Contributed by: Caitee Bloss
Web Project Assistant, Stein Communications

Previous to this issue of The Scoop, we have discussed podcasting in admissions, academics, alumni, and athletics. The last in our series, this fifth installment explores podcasts as a creative method of increasing and utilizing public relations (PR).

PR is a broad topic, as is podcasting. This article focuses on two main applications of podcasting within public relations: the utilitarian element of broadcasting university news and events, and the more emotional element of conveying the personality of the university while also enhancing reputation and extending the brand.

Broadcasting University News. Like blogs and email newsletters, podcasts enable universities to easily broadcast major news and events to a global audience. They are not subject to many of the boundaries and complications faced by print and email campaigns. Three main advantages of podcasting over more traditional news publication include:

• Cost — Podcasting can be done inexpensively. Podcast production costs, including equipment, can be minimal, and hosting plans are available to accommodate higher bandwidth and storage. You can imagine the savings compared to postage or email campaign fees.
• Archives — Once published, listeners can easily browse previous episodes. Software programs, such as iTunes, make this task especially intuitive.
• Convenience — Podcasts are as portable as music. Users don’t have to be sitting at the computer to catch up on the news — they can listen in their car, while they jog, on an iPod, etc.

Utilizing podcasts as another means of news syndication is becoming increasingly popular among universities. Yale University’s Yale Netcast discusses news, events, and major initiatives with university faculty and administration. Duke has a dedicated Office of News and Communications for keeping the news media and others up-to-date on school happenings. Their News & Communications podcast (iTunes link) is a component of this initiative, and covers everything from March Madness to Durham revitalization.

The University of Florida News podcast supplies listeners with regular updates of university news and events. Rather than focusing on just one campus issue or event, each “Update: Weekly” is structured as a summary of recent news.

As we have mentioned in previous articles in this series, a large advantage that podcasts have over traditional media is universal syndication. Because campus content can reach a global audience, individuals not enrolled in the institution can get a taste of the university’s excellence and expertise. By broadcasting such information as recent research, public speakers, and discussions on popular issues, the university expands its reputation as a credible and competitive institution.

Vanderbilt has many podcasts to promote and feature different facets of the school. Their podcast, That’s Vanderbilt, highlights the newest research at both the university and its medical center. In addition, Stellar Conversations, Medical Center Podcast, and The Sounds of Blair feature specific departmental happenings.

The Georgetown University Forum is another great example of a podcast series highlighting current research and faculty initiatives.

Simply put, podcasting is one of many Web 2.0 tools you can use to increase university exposure and recognition. As we’ve shown through this series, podcasts can help you reach many different audiences, such as prospective students, alumni, and sports fans. In addition to just getting your name out there, you can establish your school’s authority on a topic, project a personality, and extend branding initiatives.

Podcasts as a personal connection. PR podcasts are important on another, non-informative level. Each one reflects the university’s personality and can give the listener more insight into the school atmosphere or attitude. In addition to helping distinguish the university from others around the country, podcasts can contribute to the development of an emotional bond with constituents. Several elements factor in to this personal feel, such as focusing on a specific target audience, welcoming user feedback, and providing frequent episodes. Each element helps listeners better acquaint themselves with your university.

Branding and Exposure through Podcasting Directories. iTunes provides one of the largest podcast directories. Recently, they added a dedicated university division of their iTunes store — iTunes U. iTunes allows schools to create custom sites for their institution to organize and brand their series of podcasts. iTunes U sites are also designed to allow faculty members to contribute their own audio and video content. All schools are eligible to participate on iTunes U, and Apple provides instructions on how to get started.

