desktop publishing debuted in

the '80s. With the purchase of

PageMaker software, every-

one suddenly became a

graphic designer with the

ability to produce ads, news-

letters, logos and all manner

of illustrations.

Obviously, managers and

accountants didn’t really be-

come designers. They used

the tools of a designer to exe-

cute some functions. Graphic

design requires more than just

pretty pictures. Judgment and

creativity, quantitative and

analytic thinking is the key to

successfully conveying spe-

cific messages to targeted

audiences. These skills don’t

come stuffed inside a soft-

ware box. Graphic software

may make the process easier,

faster and less expensive but

it’s only valuable in the hands

of skilled designer.

( See BLOGS, page 2)

Attend a higher ed

marketing conference or read

a marketing blog these days

and you’ll quickly conclude

that the path to recruitment,

fund-raising and mission at-

tainment is social media.

Whatever the issue, a cam-

paign built around (fill in the

blank) tweets, blogs,

LinkedIn, Facebook or what-

ever seems to be the key to

achieving institutional goals.

Social media activists are

invariably trotted out at con-

ferences and webinars to

demonstrate their recent ex-

cursion into the age of social

media enlightenment.

Being the first one in the

swimming pool, however,

doesn’t mean you’re the

strongest swimmer. It doesn’t

even mean you are much of a

swimmer. It simply means

you got wet first. Before we

hurl ourselves headlong into

the collective pool, we’d be

advised to take a step or two

back and look at social media

from a broader perspective.

What is social media? It’s a

communication vehicle -- a

way to reach and converse

with others. It’s not imbued

with magical qualities to in-

crease sales, raise money or

feed the homeless. It’s simply

a tool that can help you

achieve a goal -- much like a

hammer is to a carpenter. In

the hands of a skilled carpen-

ter, it can be used to create a

beautiful house. In lesser

hands, you might end up with

a dysfunctional garage.

As we know, when wielding a

hammer everything is apt to

look like a nail. That’s what

we’re seeing in the current

environment: early-bird prac-

titioners urging us to rush out

and put up blogs, launch

LinkedIn campaigns, create

digital publications, start pod-

casts and engage in all man-

ner of activities that are part

of the social media band-

wagon.

What’s wrong with that?

One big problem: a tool is not

a strategy. A social media

campaign does not equate

with good marketing.

We can learn from the rush to

execution that ensued when

Beyond Tweets and Blogs

May 2011

Chair

Glenn Sowells

Co-Chair

Sarah Lack

Secretary

Kayla Kelly

Historian

Nancy Hyde

Treasurer

Ginger Williams

By Kevin Tynan at www.insidehighered.com May 2011

IN THIS EDITION

Page 1

Beyond Tweets and

Blogs

Page 3

Mark Your Calendars

Page 4

In the Spotlight

Page 5

Our newest lil’ mem-

bers

Page 6

Guns in the Class-

room

Page 7

NTCC News

P A G E 2

BLOGS Continued from page 1 ...

Currently, social media is

about execution. I’m all for

exploring sexy, fun new

ways of reaching an audi-

ence, but social media evan-

gelists seem to spend little

time comparing their me-

dium with alternatives that

may be a better strategic fit

or more cost-efficient. We

rarely hear headliners cau-

tion that social media can

be a worthless exercise, a

drag on precious resources

or damaging to reputations.

There’s little talk about

limitations or failures or

more reliable alternatives.

It’s as if everyone is whis-

tling their way down the

path and over the cliff

drinking the collective Kool

-Aid.

Examples of disastrous so-

cial media campaigns

abound and they are not

limited to cash-strapped

nonprofits. Take a look at

ThoughtPick’s list of the

top 10 social media cam-

paign failures. It’s littered

with big brand names from

Wal-Mart and GM to Skit-

tles and Starbucks -- huge

retailers that had the re-

sources for success and

should have known better.

