The University of Colorado at Boulder has begun a national search for an associate vice chancellor for strategic communications to direct internal and external communications for the campus.
Paul Voakes, dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication who chairs the search committee, said the committee hopes to have the new associate vice chancellor in place by mid-semester in the fall.
The associate vice chancellor for strategic communication will lead what Voakes called "an integrated marketing approach" to campus communication. Among the associate vice chancellor's duties will be the development of a marketing and branding strategy for the campus; greater coordination of communication among campus departments in contact with external constituents, such as the admissions office and the alumni association; managing the Department of Strategic Communications, now called University Communications; and working closely with the campus spokesperson on day-to-day media issues.
"The campus leadership feels that CU-Boulder has a positive message to send to its various publics," said Voakes. "But we also recognize we need a more systematic approach to getting that message out consistently."
In recent years campus communication has been directed by the executive director of university communications, who also served as the campus spokesperson. That position, in various forms, was held for more than 20 years by Pauline Hale, who retired in January. Barrie Hartman has served as interim spokesperson since January. The executive director position will be replaced with the new associate vice chancellor, who will focus on the campus's overall messages to the public.
Under the new plan, the associate vice chancellor will oversee the Department of Strategic Communications, which since 1998 has included community relations, internal communications, news services, publications and creative services, and web communications. He or she also will chair a new Communications Council, consisting of representatives of various groups that have contact with the public. The council will make regular reports and recommendations to the Chancellor's Executive Committee. The new associate vice chancellor will report to Senior Vice Chancellor Ric Porreca and to Chancellor G.P. "Bud" Peterson.
Voakes said the search committee is seeking applicants with at least 12 years of high-level experience in public relations, marketing communications, journalism or a related field.
The campus also is announcing a search for a director of media relations, who will be the campus's principal spokesperson, providing information, answering questions and generally managing the flow of information to the media. Voakes said the search committee for the director of media relations/spokesperson is looking for someone with at least eight years' experience in public relations or news media experience, especially someone familiar with Colorado.
The full descriptions of both the associate vice chancellor position and the director of media relations/spokesperson position are available at .
The members of the search committee for the associate vice chancellor are Anne Heinz, dean of Continuing Education and Professional Studies; Dipankar Chakravarti, professor of business; Christine Arguello, managing senior associate university counsel; Joey White, the chancellor's chief of staff; Ken McConnellogue, executive director of university communications for the three-campus system; Kevin Lee, associate executive director of University Communications; and Voakes. Members of the search committee for the director of media relations/spokesperson are Susan Barney Jones, editor of the Silver & Gold Record; Arguello, Hartman, White and Voakes.