverage new/different media
• Ning
• Peer review
• Creative Services
• New leadership

SWOT Analysis – Threats:

• Budget reductions; increasing materials and postage cost
• Assumptions regarding electronic vs. print costs
• Our audience may be overwhelmed
• Decentralization
• Lack of support for Brand Book and best practices

NC State Brand Book:

• YES!

• “Give it teeth!”

• Continue to build awareness

NC State Publications Audit:

• What is going out and who is getting it?
• Committee will handle collection of actual pubs
• External vendor will conduct survey and compile data
• Information to be collected will include, but is not limited to: title, dept., primary contact, circulation, target audience, frequency, who creates, cost (refined), quantity, format…

Goals for Publications Audit:

• Develop best practices
• Create network of resources
• Justify and rethink procedures; self-assessment
• Investigate ways to measure what success looks like
• Annual review of pubs, seminar, critiques, Brand Book

See the Publications Subcommittee presentation on the NC State NING site:

http://ncsucommunicators.ning.com/

Passion Rules!

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