How do we strengthen on-campus communication?

Campus survey points the way

How well do you know the UVic campus? Not just its physical geography—from classrooms and restaurants to natural spaces—but the university’s structures, practices, vision and goals, and your and your unit’s role within them?

Information about new projects being launched, changes in policy, the big picture opportunities and challenges affecting UVic, progress on institutional goals, or even this week’s major campus events, orient us to campus life as much as any map does. Being aware of that kind of information—and knowing how to access it and when to share it—is a crucial, but often overlooked part of being a member of the UVic community, no matter what we do or where we work on campus.

There’s a growing commitment to enhancing how we gather and share institutional knowledge at UVic—a priority that has taken hold since President Jamie Cassels identified it in his 2014 Campus Conversations Report.

In April 2014, the university initiated a project, led by University Communications + Marketing (UC+M) and assisted by a committee with broad representation from administrative and academic units, to help direct immediate improvements (such as initiating the Campus Checklist email newsletters) and gather information about longer-term changes to strengthen communications and engagement within the university.

As part of the project, UC+M contracted Strategic Initiatives, Inc.—a local research firm with a strong knowledge of the UVic community—to conduct an online survey in December, with a final report, including tabulations and findings received in March. Since then, the Campus Communications Advisory Committee, the university’s Executive Council (president, vice-presidents and university secretary), and President’s Advisory Council (nearly 50 academic and administrative leaders) have taken a look at the survey results and provided advice on recommended next steps for the project.

More than one-quarter of UVic’s staff and faculty (nearly 1,100 in all) responded to the survey. And, thanks to that high level of participation—including more than 1,400 answers to the survey’s three open-ended questions—a much clearer picture of what’s working well, and where improvements can be made has emerged.

For instance, the featured stories on the uvic.ca homepage, the print edition of the Ring and the Campus Updates series of town hall-style events are keeping us generally well-informed. On the other hand, we can do a better job keeping everyone up-to-date with the university’s long-term strategic direction and financial plans, and simplifying the flow of news and campus information.

“Improving internal communications in an organization as diverse and complex as UVic isn’t going to happen overnight, and it’s not the work of just one or two people,” explains Cassels. “It’s going to take all of us working together, recognizing that each of us shares responsibility for keeping ourselves and our community well-informed. That work goes to the heart of what a university is, in creating a collegial atmosphere for the exchange and discussion of information.”

Based on the survey findings, conclusions and desired outcomes, the vice-presidents are now working with staff and faculty in their portfolios on how best to strengthen communications, keeping in mind specific needs and opportunities in their respective areas. President Cassels and the vice presidents are also looking at how to coordinate these efforts across the institution and will be reporting back regularly on progress to the campus community.

Other recommendations related to designating a small set of institutional communications channels, providing more clarity about what can be found there, and improving information hubs on the university’s website in light of the survey findings are being addressed directly by UC+M.

Please visit the Campus Communications Project website for more information about the project, the findings of the December 2014 online survey, and the recommended next steps.