Overview
Student Communications serves as a central resource to ensure the consistency and effectiveness of communications across all the units within the Division of Strategic Enrollment Management and Student Success (SEMSS). Dedicated to collaborating with colleagues both in the division and throughout the university, Student Communications supports a culture of care that aids in recruitment and retention initiatives.
Specifically, the communications team:
- Creates strategic and comprehensive communications geared towards currently enrolled VCU students.
- Ensures the correct use of the VCU brand.
- Showcases the division's dynamic student support services, programs and resources.
- Shares information with members of the campus and local communities, students, parents and families, alumni, business partners, the media, and more.
Services offered
Comprehensive communications planning
As you begin to think about how your department should best communicate with its target audiences, make sure you include us in your initial planning.
Allow us to assist you in creating a comprehensive communications plan by letting us use our expertise to help you:
- Develop your message
- Suggest the best ways to disseminate that message
- Create a feasible timeline for implementation
Writing and editing
We're here to help you effectively and efficiently communicate your message by:
- Editing and proofreading messaging to make it clear and concise
- Utilizing multiple communication tools and platforms, as deemed most appropriate
- Partnering with colleagues across campus to ensure consistent and comprehensive messaging
Creative strategy consultations
From conception to completion of simple or complex projects, our team is your "go-to" for:
- Content strategy
- Social media strategy
- Website development and maintenance
- Email communications
- University and SEMSS brand and identity management
Graphic design
Looking for creative ways of telling your story? Our team provides customized designs and templates for:
- Brochures, programs, reports and more
- Digital display boards throughout campus (AxisTV)
- Posters, banners and other promotional items
- Electronic communications: emails, newsletters, social media posts, etc.
Our process
Talk to us
Let’s discuss what you need. Perhaps you have an idea in mind that we can expand on; or perhaps we can offer a more creative solution. Let’s talk in advance so we can successfully plan to give you a great product.
More time provides more opportunities for us to work with you to develop creative strategies and solutions.
Submit a request
All projects must have a ticket submitted in order for us to start our work and track our progress along the way. Your ticket should provide us with as many details as possible, including any desired goals/outcomes.
Turnaround times vary depending on the scope of the project, but realistically you can expect from our team:
- 1-2 weeks for website updates
- 2-3 weeks for graphic design requests
- 2-3 weeks for brochures, flyers, postcards, infographics
- 4-6 weeks for booklets, reports
- 4-6 weeks for webpage development (new pages)
Discuss goals and verify plans
Your communications representative will reach out to you to discuss your project, talk through your goals and confirm the plans to move forward with production.
Most projects will have many moving parts behind the scenes, including content writing, designing graphics, getting price quotes (i.e. for printing), etc. Project times vary depending on the requirements for completion and other projects already in production. Once again, early planning is beneficial for all parties involved.
Client review
Once proofs are ready for review, you’ll have a chance to approve the project for completion/printing or request any final edits. After final approval is received, we’ll turn over assets to you for use and/or prep files to go to print.
Don't have a printer or vendor in mind? Let us know and we'll be happy to provide you with recommendations!
Delivery
Project complete! If you need to access information or files in the future, we keep an archive of our work for reference.