Status Report of Rutgers Comprehensive Communications ...

Tools Created for Advocates of Rutgers
Speaking on Behalf of Rutgers, the website designed to provide advocates with key institutional
facts and talking points, was launched. The site, which is updated regularly, includes:
Points of Pride;
Quick Talking Points;
University Perspectives on current issues;
Budget Facts and Figures; and
PowerPoint presentation and three-minute video that
provide introductory information about Rutgers.
Collaborations Extend the Impact of the Faculty Traveling Seminar
The Faculty Traveling Seminar, initiated in 2004 by President Richard L. McCormick, was
incorporated into the Comprehensive Communications Program. The annual weeklong bus
tour across the state of New Jersey, originally designed for newly tenured or tenure-track
faculty at Rutgers, was expanded to include newly appointed department chairs, deans, and
senior administrators. This “mobile classroom” afforded participants a unique opportunity
to experience the people, places, and perspectives that shape the Garden State, while also
enabling citizens of New Jersey to learn more about Rutgers.
Throughout the tour, professors met with residents, K–12 students, and corporate
and community leaders to broaden their understanding of statewide issues and concerns.
These connections fostered new opportunities for public service, enhanced classroom
instruction, and strengthened the university’s ties with the state. Over the five years of the
program (2004–08), the seminar:
traveled over 3,000 miles in a Rutgers branded bus;
visited an average of 16 communities and 18 counties per year;
resulted in approximately 75 media placements in outlets across the state; and
introduced more than 170 faculty members to citizens across New Jersey.
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