Three advantages of an iTunes U site include:

• Publicity — With so many individuals already using iTunes for music, video, and other media, your site is exposed to a much larger audience. By enabling users to subscribe to your series (a great feature of iTunes), you are retaining listeners who may never have visited your podcast again. Also, because episodes for subscribed podcasts can be automatically downloaded to the individual’s iTunes, your listeners don’t have to continually check for new releases. Essentially, your iTunes store can help retain first-time visitors and increase the listening rate of existing listeners.
• Personality — Customizing your University iTunes U site allows you to demonstrate your school’s personality, extend your brand, and create a visual and emotional connection with the listener.
• Reputation — Your podcast is listed with some of the best academic podcasts on the web. Having a customized iTunes U site portrays a professional image of your podcast, and being listed in this higher-education-only directory affords you authority and respect.

Although it is the largest, iTunes is not the only academic podcast directory out there. Two other notable web sites are Open Culture and Princeton’s UChannel.

Open Culture organizes podcasts into two categories: General (ordered by university) and University Courses (ordered by subject). A university can appear in both sections, and the University Course list may be very helpful if your podcast is subject-specific. Anyone can recommend a podcast to be indexed.

Princeton’s UChannel emphasizes vodcasts (video podcasts) just as heavily as it does podcasts. Instead of providing links to entire podcast series, the UChannel invites universities to contribute individual episodes. Their goal is to create an online resource for academic media. For this reason, episode contents must be highly academic — lectures, seminars, panels and interviews. While initially focusing on public and international affairs, the channel describes the directory as having “unlimited potential.”

With so many available tools and resources, it is now easier than ever to create university podcasts. Our five-part article series explored podcasting in higher education — a topic covering a myriad of topics and attracting an equally varied audience, all of which are tuning in specifically to your university. Experience the power of this Web 2.0 tool for yourself — with a little time and energy (and a microphone), we think you’ll find that the rewards are worth it.

Contributed by: Caitee Bloss
Web Project Assistant, Stein Communications

In the last three issues of the Scoop, we’ve investigated methods in which admission offices, academic departments, and alumni use podcasting in higher education. This fourth installment unites these groups over a common interest: college athletics.

Who are these university athletics podcasters?

When thinking about college sports, the first enthusiasts that probably come to mind are loyal team fans — whether they are current students, alumni, or hometown natives. Two such fans, University of Iowa seniors Ryan Wallace and Will Marchino, host a podcast From the Cheap Seats. Their show provides game commentary, reviews, and insight into several collegiate sports.

Intercollegiate organizations have also taken up the task of podcasting. The first of these, the SEC Podcast Network (not officially affiliated with the Southeastern Conference) has a very specific mission:

“The Goal of The SEC Podcast Network is to help the independent podcast producers who cover the 12 schools of the SEC and to foster peaceful bonds between those producers.”

Several schools are members of this network, including:

• Louisiana State University: Geaux Show
• University of Alabama: TideCast
• University of Arkansas: RazorPod
• University of Georgia: DawgCast

In addition to supporting the podcasts of other universities, the SEC Podcast Network publishes its own podcast that covers SEC games, makes predictions, and contributes a league commentary.

Another sports association, the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association), sponsors an intercollegiate podcast that provides one-on-one interviews with NCAA President Myles Brand and focuses on issues facing student-athletes, intercollegiate teams, and the NCAA organization. Mondays With Myles is part of the NCAA’s larger Double-A Zone, which also features a blog and a video news program.

As expected, some of the most popular college athletics podcasts are those hosted by their respective universities. Purposes vary widely, from game announcements and athlete interviews (Virginia Tech’s Hokie Podcast and University of South Carolina Upstate) to original game broadcasts (Oklahoma Sooners). At West Chester University, their student newspaper The Quad hosts its own sports news podcast. At the University of Arizona, podcasts are integrated with corresponding news articles and blogs to form an AZ Sports Hub.

What’s in an athletics podcast, anyway?

