SHARING BOARD AND UNIVERSITY NEWS

The Arizona Board of Regents understand the tremendous trust bestowed upon them as public servants and stewards of the state’s public universities. Sharing board and university news and data in a transparent, timely, accurate and thoughtful manner is therefore a priority for the board.

Through media relations, an expanding social and digital media presence, community outreach, blogs and news releases, the board continues to engage with the community and spread the word about the importance and value of public higher education in Arizona. Twitter remains the strongest social platform for the board. With over 5,000 followers, @AZRegents remains one of the most successful Twitter accounts among university governing systems across the country. Last year, the board’s Twitter account increased followers by 15 percent and generated 1.25 million total impressions and more than 30,000 page views. Facebook posts yielded more than 705,000 total impressions throughout the year. Facebook remains a strong platform for the board as well and last year, the board added a new Instagram account, which is gaining steady growth. Since its launch in September 2017, the account has 384 followers.

Board leaders also visited with editorial boards for Arizona newspapers to discuss the legislative agenda and provide updates on the public university enterprise. Media exposure increased by 35 percent, and across all platforms, news of collaboration, research, data, board actions, student success and engagement remain top trending items. State budget, inquiries regarding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), tuition trends and weapons on campus, among other topics, dominated inquiries from the media. The decision from the Superior Court of Arizona to dismiss the Arizona Attorney General’s lawsuit against the board also prompted extensive media coverage and inquiries.

The addition of a graphic designer to board staff has resulted in greater brand consistency, enhanced graphic content for social platforms as well as reports, presentations and collateral. A multimedia communications manager brings enhanced video and digital production to the board team to drive messaging and news content as well.