Are You in Are You in Alignment? Alignment? Presented by Dr. Kay L. ColleyAssistant Professor and Student Media Director Texas Wesleyan University

Definition of alignmentDefinition of alignment

Bringing solutions into Bringing solutions into coordination or agreement coordination or agreement with business strategy and with business strategy and

operational requirementsoperational requirements

So what does this So what does this mean?mean? Bringing your student Bringing your student

media/publications strategy and media/publications strategy and goals into agreement with goals into agreement with university strategy and goals university strategy and goals

Strategic planning and Strategic planning and assessmentassessment

A few questionsA few questions

How many of you have a How many of you have a strategic plan?strategic plan?

How many of you currently How many of you currently align that plan to the align that plan to the university’s plan?university’s plan?

How have you accomplished How have you accomplished this?this?

Where do I start?Where do I start?

Mission StatementMission Statement– Do you have one?Do you have one?– Do you have it on display?Do you have it on display?– Do you use it to guide your decision Do you use it to guide your decision

making processes?making processes?– Do you evaluate how you live your Do you evaluate how you live your

mission on a daily basis?mission on a daily basis?– Is your mission statement in Is your mission statement in

alignment with the university’s alignment with the university’s mission statement?mission statement?

What is a mission What is a mission statement?statement?““A mission statement defines in a A mission statement defines in a

paragraph or so any entity's reason paragraph or so any entity's reason for existence. It embodies its for existence. It embodies its philosophies, goals, ambitions and philosophies, goals, ambitions and mores. Any entity that attempts to mores. Any entity that attempts to operate without a mission operate without a mission statement runs the risk of statement runs the risk of wandering through the world wandering through the world without having the ability to verify without having the ability to verify that it is on its intended course.”that it is on its intended course.”

--www.missionstatements.com--www.missionstatements.com

What is a mission What is a mission statement?statement? A clear and succinct A clear and succinct

representation of your reason for representation of your reason for existenceexistence

The first consideration for any The first consideration for any employee who is evaluating a employee who is evaluating a strategic decisionstrategic decision

Mission statements of Mission statements of well-known companieswell-known companies 3M3M

"To solve unsolved problems innovatively.”"To solve unsolved problems innovatively.”

Mary Kay CosmeticsMary Kay Cosmetics"To give unlimited opportunity to women.”"To give unlimited opportunity to women.”

MerckMerck"To preserve and improve human life.”"To preserve and improve human life.”

Walt DisneyWalt Disney"To make people happy.""To make people happy."

Mission statements of Mission statements of student mediastudent media The Daily Tar Heel, the student-run publication of the University of North The Daily Tar Heel, the student-run publication of the University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill, operates with the following mission:Carolina at Chapel Hill, operates with the following mission:

To aggressively pursue all news of the University, University community and all To aggressively pursue all news of the University, University community and all who are affected by the University; to consistently beat our competition in terms who are affected by the University; to consistently beat our competition in terms of breaking news and quality of content; to set the standard for the journalism of breaking news and quality of content; to set the standard for the journalism industry in terms of innovation, accuracy and responsiveness to the community.industry in terms of innovation, accuracy and responsiveness to the community.

To serve as a learning laboratory for young journalists with a relaxed To serve as a learning laboratory for young journalists with a relaxed atmosphere but serious expectations; to equip all aspiring media professionals atmosphere but serious expectations; to equip all aspiring media professionals with the tools necessary not only to communicate information but also in with the tools necessary not only to communicate information but also in understanding the changing face of media; to train staff members in various understanding the changing face of media; to train staff members in various aspects of reporting, editing and managing a daily news organization and aspects of reporting, editing and managing a daily news organization and publishing a daily newspaper; to provide a fun, relaxed working environment for publishing a daily newspaper; to provide a fun, relaxed working environment for young professionals.young professionals.

To advocate for the tradition of editorial and journalistic freedom among To advocate for the tradition of editorial and journalistic freedom among journalists; to be a leader in espousing the ethical standards of the industry; to journalists; to be a leader in espousing the ethical standards of the industry; to serve as a beacon of journalistic integrity.serve as a beacon of journalistic integrity.

To represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as its flagship news To represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as its flagship news organization and also to represent the area as Orange County’s news source of organization and also to represent the area as Orange County’s news source of record.record.

Mission statements of Mission statements of student mediastudent media It is the mission of Student It is the mission of Student

Publications to provide training and Publications to provide training and professional support for publication of professional support for publication of The Shorthorn,The Shorthorn, the official UT Arlington the official UT Arlington student newspaper; and other student newspaper; and other publications. In doing so, as part of its publications. In doing so, as part of its mission, the department also provides mission, the department also provides training for students planning careers training for students planning careers in journalism and related fields.in journalism and related fields.

The mission of The mission of The RamblerThe Rambler is to provide is to provide interested students with a hands-on learning interested students with a hands-on learning experience by simulating a real-world experience by simulating a real-world newspaper environment. Offering writers, newspaper environment. Offering writers, editors and other staff members the editors and other staff members the opportunity to learn and hone skills pertaining opportunity to learn and hone skills pertaining to a wide variety of journalistic experiences to a wide variety of journalistic experiences (including writing, photography, editing, (including writing, photography, editing, design, advertising, editorial judgment and design, advertising, editorial judgment and newsroom management). newsroom management).

The RamblerThe Rambler also strives to provide a quality also strives to provide a quality public forum for the dissemination of news and public forum for the dissemination of news and opinion of interest and relevance to the opinion of interest and relevance to the Wesleyan community.Wesleyan community.

Writing a mission Writing a mission statementstatement Make it clear and succinct and incorporate Make it clear and succinct and incorporate

socially meaningful and measurable criteriasocially meaningful and measurable criteria Consider including some or all of the Consider including some or all of the

following concepts:following concepts:– Your moral/ethical position Your moral/ethical position – Your desired public image Your desired public image – Key strategic influences Key strategic influences – Your target market Your target market – A description of your media/medium A description of your media/medium – Your geographic domain Your geographic domain – Your expectations of growth Your expectations of growth

Remember, your target audiences are Remember, your target audiences are internal internal

Why not a purpose Why not a purpose statement?statement? Talk the talk of leadershipTalk the talk of leadership Provide a more “credible” Provide a more “credible”

assessment criteriaassessment criteria Give your organization internal Give your organization internal

credibility as wellcredibility as well

Some more questionsSome more questions

How many of you have a copy of How many of you have a copy of the institution’s mission the institution’s mission statement?statement?

How many of you have a copy of How many of you have a copy of the institution’s strategic plan?the institution’s strategic plan?

Should you have copies of these Should you have copies of these documents?documents?

Creating alignmentCreating alignment

First you have to create a vision First you have to create a vision for your student media for your student media

Next you have to create a Next you have to create a roadmap on how to get thereroadmap on how to get there

Do this with the institution’s Do this with the institution’s strategic plan in handstrategic plan in hand

Here we are; here’s Here we are; here’s how we support youhow we support you TWU layout for the strategic and action TWU layout for the strategic and action

plan is such that it allows for easy plan is such that it allows for easy linkage and alignmentlinkage and alignment

Headings are:Headings are:– Department missionDepartment mission– How it supports the university missionHow it supports the university mission– Long-term goalsLong-term goals– How they support the university’s strategic How they support the university’s strategic

plan (indicate by number)plan (indicate by number)– How will you measure success?How will you measure success?– Technology and budgetary needs to meet Technology and budgetary needs to meet

goalsgoals

Key to creating Key to creating alignmentalignment Give explicit examples that link your plan Give explicit examples that link your plan

with the institutional plan:with the institutional plan:– ““Departmental strategic goal 1 supports University Departmental strategic goal 1 supports University

Strategies 2, 3, 5 and 6. Strategy 2: Provide select Strategies 2, 3, 5 and 6. Strategy 2: Provide select undergraduate and graduate academic programs undergraduate and graduate academic programs that prepare students with the required content-that prepare students with the required content-area knowledge and skills to pursue related careers area knowledge and skills to pursue related careers or professional/graduate studies or professional/graduate studies by providing by providing students a real world practicum to hone and students a real world practicum to hone and practice skills learned in the classroom for the practice skills learned in the classroom for the communication field.”communication field.”

Leave no room for guessing or questionsLeave no room for guessing or questions

Assessment is not a Assessment is not a four letter wordfour letter word Departmental strategic plans that Departmental strategic plans that

align with the institution’s overall align with the institution’s overall plan need to demonstrate plan need to demonstrate through assessment how that through assessment how that happenshappens

Putting out a paper, radio Putting out a paper, radio program, etc. doesn’t cut itprogram, etc. doesn’t cut it

Winning awards doesn’t cut itWinning awards doesn’t cut it

Try some of these things Try some of these things for assessmentfor assessment

• Skills tests (pre and post)Skills tests (pre and post)• Year-end portfolio reviewYear-end portfolio review• Job evaluation at mid-term and finalsJob evaluation at mid-term and finals• Internal credibility surveys and compareInternal credibility surveys and compare• External critiques and reviewsExternal critiques and reviews• Internal critiques and reviews based on Internal critiques and reviews based on

rubricrubric• Content audit of coverage and focus Content audit of coverage and focus

groupsgroups• Campus surveyCampus survey

How do you do it?How do you do it?

Give us some of your strategies Give us some of your strategies and tips on strategic planning and and tips on strategic planning and assessmentassessment

Check my blog as I continue to Check my blog as I continue to research this project in stagesresearch this project in stages– Mission statements Mission statements – Strategic plansStrategic plans– Institutional perceptionInstitutional perception

Feel free to contact me at: Dr. Kay L. Colley kcolley@txwes.edu 817-531-6525 Twitter: @kaycolley Blog: http://kaycolley.blogspot.com Website: www.kaycolley.com

Student Media Director for