The range of information available is as varied as the podcasting population. That said, there are a few common components:

• Talk about the game: If there is one element that most university athletics podcasts have in common, it is sports commentary. One notable podcast, From The Cheap Seats, offers valuable reviews and insight into University of Iowa games.
• Get to know the team: Interviews with coaches and athletes are a great way to help students and fans feel more connected to the team. The University of South Carolina Upstate and the University of Oklahoma podcasts offer discussions with the Spartans and the Sooners, respectively.
• Discuss college athletics: With so many students participating in college athletics, organizations are starting to use podcasts to educate the public about relevant issues. Experts from the National Collegiate Scouting Association give advice on the college recruiting process, and Mondays With Myles focuses on NCAA and student-athlete issues.

So, why a podcast?

Not all sports shows started out as podcasts. From The Cheap Seats was originally a radio broadcast. When scheduling required the producers to tape delay each episode, Will and Ryan decided to take the extra step to host the recordings online.

The ability to keep students and fans engaged has been a desirable draw to collegiate athletics podcasting. To interact with listeners, podcasters incorporate additional media such as:

• Videos: Both the TideCast and the Oklahoma Sooners include video clips, which technically makes them vodcasts.
• Blogs: Blogs allow for the continued discussion of issues touched upon in the podcast, along with listener comments.
• Listener activities: While podcasts are static episodes (especially in comparison to live sports radio), more groups are enabling listeners to offer input for future episodes. The Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Association’s CollegeLAX podcast voicemail number allows anyone to leave comments or questions. You can even win a prize by listening to the TideCast — if you correctly answer their weekly trivia question.

Note: Before starting your own podcast or incorporate third-party media, be sure to investigate any copyright or legal concerns.

Does anyone really listen to podcasts?

Podcasts are becoming increasingly popular. In addition to their radio broadcast population, From The Cheap Seats receives between 50 and 100 subscribers during the semester. The AZ Sports Hub, which averages 175 plays per podcast, has been known to receive 300 listens to a single episode. Even more popular is Mondays With Myles, the NCAA’s weekly podcast. The show’s RSS feed received over 24,000 clicks last month — a 4,000-click increase over the previous month.

Boosting podcast reputation and recognition is one of the goals of the SEC. The second half of their mission states:

“Our ultimate goal is to create a group of individuals who have as much respect as other large press organizations, but are closer to the fans than anyone else.”

As we mentioned in the last article in this series (Podcasting in higher education: alumni), podcasts have many advantages over traditional media. They can feature several types of multimedia, are updated frequently, and offer followers the option to subscribe. Additionally, podcasts are available globally. With graduating students and hometown natives moving to the far ends of the earth, widespread team fans will consider these valuable resources.

In our next issue of the Scoop, we’ll explore public relations — our last type of podcasting in this series. To contribute your college’s experiences, thoughts, and concerns about podcasting in education, please email mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.

Contributed by: Meg Gwaltney, Web Content Manager,
and Caitee Bloss, Web Production Assistant, Stein Communications

In previous issues of the Scoop, we’ve explored podcasting in higher education by admission offices and academic departments. While podcasts are most often created either for classes or as a recruitment tool, an increasing number of schools are expanding their student audience and including their university alumni.

The third in our series in podcasting in higher education, this article covers podcasting both with alumni and for alumni. We’ve shared several examples of alumni podcasts, in hopes of sparking ideas for your own institution so that you may better serve your alumni while also giving them additional outlets to contribute to their alma mater.

Podcasts designed for alumni:

While alumni and parent podcasting are often one and the same, several university alumni associations have created their own alumni-specific podcasts. They usually aim to keep alumni informed about campus news, recent research, higher education issues, and life-long learning.

Utah Valley State College publishes an alumni magazine, the Sequel. In conjunction with their magazine, they supplement each issue with audio and video podcasts. The audio podcasts contain readings of articles and other writing from each episode, while the vodcasts include interviews and “bonus coverage” of the articles.

