Status Report of Rutgers Comprehensive Communications ...

Departmental Infrastructure
Initially, the Department of University Relations was not structured to fulfill the charge of the
President and Board adequately. Until this time, the department’s resources were dedicated
primarily to supporting communications projects for various academic and administrative
units and the central administration, with no significant responsibilities for overall management
of the university brand. With the understanding that the department would not be
given additional staff resources to take on this new and critically important function, Vice
President Manning launched a major reorganization of the department and a realignment of
its programmatic priorities.
Through the redeployment of existing staff, the Office of Strategic Communications was
created within University Relations to take on the day-to-day management of the university
brand, including messaging and universitywide coordination of advertising. Other offices
of the department were instructed to direct their existing resources to the job of defining and
elevating the Rutgers brand and toward assisting other Rutgers units to do the same. The
Office of Creative Services took on the management of the Visual Identity System, including
day-to-day oversight of the new policy. Media Relations began focusing its media outreach on
placement of stories that best demonstrate the university’s key messages and brand attributes.
Community Affairs, Executive Communications, Campus Information Services, and the
Business Office all played critical roles in the creation, support, and implementation of the
Comprehensive Communications Program.
UNIVERSITY RELATIONS
Strategic Communications
Executive Communications
Vice President
Community Affairs
Creative Services
Media Relations
Campus Information Services
11