CSU Faculty Voice: Honestly, You Can't Make This Stuff Up: What Kind of Publicity is Best For Chicago State?

Monday, July 20, 2015

Honestly, You Can't Make This Stuff Up: What Kind of Publicity is Best For Chicago State?

For current students current employees and particularly for prospective students: Let’s take a quiz.

You’re part of the “marketing team” or “publicity team” or “media relations team” at Chicago State. You’ve got a choice of three new stories, but you’re only going to run two. Here they are. Which two are you going to publish?

Story 1: Your school has just won two awards for Educational and Collegiate Advertising.

Story 2: Janice Jackson, A graduate of Chicago State is named Chief Education Officer at the Chicago Public Schools. This former Chicago State student has degrees from Chicago State in secondary education and history, teaching experience and is obviously highly respected by her professional peers.

Story 3: Wayne Watson hosts a jazz concert at the presidential mansion and gets his photo taken with the 19th Ward Alderman.

Correct Answer: Numbers 1 and 3. Number 1 makes the administration look like it’s capable of actually doing something properly and number 3 gets Watson’s mug back at the top of the school web site where it belongs. After all, the Chicago State web site exists mainly to provide publicity for Wayne Watson and his administration. Is there any wonder we’re bleeding students?

For anyone interested in our school who would like to read about a Chicago State student success story, here's the link: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/politics/ct-janice-jackson-cps-met-0717-2-20150716-story.html

1 comment:

Phillip BeverlyJul 21, 2015, 7:07:00 AM
Holy narcissistic self aggrandizement Batman. Is there nothing this guy won't do to promote himself above promoting the university? I thought most universities would want to promote the successes of their alumni as a way to attract prospective students. Obviously not here. It's all about continuing this ridiculous cult of personality.
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Thanks to Haki Madhabuti

"1. He/she must be a scholar of national note, with significant peer review publications and books in his or her field. There must be no doubt as to his/her standing in the community of scholars. This would also include a history of the candidate’s participation in the appropriate professional organizations.

2. He/she must have served with distinction as the administrative head of a major unit within an institution of higher learning or at the important position of Provost and/or Dean. Of course, prior service at the presidential level is preferred.

3. He/she must have a documented history of raising significant monies from the private and public sectors. At most major and research one universities it is not unusual to expect the president to come with a plan to raise in excess of half a billion dollars or more in the first few years.

4. The prospective president must have a consensus buy-in from the faculty, students, administration and staff, therefore, arriving with a unity mandate to lead by joining a University community that has bought into his or her vision for the future."

From an open letter to the CSU Community, 2009.