The Alumni Association at the University of Michigan maintains a podcast, True Blue Podsquad. They record speeches, lectures, and interviews that provide “educational content on-demand and on-the-go.” In addition to lectures on career success and entrepreneurship, many of their episodes address common issues in parenting and post-graduate life such as adoption, child tantrums, learning difficulties, and self-esteem.

While less concerned with parenting and family life, Winston-Salem State University does specifically target alumni. Their WSSU Alumni Podcast helps alumni stay up-to-date and connected with the university through campus news and student spotlights.

Podcasts with alumni contributions:

In several university podcasts, alumni join faculty for interviews and lectures. This strategy allows universities to maintain alumni connections, utilize their research and knowledge, and exemplify the success of their own graduates. The promise of listening to an old classmate attracts alumni who may not otherwise subscribe to the podcast and the familiarity of the speaker invokes a greater audience interest in the subject matter.

Johns Hopkins has published a podcast containing a series of discussions over a range of topics, such as evolutionary biology, nation building, national security, and the U.S. healthcare crisis. In addition to contributing to the knowledge base, alumni are also included in panel discussion on campus affairs. Colgate University’s Colgate Conversations podcast follows a similar track. By spotlighting alumni and including them in their presentations, both universities are making statements about their continual interest and investment in their graduates.

With each successive graduating class being increasingly wired and web-savvy, podcasts hold much promise as a means of staying connected. Alumni podcasts are a great strategy for several reasons:

1. Subscription. The ability to subscribe to a feed ensures that alumni stay connected, even when they move or change email addresses.

2. Frequent updates. Offering short but frequent updates on campus news and recent research is relatively painless for both the university and alumni subscribers.

3. Multimedia. Podcasts can feature audio from familiar professors and video clips of campus events — elements not possible in as timely a manner in most other marketing mediums.

As universities increase their use of academic podcasts and more students encounter them in their classes, it is likely that graduates will be more interested in creating or contributing to podcasts as alumni.

In our next issue of the Scoop, we’ll tackle the fourth type of podcasting in our series — athletic podcasting. To contribute your college’s experiences, thoughts, and concerns about podcasting in education, please email mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.

Contributed by: Meg Gwaltney
Web Content Manager, Stein Communications

In the last issue of The Scoop, we talked about podcasting in higher education in terms of how it is being used as a recruitment tool. Admission offices across the country are hosting some amazing podcasts, with respect to content as well as design and production quality. In my opinion, the most effect podcasts, by far, are those created by current students, for prospective students.

Continuing our series of articles on podcasting in higher education, this article focuses on podcasting for academic courses, programs, and departments.

Podcasts for Course Lectures
Probably the first example that comes to mind when you think of academics and podcasting is course lectures. Remember the media buzz in 2004 when Duke University handed out iPods to every freshman student on campus? Their ongoing Duke Digital Initiative to improve technology-enhanced learning (including podcasting quite a few course lectures) has been and continues to be extraordinary, despite the challenges mentioned in their DDI End of Year Report (PDF).

Additionally, iTunes U made a big splash when Apple partnered with higher ed institutions such as Stanford, UC Berkeley, and Duke’s Fuqua School of Business to provide them with their own school-branded version of iTunes. With iTunes U, course lectures and other campus recordings became even easier to deliver to students, faculty, and the community in both restricted- and open-access portals. What’s even better, it’s free — for the institution and the user.

While podcast lectures should not replace the experience of classroom learning and interaction, they have proved beneficial to students and faculty, particularly in the areas of music, performing arts, languages, and other disciplines with audible components.

Promotional Academic Podcasts
In addition to podcasting course lectures, some colleges are also using podcasts to promote specific majors or departments to prospective students, as well as to share research findings with the community.

For example, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology hosts a compilation of podcasts under the umbrella of AMPS: Academic Media Production Services. Users may subscribe to the podcasts for free from MIT’s web site or directly from within the iTunes Music Store. AMPS includes a small, but well-produced collection of video podcasts, all related to a research venture, an academic course, a performing arts event, or other on-campus events. Personally, my favorite is “2.007 Retrospective.” It documents in a fun, engaging way the thirty-year history of MIT’s famous undergraduate robot contest. Prospective students would do well to view the AMPS vodcasts to get a better feel for the types of projects they will work on as students.

