- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Handcock Wins Phi Kappa Phi Essay Contest

John Hill — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 14:03:29 +0000

Bobbie Handcock, a rhetoric and writing graduate student from Lonoke, has won the 2022 Phi Kappa Phi Essay Contest and a $250 scholarship. Phi Kappa Phi, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, selected Handcock as the winner of its 1,000-word essay contest on the theme: Love of Learning in a Pandemic. “I am so honored to receive this award so early in my graduate career,” said Handcock, who is in her first semester of graduate school. “The scholarship means a lot to me, and it will really help me as I pursue my master’s degree.” Handcock, who works as a web content specialist in the Office of Communications and Marketing, plans to graduate in 2024 with a Master of Arts in Professional and Technical Writing degree. She is a first-generation college student who will be the first person in her family to earn a master’s degree. Handcock wrote about how the COVID-19 pandemic encouraged her to make important changes in her life. She had always dreamed of getting her master’s degree, so Handcock took a new and challenging position at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock where she can take advantage of the tuition discount for university employees. “COVID helped me refocus and renew my love of learning,” Handcock wrote. “It helped me pause and see what was possible. COVID might have driven me to grad school but I’m now the one at the wheel.”

Chief MarComm Officer Offers Insights on Strategies to Combat Enrollment Cliff

John Hill — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 14:02:56 +0000

Dr. Carrie Phillips, chief communications and marketing officer at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, is sharing insights into how communications and marketing teams can help colleges mitigate the impending enrollment cliff. The enrollment cliff is a prediction by the Western Interstate Commission on Higher Education that there will be approximately 400,000 fewer college students in the United States between 2025 and 2037. This is a byproduct of the economic downturn in 2007 that caused birth rates to fall because families chose to delay or to not have children. Some estimates suggest the enrollment cliff represents a $4.2 billion dollar loss in tuition revenue. “There is some surprise among higher education professionals about the numbers and the potential impact on higher education institutions,” Phillips said. “Some data says that we can expect as much as an 11 percent student decrease at regional public universities and as much as 14 percent of small institutions might close. When universities realize the potential impact of the enrollment cliff, many of the professionals I’ve spoken with are very interested in ways that universities can proactively address this problem.” In November, Phillips shared her expertise through presentations with the American Marketing Association and the Association for the Study of Higher Education. The presentations originate from her dissertation research that investigated how regional public universities are using marketing efforts to mitigate the impending enrollment cliff. Phillips graduated with a Doctor of Education in higher education administration from Texas Tech University in May and interviewed 15 chief marketing officers at higher education institutions in the southeastern region of the country for her dissertation. “I need to say thank you to my chair, Dr. Stephanie J. Jones,” Phillips said. “She really helped me understand the process of my dissertation. She did an incredible job of shepherding me through the writing process and how I could tell this story afterwards. I owe her a debt of gratitude.” To fight the enrollment cliff, Phillips found that it’s important for MarComm teams to work collaboratively with admissions offices to provide enrollment support such as regular messaging, social media content, and print packaging. MarComm teams also lead development efforts for university-wide strategies such as cohesive branding, strong storytelling, and integrated advertising efforts. “First, marketing teams can help articulate what a brand is and why a brand is important,” Phillips said. “I think that helps build an emotional connection with people when they see themselves and see students like them. The collaboration with admissions and enrollment functions is a huge strategy that we need to continue developing. MarComm teams have the opportunity to be real change agents. We work with the entire campus and sometimes see a process that needs to be refined or a program that needs to be adjusted. We have an opportunity to help start some of those conversations. At the end of the day, the people who win in those processes are our students.” Over time, Phillips said that MarComm team efforts should focus on emphasizing student retention, branding, and using marketing to engage new audiences. They can use data to support their work by ensuring marketing spends are efficient, finding new student audiences, testing marketing efforts, and enhancing personalization. “I think, as higher ed professionals, long-term and lifelong learning is part of what we aspire to,” Phillips said. “By participating in these presentations, hopefully I can help share knowledge with others. I think everybody wins when professionals and practitioners are willing to share their best practices with each other.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Names Erwin as Chief of Staff

John Hill — Mon, 15 Nov 2021 14:40:51 +0000

A University of Arkansas at Little Rock alumnae has returned to campus to take on a campus leadership role. Shari Erwin, a 2003 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock graduate, has been named the chancellor’s chief of staff. In this role, Erwin serves as the primary liaison to the Office of the Chancellor and assists in areas of communication, planning and preparation, project management, and other administrative responsibilities. “Coming back to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock as chief of staff is a full-circle moment for me,” Erwin said. “I’ve been considering the role of chief of staff for a long time. When one opened at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, it seemed like a perfect fit and opportunity to return home.” Prior to returning to ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, she led the branding and communications strategy for Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology in Okmulgee for nine years. As a member of the President’s Cabinet, she chaired institutional event planning and managed special projects and initiatives on behalf of the president. Erwin previously worked as a lecturer in the Department of Rhetoric and Writing as well as the web communications coordinator in the Office of Communications and Marketing at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock, supporting student recruitment efforts and advertising campaigns through storytelling and digital media engagement.

