Division of External Relations and Communications
Office of Communications and External Relations
The Office of Communications and External Relations is concerned with activities that contribute to the promotion and support of the College through communications, partnerships, fundraising, alumni affairs, government relations, and events management. The Department functions and activities are designed to bring about:
Better collaboration to support the long term goals of MEC;
Greater capacity from the external community, including donors, community partners, government officials, and corporate stakeholders; and
Greater ability to motivate local residents to achieve higher levels of performance for themselves and for the College.
As such the core functions that are basic to the Department include:
Communications
Development
Alumni Relations
Government Relations
Events Management
Communications Department
The Communications Department includes the Offices of Public Relations, Graphics Services, and Television and Radio.
The Office of Public Relations provides communications, public relations, and marketing services for Medgar Evers College’s academic and administrative units. The Office is responsible for media relations and is the principal contact for all communication between the College, and media representatives, as vested by the Office of the President.
The Office is responsible for extending the institutional visibility and image of the College. The Office also provides strategic marketing and public relations planning as well as internal, executive, and marketing communications for the College in accordance with need and institutional priorities. The Office generates media coverage by identifying opportunities in breaking news and by placing news features, and other information supporting the mission of the College in international, national, and local media outlets. It also manages the placement of faculty experts in various media to discuss College research, projects, or other newsworthy events. Additionally, it works with the University’s Office of Communications & Marketing to enhance the image of the College as a unit within The City University of New York.
The Office of Graphics Services (OGS) is responsible for producing visual communication, graphic design and layout services for the College. OGS designs and lays out official college collateral materials as well as materials for official College events. Additionally, OGS also manages the college identity systems and provides and circulates the College’s graphic standards manual. OGS works with public relations writers and the web services team to develop and produce the college’s advertising/brochures/animated presentations/ email blasts and other communication and marketing materials.
The Office of Television and Radio (OTR) is located in the Carroll Street Building on the second floor. Working in collaboration with the Department of Mass Communications, Creative and Performing Arts and Speech, and other academic departments, both studios offer laboratory experiences for students to experiment with the creation, management and distribution of diverse forms of creative content.
The Office of Television and Radio specializes in bridging the gap between theory and practical application by providing our students with hands-on training in media/broadcasting production. The Radio Station broadcasts daily on Brooklyn Cable Access Television (BCAT) and once a week on WNYE 91.5FM. Students produce various formats of radio programs and public service announcements which are broadcast to the Tri-State area. The Television Studio affords our students the opportunity to record, edit and broadcast original programming ideas along with various campus activities. The facility is a professional three camera production facility and has both analog and digital image gathering capabilities. The Studio also has a non-linear editing suite in which it has five Final Cut Pro editing bays. Students are exposed to both traditional and experimental production techniques and professional practices and encouraged to develop and produce original television programs. The Studio broadcasts over BCAT and WNYC-TV.
Using a workshop model, students are given the opportunity to learn basic production techniques including scripting, lighting, shooting, editing, producing and directing; as well as the technical operation and understanding of all studio equipment including cameras and audio equipment.
Development Department
The Office of Development partners with the Medgar Evers College Educational Foundation, Inc. to serve as the lead fundraising unit for the College. The Office of Development is responsible for garnering sustained financial support and other resources from public, private, community, alumni, and individual philanthropic sources to fulfill the College mission. In the broadest sense, the purposes of College Development are (1) to create awareness within the private sector of the financial needs of Medgar Evers College which are not met by state or federal support, and (2) to implement a plan by which the financial needs can be met through private gift support. To fulfill these purposes, it is the responsibility of the Office of Development to institute an organized program for obtaining gift support from alumni, friends, deans, faculty and staff, corporations, organizations, and private foundations for both annual and long-term needs based upon the College priorities as established by the President and his executive leadership team. In addition, the Office of Development partners with other offices within the Office of Communications and External Relations to promote the image and communicates the value and impact of the College mission to internal and external constituencies in a manner that maximizes an understanding of the College’s role in educating and elevating the lives of students, faculty, staff, administrators, alumni and the community we serve throughout New York and, in particular, Central Brooklyn.
Alumni Relations
The Office of Alumni Relations seeks to engage all MEC alumni in a mutually beneficial, lifelong connection to each other, their school, and community, and encourage alumni support and guidance to advance MEC’s eminence for now and future generations. The Office of Alumni Relations works closely with the Alumni Association membership group. The Alumni Relations Office is committed to keeping current and former members of the College in touch with each other and with the College today. The Office of Alumni Relations encourages support from all alumni to ensure that the College remains in the forefront of education for generations to come.
Government Relations
The Office of Government Relations was created to advance and represent the interests of Medgar Evers College on the local, state and federal levels of government. It is the responsibility of this office to maintain and cultivate relationships with elected and appointed public officials on all three tiers of government. The primary mission of this office is to build strategic relationships or alliances with a wide range of stakeholders within government and non-governmental sectors. The premise of this office is that communication is more than an end-product and must, in fact, be a critical component of the strategic process. It is the responsibility of this office to monitor higher education issues and policies on the city, state, and federal levels in order to ensure that the College benefits from appropriate legislation.
Events Management and Hospitality
The Office of Events Management is responsible for the strategic planning and coordination of all events at the College. The office oversees the planning and coordination of a variety of events that meet the College goals. Events Management works with College units and executives, student groups, and outside organizations to develop college-wide event concepts, strategies, plan detailed programs, and orchestrate successful logistical arrangements to enhance program success. The office coordinates with marketing, communications, development, and public relations staff to develop effective event marketing plans.