Another great case in point: Asbury College’s broadcast journalism podcasts of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. The group of 29 students, three alumni, and one faculty member posted blog entries and podcasts on their web site. If this project isn’t an excellent opportunity to get real-world experience, I don’t know what is.

In the coming years, it seems like a given that an increasing number of colleges will begin to podcast more of their course lectures, whether it is through iTunes U or another method; I hope the same will prove true for the promotional academic podcasts. They have great value in providing an intimate, in-depth look into an institution’s academic programs in ways that even a campus visit may not provide. With a myriad of voices — students, faculty, alumni, and special event speakers — contributing to these productions, they have the potential to be an excellent marketing tool.

In our next issue of the Scoop, we’ll continue our podcasting discussion with a focus on alumni relations. To share your college’s experiences, thoughts, and concerns about podcasting in education, please email me at mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.

Stein’s CommunityYou web product is designed to help increase yield among your admitted students and increase retention of your newly enrolled students by providing them with their own online community created specifically for your institution. CommunityYou can be overseen and managed by your admissions staff. It also provides you with an additional forum to communicate important announcements to this critical audience. To learn more about CommunityYou, please contact Jenny Brower at 404.494.4393 or jbrower@steincommunications.com.

Contributed by: Meg Gwaltney
Web Content Manager, Stein Communications

In the last issue of the Scoop, we provided information about podcasting in education. After some great feedback about this article, we decided to extend our discussions about podcasting to include a new five-part series focusing on podcasting in higher education. Each article, beginning with this one, will focus on a specific area of colleges and universities, including admissions, academics, alumni and development, athletics, and public relations.

This series of articles does not provide technical, step-by-step instructions needed to create and publish a podcast; the intent is to highlight ways in which other colleges and universities are using podcasts and to offer a few helpful tips and suggestions as you consider what podcasting venues may be right for your institution.

What is a podcast?
In case you missed it in the preliminary article, you will need a brief definition of our subject matter: Podcasts and vodcasts (video podcasts) are audio or video files distributed over the Internet using either RSS or Atom syndication for distribution on psp themes, mobile game devices, mobile applications and personal computers. Unlike streaming audio and video, podcast and vodcast files are downloaded to the user’s equipment, which allows the files to be played at any time, even when the user is not connected to the Internet.

In addition to being incorporated into Apple’s iTunes software and Music Store, podcasting has become a popular format for two main reasons:

• Podcasts are downloaded and stored directly to the user’s equipment, especially portable MP3 players, such as iPods. Therefore, podcasts can be accessed by busy individuals who are always on-the-go — in the car, at the gym, etc.
• Through RSS feeds, users can subscribe to a podcast feed in the same way that they can subscribe to someone’s blog. Depending on the preferences they set in software such as iTunes, users can download new podcast episodes automatically when they connect to the Internet. The subscription feature saves time because the user does not have to visit each of his or her favorite web sites to check for new podcasts; they are delivered automatically.

Podcasting in Admissions
Some of the most impressive college podcasts I have come across are those geared towards prospective students (and their parents, too, in many cases). The best podcasts, even if they’re not sophisticated with hip intro music or flashy graphics, are those created around their target audience’s preferences. Essentially, a good podcast excells in three areas: content, length, and speaker/source.

Content. Generally, you won’t find a lot of new, unique content in admissions podcasts. Many of the messages have simply been adapted from content already found in current print and web publications. What’s important is the fact that the content is now available in a format that is easier to access, and can be delivered at a very low cost on a regular basis. Many people prefer the podcast format for certain types of content because they can listen to it while participating in other activities, and because they gain a sense of personal intimacy through hearing the spoken word from one or more individuals.

