For Comment


From the Office of the Provost

Communications to Students:
A Committee of the Student Services Reengineering Project

Penn students are inundated with information from the time they first make contact with the University until they are settled on campus. The personal contact, brochures, videos and flyers they receive contain information about a variety of subjects including application procedures and financial aid information, academic programs, housing options, clubs, dining information, Greek life, sports and other extra-curricular activities.

The Communications to Students team was formed at the request of the Provost as one essential component of the overall Student Services Reengineering project. A team of communications professionals was established in order to examine the way we communicate with undergraduate students, from the time we begin recruitment through the first month of a freshman's experience here. It is comprised of representatives from each of the undergraduate schools as well as Admissions, VPUL, Student Financial Services and the President and Provost's offices.

The committee will first determine what information is currently disseminated by the many University offices involved in this process. It will then "map out" what is communicated, when it is communicated and in what format. Ultimately the committee will analyze this data and provide suggestions on how to improve or streamline those communications wherever possible. It may also conduct a bench marking study, meet with student focus groups and examine more closely emerging communications technologies.

In the two months since it was established, the team has conducted extensive interviews with University members at all levels, including students, faculty, senior administrators, communications experts and staff. It has also completed an extensive inventory of all our current print, video, electronic and personal communications vehicles. Ultimately, it may recommend ways in which Penn can improve service, reduce cost, measure accountability and develop a more "cohesive" communications strategy wherever appropriate. The team will issue its preliminary report and any additional reports to its core advisory team which includes senior administrative officers as well as the four undergraduate deans.

Questions, comments or suggestions about the Communications to Students team can be directed to individual team members or to team leaders Tim Ryan or Nancy Nowicki.


Communications to Students Committee

Tim Ryan, Co-Team Leader Associate Dean of Admissions TEL: 8-7501 Office of Admissions FAX: 8-9670 1 College Hall/6376 EMail: timr@admissions.ugao Nancy Nowicki, Co-Team Leader Assistant to the Provost for External Affairs TEL: 8-7226 Office of the Provost FAX: 8-6567 110 College Hall/6303 Email: nnowicki@pobox Jill Maser, Project Coordinator Director, Operations Analysis TEL: 8-1007 Office of the Executive Vice President FAX: 3-2069 721 Franklin Building/6293 Email: maser@pobox Jennifer Baldino Staff Assistant and Writer TEL: 3-9165 Office of the President FAX: 8-9659 121 College Hall/6380 Email: jbaldino@pobox Nancy R. Bouldin Director TEL: 8-4937 Wharton Publications FAX: 8-1883 1030 Steinberg Hall-Dietrich Hall/6302 Email: bouldin@wharton Terry Conn Executive Assistant to the TEL: 8-6081 Vice Provost for University Life FAX: 8-0843 3611 Locust Walk/6222 Email: conn@pobox Susan Greenbaum Media Relations Coordinator TEL: 8-5074 School of Nursing FAX: 3-2114 Room #128, Nursing Education Bldg/6096 Email: grnbaum@pobox Ira J. Hillman Manager TEL: 8-3499 Penn Student Agencies FAX: 8-0920 110 Houston Hall/6306 Email: hillman@pobox John Keenan Associate Dean, Undergraduate Education TEL: 8-7246 School of Engineering & Applied Science FAX: 3-5577 109 Towne Building/6391 Email: keenan@ENIAC.SEAS Patricia Schindler Assistant Director, External Relations TEL: 8-6341 School of Arts and Sciences FAX: 3-2023 133 S. 36th ST, Mezzanine/3246 Email: pschind@SAS Jackie Smith Senior Director TEL: 8-2101 Student Financial Services FAX: 3-5428 100 Franklin Building/6270 Email: smith@SFS


Almanac

Volume 42 Number 34
June 18, 1996


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