Communications
The Communications Team: Who We Are and What We Do
The Communications team facilitates conversations with students about Student Life through print, digital media and real life connections.
We are available to consult on strategy, content, creative direction, visual design, product development and accessibility. Our work is informed by the Student Life mission, strategic divisional goals and communications best practices and principles.
We drive and facilitate the design and development of institutional-level and St. George-specific online utilities that address student needs directly or indirectly.
We are responsible for ensuring that materials developed under the Student Life umbrella are consistent in form (visual design) and function (meaning, readability and accessibility).
We collaborate. We work with the Student Life units to develop key messages to guide the writing, design, and development of materials for student and sometimes faculty and staff audiences. And we partner with units, departments and divisions outside of Student Life to facilitate innovation and knowledge sharing.
We produce the following real life, print and digital media communications pieces and online utilities. The ⇔ icon indicates our support role where the primary partners are program staff in orientation and transition, graduate life, and/or campus organizations.
- Hello - Student Life Programs & Services brochure
- Life @ U of T: an annual print publication and guide to student life at U of T - Scarborough and St. George editions (formerly known as Intuit)
- Zoom Media Posters: a monthly promotional poster for Student Life
- First Year Pre-arrival Contact: an annual late summer post-card and/or mailing to connect with first year students and/or their families
- ⇔ Gradlife: a publication that connects graduate students to specialized workshops, social events, and online resources designed to enhance their graduate student life (formerly known as GradNav)
Digital Media
Web
- Student Life Style Guides for writing and visual style
- Ulife: a one-stop tri-campus site listing a large and diverse collection of student clubs, organizations, activities and opportunities for students
- Start at U of T: a St. George site for students just beginning at the university
- Life at U of T: a St. George site for students to explore life beyond the classroom
- Graduation and Beyond: a tri-campus institutional site for senior students and new alumni
- Student Life: a resource site for staff, faculty and student leaders looking to access Student Life services and explore partnerships
- Parent & Family: an institutional-level site for parents of current students
- Portal: a place for student leaders and SL staff to develop online communities
- Student Life Ambassador program: five students who tweet about their experiences
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Social media including blogs:
- UpbeaT: a blog written by students for students on the St. George campus.
- Signs of Intelligent Life (Ulife): a tri- campus blog exploring student engagement, written by students and staff for students
- SpeakVolumes: a blog about best practices in communications written by staff for Student Life staff on the St. George campus
- and microblogs:
E-newsletters
- Arts & Science Student e-News: monthly e-newsletter to 25,000 A&S undergraduates
- Gradschool e-News: tri-campus e-newsletter to all graduate students
- Parent & Family e-News: four subscription-based editions per year to parents of current students
- Student Life News: distributed 3 times per year to staff and faculty at U of T highlighting the work of Student Life Programs & Services
Online Utilities (Built and Evolving)
- Ulife: an integrated extra-/co-curricular student engagement tool
- UelecT: an online student elections system
- Student Life On-line Staff Directory
- Student Life Online Photo Gallery
- St. George campus map: Interactive Google-based map
Online Utilities (In Progress)
- Consolidated Student Life Twitter Collection
Real Life
- ⇔ Ask Me: a staff engagement activity to welcome new students (post card, website, buttons)
- ⇔ Orientation: coordinate divisional presence at orientation events
- Student Life professional development activities around communications