Share these talks and lectures with your colleagues
Invite colleaguesPractice paper
How to connect with your parent audience: Duquesne University's implementation of a strategic family communications platform
Journal of Education Advancement & Marketing,
8
(3),
215-225
(2023)
Abstract
The increasingly competitive higher education market demands that institutions adapt to and communicate effectively with the key audience of parents and families. As decision makers and influencers, parents are highly involved in helping their children manage the college selection process and navigate their academic journeys. This case study lays out how the Duquesne University Parents and Families Portal, built on the software platform by CampusESP, enabled the university to provide a modern, all-in-one communication and family engagement vehicle that shares personalised, timely content. The tool and vendor service team facilitate the needed support with guidance and relevant general content in furnishing a streamlined, main hub of information. The strategy empowers a point person working with the central marketing and communications team and engenders campus partners in a campus-wide collaborative effort to share inspirational communications that provide the greatest opportunity for brand and relationship building. Readers will learn how Duquesne University, a private, Catholic institution, with more than eight thousand students, implemented this strategic communication platform for parents and families that influenced student retention and recruitment, and exceeded expectations.
Keywords: strategic communication; family communication; parent portal
The full article is available to subscribers to the journal.
Author's Biography
Patty Swisher is Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communications at Duquesne University (located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). Patty leads content strategy, oversees both the media relations team and the university's central web team, and serves as editor of the Duquesne magazine. Celebrating four years at Duquesne backed by more than 25 years of experience, her role unites her marketing, digital and media expertise, and keen focus on content creation and delivery in pursuit of strategic divisional and university goals. Patty also brings the perspectives of staff member, content strategist, alumna and proud parent of a Duquesne student to her daily work.
Tracy Jackson has been with Duquesne University (located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) since 2016 and serves as the Executive Director of Marketing in the Division of Marketing and Communications (DMC). As part of the Division's leadership, Tracy leads a team of advertising and marketing professionals who manage all university and school-based recruitment, advertising and marketing initiatives. Tracy works alongside her DMC colleagues managing multimedia design, video, web, media, print production and social media.
Jennifer Smith is the Assistant Director for Parent Relations at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In her current position, she manages the Duquesne Parents and Families Portal as well as the Duquesne Parent Ambassadors. She coordinates Parent Orientation and Family Weekend, among other responsibilities including being a resource for the university's parents and families alike. She is a contributing author in AHEPPP's book, ‘Partnering with Parents and Families of Today's College Students: Innovations in Practice’. Prior to her current position, she served as the Event and Communication Specialist in Duquesne University's Center for Career Development. Jen is a ‘Double Duke’, as she received both her bachelor's and master's degrees from the Duquesne University media programme.
