Annual Report of the Communications & Public Relations Committee
of the Employee Forum
June 30, 2020
Members of the Committee:
Dzenita Blackwell, Shane Brogan, Jen DeNeal, Keith Hines, Katie Musgrove, Kevin Robinson, Tracy Wetherby-Williams, Greg Smith (Chair)
Members Who Left the Committee During the Year:
None
Meetings of the Committee During the Year (June 2019-June 2020):
8/9/2019, 9/13/2019, 10/11/2019, 11/22/2019, 4/9/2020, 5/8/2020
Winter 2019/2020 and early Spring meetings were not held due to the holiday season and the COVID-19 pandemic, respectively. Agenda Items were handled by email as necessary.
Report Prepared By:
Greg Smith (Chair)
Committee Charge:
The Communications and Public Relations Committee serves the Employee Forum by administering all public-facing communication for the body. This includes publication of the monthly InTouch newsletter, maintenance of the Employee Forum website, administration of social media accounts, and special publications and projects as necessary. The group also historically organizes the social media scavenger hunt held on Employee Appreciation Day.
Committee Goals/Objectives for the Year:
– Alteration of publication schedule for InTouch
– Introduction of Employee Forum podcast
– Update of Employee Forum branding/website
– Expansion of social media usage
– Plan and execute social media scavenger hunt
Previous Forum Concerns Continued:
– None
Report of Activities
The Communication and Public Relations Committee has, historically, been very small, with only 2-4 members in recent years. For 2019-2020, this number grew to 8, and it was a very productive year. The committee began with the ambitious goal of rebranding the Employee Forum website and promotional materials. This was discussed often in meetings throughout the year, revisited a handful of times, and brought to members of the Executive Committee for discussion. Unfortunately, it was ultimately not feasible due to budget constraints.
The committee successfully expanded the Employee Forum’s social media usage, live-tweeting public meetings and utilizing a new Instagram site to assist promotion for Employee Appreciation day. While there is much more work to be done on this front, the increased social media presence has been a very positive accomplishment.
In October 2019, the committee hosted the Employee Appreciation Day social media scavenger hunt, which has become an annual tradition of sorts. Approximately two dozen prizes were procured from local businesses and community partners, and the event was successfully executed through the diligent work of the committee members.
InTouch has continued publication, with a slightly reduced frequency to accommodate for periods of low activity across campus (particularly holidays and summer). The newsletter continues to be a valuable resource for many employees across campus, and feedback on the publication is generally very positive.
Finally, the committee and/or its members have conducted a handful of special projects during 2019-2020. The committee has created a podcast, which will hopefully see release to the full employee distribution in Summer 2020. That project was spearheaded by Shane Brogan. Committee member Kevin Robinson directed and edited a video on behalf of the Forum promoting Spring 2020 elections, which was incredibly well-received by UNC staff and has won multiple awards. The committee also created a voter guide to assist staff during Spring 2020 elections.
All committee members were fully engaged, regularly attending meetings, volunteering for tasks, and offering their insights.
Recommendations/Motions of the Committee and Action Taken
While there were no formal motions brought from the committee, activities from the previous section were routinely brought to Forum officers and the Executive Committee as prudent and necessary prior to being finalized.
Suggestions for Next Year’s Committee
– Continue expanded usage of social media
– Begin producing the podcast on a quarterly schedule
– Revisit rebranding the forum website when the budget allows