CSUF DEAN OF STUDENTS
ENGAGEMENT & WELL-BEING CLUSTER INTRODUCTION
One of my first tasks at my new role at California State University Fullerton was to produce a video that highlights the eight unique areas within the Engagement & Well-being cluster and the work each department does for the campus community. The video was intended to serve as a glimpse of the cluster within the Division of Student Affairs for the newly appointed Vice President of Student Affairs.
This video project involved coordinating with directors and the Senior Associate Vice President of Student Affairs to ensure that the dialogue being presented aligned with the values of our division. The video was shot in a way where each area can serve as its own, independent video for social media.
REBUILDING A BRAND IDENTITY
A large part of my role when serving the Dean of Students office was to help re-establish the department's social media presence and to increase engagement among the student population. This task required me to conduct an audit of what was working and what wasn't, as well as conducting trial-and-error with the media I produced to see if it resulted in a higher return on investment, or if it had adverse effects and decreased overall engagement. Here is a glimpse of some of the many projects I produced for the Dean of Students, most of which ensured success and longevity.
Adding a Face to the Name - One of my goals was to help students learn who their Dean of Students was. I created several videos where students can learn more about who the Dean of Students is and to build a connection with him.
These efforts were then continued across the entire cluster. Rather than having students just familiarize themselves with who their Dean of Students was, I wanted to ensure students could familiarize themselves with who their staff members from the Engagement & Well-Being cluster were as well.
It was important to make these videos light-hearted and relatable, as it allows the student population to feel more connected with staff members who may only have been perceived as an authoritative figure. By allowing the staff members to display their personalities, it eases the barrier between staff and student.
Romanticizing the College Experience - Not every piece of content has to showcase a face or a personality. Throughout my experience with working in social media, I've come to learn that audiences also appreciate experiences and how those experiences are visualized. I believe that content such as these induce the feeling of "FOMO", or the fear of missing out, which ultimately inclines the viewer to crave the same or similar experiences.
In a college setting, it is easy for students to associate the campus with the struggles of studying or a place where the mind isn't always at peace. By creating content where students can take a second to appreciate their surroundings, and to take pride in being a student whose pursuing higher education, it allows them to appreciate the experience of being a student more.
That is why this type of content is so successful, it allows students to romanticize an experience that is oftentimes associated with stress and pressure.
Below are some of the graphics made for the Dean of Students!