Last year, Penn State Uni-

versity lost credibility with

students and ignited a social

media flameout when the

university jousted with stu-

dents and attempted to con-

trol critical comments on

Facebook after the univer-

sity refused to close the

campus for a snow day.

Students felt sufficiently

abused to set up an alterna-

tive Facebook account to

get their comments out and

thereby blowing up the inci-

dent exponentially.

The University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill

tightened Twitter rules after

athletes' activities brought

unwanted attention to their

athletic program.

Regardless of size or good

intentions, it’s easy to make

a social media mistake.

A focus on social media

places a disproportionate

emphasis on one component

of the marketing mix: pro-

motion. A 2011 survey of

members of the Council for

Advancement and Support

of Education found that 36

percent of higher education

institutions had six or more

full-time people assigned to

social media. Ten percent

had 20 or more.

This disproportionate em-

phasis leads practitioners to

minimize or even overlook

other components -- prod-

uct, price and place -- key

strategic considerations

which are likely to be more

important to ultimate suc-

cess than social media. Be-

fore engaging in a social

media campaign marketers

should make sure the prod-

uct is the best it can be, that

consumer sentiment has

helped shape it, that the

price is appropriate for the

marketplace and that we’ve

made purchasing as easy

and as convenient as possi-

ble. Each component in the

marketing mix comes with

a large body of work and

research that should be seri-

ously considered in any

strategic marketing plan.

Ironically, Drake Univer-

sity’s infamous D+ adver-

tising campaign, which re-

ceived national attention for

associating the institution

with a barely passing grade,

could have been avoided if

the university had first

tested it through social me-

dia.

Social media is one com-

munication tool within the

promotional component.

Other functions such as

advertising, public rela-

tions, personal selling and

sales promotion may com-

plement or be better alterna-

tives to social media. We

can’t increase bottom-line

performance by ignoring

other communication op-

tions.

Which brings me to some

decidedly unsexy comments

that you won’t hear from

convention headliners but

will be helpful if you are

considering a social media

campaign.

1. Social media is in its

embryonic stage. Internet

Explorer is distributing ver-

sion 12.0, but early versions

were barely functional and

didn’t resemble today’s

browser. Read, learn, ex-

periment as much as you

like but don’t place too

many chips on the social

media roulette wheel just

yet. A few years ago, head-

liners were urging clients to

build campaigns around

MySpace, which has tanked

as an alternative to Face-

book. The landscape is still

in flux; products are trendy

and largely untested.

2. Use a marketing plan to

T H E B R I E F C A S E

(See TWEETS, page 3)

TWEETS Continued from page 2 ...

P A G E 3 M A Y 2 0 1 1

keep focused. Write a brief

marketing plan before you start.

Nothing elaborate, maybe one

page. Identify the three key

goals you are trying to achieve.

Define the audience, your mes-

sage and communication vehi-

cles. Be critical. Ask yourself,

Are there other, more cost-

effective communication op-

tions that may more efficiently

reach your audience? Some-

times a blog/Facebook page/

SEO campaign is too slow/

expensive/reaches the wrong

demographic/sends the wrong

message. Strategize first, exe-

cute second.

3. Rely on marketing princi-

ples -- not trendy ideas. Mar-

keting principles are based on

70 years of research and practice.

They are based on understanding

consumer needs, wants and

emotions. Fear, happiness, sur-

vival, love, jealousy, hunger are

behavior motivators with a

longer shelf life than a pair of

Crocs. A good marketer will

prod and survey, question and

talk with the audience before

creating the message and select-

ing the communication vehicles.

We don’t select the vehicle first

(read: Twitter), then hope it

reaches the right audience.

4. A good convention head-

liner pushes limits and stimu-

lates creativity. But most

headliners are no more mar-

keting mavens than Page-

Maker users were graphic

designers. They were simply

first into the pool. A smart

swimmer watches others, con-

siders the depth, assesses his

skills and then decides when

and whether to get wet. Remem-

ber, convention headliners are

generally entertaining and up-

beat so anything that doesn’t

make the cut -- anything old

school -- is edited out.

