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Committee Members
Sandra Gardebring
Margaret Carlson
Jan Morlock
Billie Wahlstrom
The overall goals of this council will be to incorporate public
engagement as a permanent priority throughout the university and
to enlist support for public engagement among all segments of the
university and in the larger community.
Through a confluence of web initiatives--including the development
and deployment of a University of Minnesota web portal, the development
and implementation of a viable systemwide e-newsletter (U of M E-News),
the development of an e-interface facilitating community/University
interaction, and an upcoming redesign of the Universitys
homepagethe University is uniquely poised to integrate public
engagement as a permanent priority more strategically, meaningfully,
and effectively, both centrally and at the departmental level. Put
simply, the University now has e-communications tools in place to
strengthen communications by providing consistency in themes and
messages while also having the ability to deliver unique content
of interest to select people about an array of issues, and through
a multitude of tools and connection points.
Key to the integration of public engagement at the University is
the ability to both customize and personalize communications between
the University and the public. With tools such as the myU portal
(where users can choose content and stories of interest to them)
and E-News (where personalized information can be sent to individuals;
e.g., contact information for legislators in an advocacy story),
technology is now available to tailor communications to core groups
and/or key individuals. In essence, the University has the ability
to target communications about key public engagement initiatives
to select groups and, in addition, units throughout the University
can more effectively communicate with key constituents about targeted
issues. Public engagement can be integrated at every level of the
University through the use of these new tools.
But this is only half of the challenge. For public engagement to
be truly effective, the public must be given means to communicate
as well. MyU has been created with this exact need in mind. Central
to this initiative is the ability for users to create their own
content, thereby providing a forum to communicate about any variety
of issues. With the ability to facilitate communities of
learners, myU will provide an opportunity for individuals
both internal and external to the University do the real work of
public engagement; i.e., share ideas, discuss issues, collaborate,
raise awareness and concerns, and work together to create solutions.
Important as well is the communitys ability to access the
Universitys intellectual resources both in their digital
formatsas they will be increasingly able to do through the
portaland in their physical formats. The e-Interface project
uses digital technology to make the Universitys resources
more accessible by mapping public buildings. Specialized
software allows portal visitors to see where they
can find the resources they need and get to them, making the University
of Minnesota more accessible, more navigable, and more transparent
to.
But these tools are only that, tools to facilitate communications.
If there is no content, if messages are not consistent, if relationships
do not exist, the technology is nothing more than a hollow shell.
This is the great challenge for COPE and similar University committees,
and one that must be carefully addressed. If the portal, E-News,
and other technologies are considered panacea for communications
issues, they will only fail. To be truly effective they must be
used in tandem with other tools for communications.
In the near future, there are several areas in which COPE can prepare
to leverage these tools. These include:
- Identifying whether there is a centralized (online) presence
for COPE-related activities, and then working with University
Relations to integrate that presence throughout the University
of Minnesota Web site;
- Identifying a few key activities and programs where communications
could be, in part, transferred to the portal to begin using this
tool as a way to develop targeted messaging and enhance two-way
communications;
- ] Developing an editorial calendar for online communications
to include myU, E-news, and the Universitys homepage content
areas;
- Begin communicating with key public engagement activities and
initiatives around campus about the online communication tools
available to them to encourage them to centralize
some of their communication efforts; and
- Developing messages that can be incorporated into E-news and
the Universitys homepage about the importance of integrating
public engagement throughout the University.
The University of Minnesota Alumni Associations suggestion
for strengthening connections with alumni, friends, and community
decision makers would be to significantly expand the Great
Conversations on the Road. This programming can highlight
the best and brightest faculty and their ideas in an in-depth way,
including exemplary civic engagement initiatives. A prototype of
the U on the Road was held in Red Wing, Minnesota this year. A series
of three, free discussions on Issues in Aging, featured
faculty from the College of Continuing Education, the College of
Pharmacy, and an alumnus who is a specialist in housing options
that facilitate aging. The sponsors were the UMAA/AR and the Red
Wing Senior Center. The UMAA and COPE could expand this approach
to offer similar Great Conversations around the state,
if funding were available to support it.
Another key project is the University of Minnesota and Community
E-Interface Project. The goal of this project is to use digital
information technology to increase the ability of individuals, groups,
organizations, and communities to access to University of Minnesota
resources, events, and services and to leverage existing technologies,
in particular the kiosk system and the University portal.
People coming to the University of Minnesota for the first time
or visiting infrequently for a medical appointment or a trip to
the Weisman Museum sometimes find the University a confusing environment.
Public opinion surveys report that people in the state see the University
as large and difficult to navigate. Making the University of Minnesota
more accessible, more navigable, and more transparent to visitors
by using digital technology effectively is the goal of this project.
Other universities, including Stanford and large public institutions,
have used specialized software to help people find their ways around
campus and have worked with their facilities management and technology
units to create detailed campus building maps for visitors. All
public space at the University of Minnesotafrom medical clinics,
to museums, to sports facilitiesshould be easy to find and
explore.
As the portal can increase access to the digital University, it
can also increase access to the physical University. Any visitor
to the University will be able to find clear directions to public
space online through the portal or the Universitys homepage
and can print out or save this information. Clinics, sports facilities,
and museums will be able to email the URL to visitors and those
coming to the University for a medical or dental appointment, a
lecture, or a concert. Such technologies will also benefit others
on campus. Linked to existing technologies such as the portal and
WebCT, mapping software can be used to provide students with the
locations of their classes and labs. |
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