UM-Flint University Relations

This summer is the season of change in the Office of University Relations at UM-Flint. The 5th floor of the Northbank Center is a bit emptier as we bid farewell to three staff members. All wonderful contributors and good friends, off to pursue excellent opportunities and leave their mark in the world. Now it’s time […]

I was at a meeting recently where someone accused a group of not engaging in “Thought Leadership.” My first reaction was, “What the heck does that even mean?” I have never been a proponent of business jargon.  I don’t advocate for synergy, I detest the notion of thinking outside the box, and I shudder at […]

Where do we get our inspiration from in University Relations? It turns out we all have different resources that help us to think creatively, strategically, or just make us laugh out loud.  Here’s our list of things we find useful, and they are categorized for your convenience.  Happy clicking!

As fall semester began, bringing with it our largest-ever population of enrolled students, we decided it was time to test the social media waters at UM-Flint. The vehicle: the Welcome Back Picnic on September 16. We’ve been putting a lot of careful thought into our social media initiatives this year. Have our efforts been paying off? Would […]

At the age of four, my daughter has a mantra.  It is “Try Not Shy.” My husband and I decided early on that there were some things that were absolutely essential that had to be drilled into her small head, but we knew we couldn’t fit in everything that we think is important.  So we […]

Ever wonder what goes into designing a brochure, laying out a billboard, or creating a website? Believe it or not, there’s no “Easy Button” when it comes to effective and strategic design. The process is often long and always well thought-out. Here are the steps to producing a successful design project:

I have never cared much about cars. It’s an odd dichotomy. I owe so much of my comfortable middle-class life to the automotive industry, where so many of my family members spent long hours on an assembly line, and yet, I barely notice anything about cars. As Alanis Morrissette might say, “Isn’t it ironic?” The […]

I am helping my husband plan his family reunion.  We have immersed ourselves in nostalgia, going through old photo albums, connecting with Aunt Hazel’s kids on Facebook, and remembering the unique family history that only members in that exclusive club can appreciate. As part of the fun, we are trying to create a feeling of […]

The most powerful communication, marketing, and customer service tool within all of higher education is the university website. Before they set foot on campus, receive recruitment material in the mail, or talk to an admissions counselor, perspective students first visit the websites of the schools they are considering. Online, the university website is the university.

I’ll be the first to say that I’m not an illustrator, nor am I a classically trained designer, however that does not mean that I can’t draw.  Humans by nature are visual thinkers, which historically can be shown by the cave paintings in Lascaux in France.  Drawing allows us to present the ideas in our head to […]