Shari Erwin

“��Vlog��ý Little Rock is the place I consider foundational in my educational experience, first as a student, then a teaching assistant, an adjunct for nine years, and as a staff member in the central communications office,” she said. “These perspectives, along with my experiences at other higher education institutions, gave me the kind of insight to build bridges and connect silos in support of the Chancellor’s initiatives. It’s a great honor to return to the place I consider home and bring the combination of my skills from my experience and education to promote the university that gave me my best professional advantage.” In Little Rock, Erwin spent more than a decade working in television and was the first in the market to develop a multi-platform news sharing strategy while working as the director of emerging technologies and research for FOX16. She also served as the director of marketing and technology for Publishing Concepts, where she worked as editor of a national magazine for accredited college nursing programs. “Shari brings the ideal mix of experience and competencies to the chief of staff position,” Chancellor Christina Drale said. “She has an intimate understanding of the higher education environment having worked in the field for a number of years. She has executive level experience doing many of the same things this position requires, and she has the technical skills and attention to detail required to be successful in this role.” She earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Missouri Southern State University and a master’s degree in Technical and Professional Writing from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. In Oklahoma, Erwin served as a board member for the Oklahoma College Public Relations Association and Okmulgee Main Street. She is an active outdoors adventurer who enjoys kayaking, hiking, and mindfulness.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock Announces New Partnership to Bolster Marketing Efforts

John Hill — Wed, 10 Feb 2021 18:27:03 +0000

After undergoing the competitive bid request for proposal (RFP) process, the University of Arkansas at Little Rock has chosen MHP/Team SI, a TraDigital marketing agency headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas, as its agency of record (AOR). This partnership will further strengthen the university’s marketing and communications endeavors as it seeks to fulfill its mission of improving students’ lives and enhancing its communities. “This partnership marks the next step in the university’s journey of transformation,” said ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Chancellor Christina Drale. “MHP/Team SI is the perfect partner to help us deepen the confidence that students and community members have in our university. Their expertise will enhance our ability to invest in students to create a skilled workforce to fuel central Arkansas’ businesses, nonprofits and local government.” ��Vlog��ý Little Rock and MHP/Team SI will work together to execute various strategies which support the implementation of its strategic enrollment management plan while simultaneously strengthening student retention and various initiatives put in place by the institution. “Our agency is thrilled to be providing our marketing and public relations expertise to support the university and its mission,” said Sharon Tallach Vogelpohl, president and CEO of MHP/Team SI. “As a business owner and a member of the ��Vlog��ý Little Rock College of Business Advisory Board, I’ve personally experienced the role the university plays in equipping the workforce in central Arkansas. We are inspired by ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s dedication to supporting its students and the community, and are ready to continue doing great work together.” MHP/Team SI began working with the university in 2019 in a supporting, advisory capacity. In 2020, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock engaged the agency to provide public relations support. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s decision to bring the agency on as AOR marks a distinct deepening of the partnership. “After completing our brand discovery and development work in 2019, we felt that additional expertise would be required to quickly incorporate the new messaging and begin to improve the perception of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock in the region,” said Jeff Harmon, chief marketing and communications officer of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock. “MHP/Team SI has the expertise and experience to help us do just that.”

University’s south entrance gets colorful touch-up

Janea Snyder — Thu, 09 May 2019 13:00:03 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock’s entrance from Asher Avenue has gotten a mural makeover – with a little paint and some elbow grease. Ricky Sikes, instructor of drawing and painting in the Department of Art and Design, and a handful of student and faculty volunteers have spruced up the 9-foot wall that runs 180 feet along the south side of University Plaza. The weather-worn wall got a fresh coat of gray paint, and Sikes and his crew added maroon lettering that says “��Vlog��ý Little Rock Home of the Trojans.” An adjacent 54-foot wall facing Campus Drive reads “since 1927.” Klansee Tozer, senior graphic designer in the Office of Communications and Marketing, designed the mural. The four-foot letters and the Trojan head can easily be seen by passing motorists on Asher Avenue. The group began painting on April 28 but got delayed because of rain. Rebecca Farhat, a junior nursing student; Carly Berbarian, a senior art student, Julian Francour, and professor Michael Warrick all helped with painting. Art instructor Ricky Sikes and student Rebecca Farhat paint maroon lettering on the concerete wall facing Asher Avenue near the university’s south entrance. Photo by Benjamin Krain

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock