Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues, 

I’m pleased to share a few updates with you about the work of our university communications team. 

If you are new to campus or unfamiliar with our team, the Office of University Communications is responsible for promoting the College, its people and programs to internal and external audiences. Our primary functions include: 

  • University News 

To submit story ideas for consideration, please email news@cofc.edu or contact Amanda Kerr, senior director of communications, at kerr@cofc.edu. 

  • speaking of college of charleston podcast logoAdvancement and Campus Communications 
    • Partners with the Division of Institutional Advancement to promote philanthropy  
    • Provides communications support to campus units 
    • Coordinates the campuswide Marketing and Communications Committee 
    • Coordinates and publishes content for digital display screens across campus 
    • Coordinates and produces the College’s Speaking of … College of Charleston podcast  

For communications support, please contact Darcie Goodwin, senior director of advancement and campus communications, at goodwind1@cofc.edu. 

  • Media Relations 
    • Writes and distributes news releases; responds to media inquiries 
    • Tracks CofC media mentions and placements 
    • Promotes faculty expertise and campus news to media outlets 

To request media relations support, including press releases, please contact Mike Robertson, senior director of media relations, at robertsonm@cofc.edu. 

What’s New in the Office of University Communications? 

  • cofc magazine coverCofC Magazine – The winter 2022 issue of College of Charleston Magazine is hitting   mailboxes now. You can read all the stories online or stop by the Office of University Communications in RSS 207 to pick up a print copy. To submit story ideas for consideration, please email magazine@cofc.edu or contact Tom Cunneff, editor of the College of Charleston Magazine, at cunnefft@cofc.edu.
  • Faculty & Staff Newsletter – Launched during the fall 2021 semester in support of the Employee Experience and Success pillar of the College’s new Strategic Plan, the Faculty & Staff Newsletter is delivered monthly by email to all CofC employees. Each edition includes news and stories on a variety of topics, including employee benefits and training, faculty and staff achievements, budget and administrative updates, academic initiatives, facilities and technology projects and introduction of new employees. All of the content in the newsletter is published and archived in the Faculty & Staff News section of The College Today. To submit faculty and staff story ideas, please email facstaffnews@cofc.edu or contact Alicia Lutz, associate editor for College news, at lutza@cofc.edu.
  • Merit Pages –  The Office of University Communications is expanding its use of a software tool called Merit Pages to promote student achievements. Merit makes it easy for students and parents to share achievements on social media, and it sends announcements to the student’s state and congressional delegations, their hometown high school and hometown media outlets. Students recognized through Merit are invited to create an online profile that can be used for jobs, internships and references. CofC student achievements and profiles can be viewed on the College’s Merit website. To learn more about how your office can use this tool, contact Mike Robertson at robertsonm@cofc.edu. 
  • CofC News Wire – Our communications team uses Meltwater software to track mentions of the College of Charleston in local, regional, national and international news. To view a curated feed of some of these news stories, visit the CofC News Wire. 

Other Ways to Work with Our Team 

  • slave tag graphic for digital displaysDigital Displays – The Office of University Communications is partnering with units around campus to enhance campus communications through the use of digital displays located in campus facilities. If you have responsibility for creating or posting content on digital displays in your building(s), please make sure you are listed on our digital display contact roster by contacting Erin Perkins, director of digital communications, at perkinse@cofc.edu. 
  • Campus Marketing and Communications Committee – Staff from offices across campus who have full-time or part-time responsibilities for marketing and/or communications in their respective areas are invited to join this standing campus committee, which meets monthly and regularly shares information through Teams. This is a great way to make our communications team and other offices on campus aware of upcoming projects, initiatives and events in your area. To receive an invitation to the committee’s monthly meetings, contact Darcie Goodwin at goodwind1@cofc.edu. 
  • Communications Presentation – If your office or unit would like to learn more about the Office of University Communications, its services and how to work with our team, we are available to conduct a presentation (virtual or in person) that provides an overview of our primary functions. To schedule a presentation for your area, please contact Brenda Anderson, executive assistant, at andersonbm@cofc.edu. 

Our communications team strives to be of service to the College by sharing your news and achievements with the campus community and audiences around the world. Feel free to contact me or any member of our team for assistance. 

Best regards, 

Ron 

Ron Menchaca
Vice President of Communications
menchacar@cofc.edu
843.953.3395