Length. Many admissions podcasts are short in length, making them more convenient for students who are on-the-go and who have many other time constraints in their lives. Delivering short bursts of information on a scheduled basis keeps your institution connected to its prospects in a way that is helpful to them and does not encroach upon their already busy lives.

Speaker/Source. One factor that affects the success of a podcast is the person(s) delivering your message. Your podcast will benefit from a speaker who speaks clearly and whose voice engages audiences easily. Above all, your podcast speaker must be a good representative for your institution.

Current Student Podcasts
The current student podcast is a great example of an admissions podcast that is usually done well, even if it involved very simple production. Podcasts and vodcasts are simply new formats in which to deliver information that illustrates to prospects what it’s like to be a current student on campus. Until now, this information has often been delivered via an interview in a print piece or on the web, a student blog, a collection of student photos, a video on the institution’s web site, etc.

With minimal time, expense, and equipment, students can record and publish a podcast on a weekly or bi-weekly basis to convey to prospects the daily life of a college student, whether it be the class they skipped one morning, their first A+ in biology class, or the commencement address they heard at graduation. By listening to podcasts throughout the year, prospects have a better sense of what it’s like to be a student on campus.

Not only do podcasts share information, they also generate an emotional response, as the listener hears the student’s voice, accent, and attitude.

In many cases, admissions offices do not feel the need to censor current student podcasts, given that the admissions office has selected student podcasters based on quality of character and has conveyed to them the important responsibility of acting as representatives of the university.

For a great example of a current student podcast, listen to Amber’s podcast on the Houghton College web site: http://www.houghton.edu/admission/life/amber/index.htm

Promotional Admissions Podcasts
In addition to current student podcasts, admissions offices are creating podcasts that promote special aspects of the school, such as its location or its diversity on campus — again, many of the same topics you would read about in their print brochures. Because of the audio (and possibly video) element, a podcast or vodcast offers a more intimate way to deliver your message to prospects, especially those who can’t attend a college fair or visit campus before applying to your institution.

Campus tour vodcasts may also benefit your institution. Additional episodes would be helpful supplements to showcase the campus during special campus events, and could even include tours geared toward different audiences, including prospects, parents, alumni, community visitors, etc. Some institutions promote their most popular or most unique academic programs via podcast as well. Interviews with faculty and students, in addition to showing current projects or research, can help bring a program to life in the eyes of a prospective student, or even a potential donor or volunteer.

Examples include:
Emerson College — http://admission.emerson.edu/admission/undergraduate/podcasts/index.cfm
Massachusetts Institute of Technology — http://web.mit.edu/amps/spotlight/podcast.html

Application and Enrollment-Related Podcasts
Other podcasts provide answers for prospective students who have questions about financial aid and the application process. In many cases, a simple frequently asked questions page on the college web site would be sufficient. However, there are other ways that this type of podcast could be very useful — one idea being a brief tutorial that walks prospects through an on-campus interview or provides quick tips about the personal essay.

Find out more about enrollment-related podcasts:
Bowdoin College — http://www.bowdoin.edu/podcasts/
CampusTours Productions — http://www.campustoursproductions.com/press-podcast.html

Along this same vein of thought, Fitchburg State College sent out a podcast to its newly enrolled students. An HTML email contained a link where students could download the podcast from the iTunes Music Store. The message was recorded by the president of the university, who welcomed the new freshman class. This type of podcast is an easy way of introducing key administrators at your institution, while also providing students with helpful information, such as a reminder to send in their housing deposit.

Read more about Fitchburg State College’s experience with podcasting: http://web.fsc.edu/fscnews/index.cfm?detail=259

Until next time…
Until the next installment in this series on podcasting, I would love to hear what your institution is doing in the way of podcasting, whether it is in admissions or another area on campus. Contact me at mgwaltney@steincommunications.com.