Office of Strategic Communications

We can help publicize professional achievements and accomplishments related to a UWA student, faculty or staff member’s role at the University or officially-recognized organizations or programs. Submissions are accepted any time , and we review each submission to determine the methods of publicizing that can be offered effectively and efficiently. We review publicity requests through a wide-angle lens to determine how each request aligns with overarching University goals and objectives, as well as other ongoing similar efforts, and we give careful attention maximizing reach.

We review requests and consider them for various distribution channels, such as:

• Email news
  
• UWA Today magazine and other publications
• UWA News webpage
• Social media channels, such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, etc.

Information is used at the discretion of the staff and is published at a time and with a frequency that best enables us to accommodate requests and produce timely, meaningful communication for our faculty, staff, and students. The more advance notice we have, the better able we are to promote your events and news. If there are specific news outlets or publications that you would like for us to pitch content to, you should let us know in your request, keeping in mind that we do not have authority for placement but can work through media relations to help the content reach those publications and outlets.

You will receive an email notification confirming the receipt of your request. You may be contacted for an interview to share more information on your request.

Strategic Communications may use many channels and tools to reach out to various audiences with the same story. Our strategies are designed to adapt content for different platforms and audiences as needed, at our discretion based on best practices, including writing style. The content and context may vary between intended uses, and each instance may not appear in the manner requested. We strive to use the information in the way we believe best advances UWA’s interests and its brand while effectively promoting the special people, places, and programs at UWA.  We will uphold the code of ethics and best practices of our profession.

There may be times when we provide content to you for review or further insight, but because the content may be adapted to multiple platforms, generally we will not ask you to proof or review when we are distributing to our typical channels and platforms. We will instead ask for an interview with you to get clarification or explanation of more technical topics. We can conduct interviews face to face or via video call, email, or phone call, at a mutually agreeable time so you are prepared to provide the information needed.

No, there is not a designated communicator with a background in every academic discipline. We are communicators: we look to you for expertise in healthcare, education, business, sciences, mathematics, leadership, and so much more, and you can count on us to put our expertise to work in creating effective messaging and content that will be well-received by various audiences. The centralized Strategic Communications team strives to represent all areas of campus, with the exception of Athletics, which is supported through Athletic Communications. We are indeed a small team, but we aim to work as efficiently as possible to maximize our reach and level of productivity.

We incorporate your publicity requests with our existing strategies in social media, marketing, and public relations to build and strengthen the UWA brand by communicating with integrity, efficiency, and creativity. We work collaboratively to share the unique story of UWA by way of helping our students, faculty, and staff stand in the spotlight, while also growing our scholarly reputation and engaging our alumni and friends in our commitment to truly serving our community, state, region and beyond.