5. Get the facts behind the

sizzle. Sure, putting an ad on a

current events blog may give

you street cred, but if you want

to reach the typically affluent

news junkie, for instance, try a

newspaper. Recent Pew-funded

research found that 95 percent

of original news content on the

Internet comes from legacy pro-

viders -- primarily newspapers.

Gossip, opinion, speculation

and hyperbole may attract read-

ers but perhaps not those seek-

ing authoritative, timely news.

One blogger on Adrants.com

recently wrote, ―Agencies right-

fully see social [media] as cen-

tral to the future of marketing

and work to develop in this

space as fast as they can.‖ Cen-

tral to the future of marketing?

That’s the type of overblown

hype we hear dispensed by

headliners and pseudo-

marketers. Sure, social media is

an attractive communication

vehicle but it’s just that – a ve-

hicle -- what about product,

price, strategy, distribution, re-

search and promotion? Should-

n’t we focus on these key com-

ponents before we select a com-

munication vehicle?

And certainly agencies are

working to develop the space as

fast as they can; it’s a money-

making opportunity. But don’t

confuse the pronouncements of

self-anointed, self-promoting

social media experts with the

need for a comprehensive mar-

keting plan that’s a little more

thoughtful and takes little longer

to plan and execute but has a

better chance of taking you

where you want to go.

Yearly dues for the North Texas Collegiate Consortium are due.

If you have not paid for this year, please do so. If you have any

questions please contact Ginger Williams, Treasurer. If there are

special circumstances she needs to be aware of or you have an

update in payment, please let her know as soon as possible.

Treasurer, Ginger Williams.

giwilliams@aii.edu

972.310.9231

Mail payments to:

Ginger Williams (NTCC Treasurer)

The Art Institute of Dallas

8080 Park Lane, Suite 100

Dallas, TX 75231

P A G E 4

What programs do you

offer? (Graduate, Under-

graduate, etc..)

Amberton offers degrees in

Undergraduate and Gradu-

ate programs in Business,

Human Relations and Busi-

ness, Project Mgt, Profes-

sional, School Counseling

and Christian Counseling.

And several Certifications

are offered.

What is something special

about your University/

College (what makes your

school unique)?

Amberton University is a

small private University

currently celebrating it’s

40th year anniversary. Am-

berton offers programs for

the working adult with

flexible schedules offered 1

night per week, weekends

and Saturdays, on the Gar-

land and Frisco Campus or

students have the options of

finishing many of our pro-

grams on-line.

How long have you been

with your University/

College?

5 years.

What is your title and

what do you do?

My title is Director for

Recruiting; I am responsible

for developing relationships

with the corporate entities

to support the university.

Representative

Glenn Sowells

E-Mail

Gsowells

@amberton.edu

Phone number

972-279-6511

Tell us a little about your-

self, outside of work:

(family, hobbies etc…)

I am married to Dr Tenolia

Sowells, Dr of Natural-

pathic medicine. I have 2

sons, Cory and Darren and

one granddaughter, Kayla.

Hobbies include, Bass gui-

tar playing, scuba diving

(when I get the chance),

and I love to travel to any

island I can find. I am very

active in my church leader-

ship and love spoiling the

grandkid ROTTEN!!

P A G E 5 M A Y 2 0 1 1

The latest and biggest

news in the NTCC was an-

nounced last Summer. Bethany

Winkenweder (Concordia Uni-

versity) and Kayla Kelly

(Tarleton State) were expecting.

No, not together and no— it was

not one big double date. One

thing was for sure, God had a

plan to bring two precious baby

girls into the world and into the

life of higher education moms.

Bethany and Kayla were due

just weeks apart and faced the

ups and downs of pregnancy

with each other (and husbands)

by their sides. Leah was the first

to make her grand entrance into

the world.

Leah Grace Winkenweder was

born February 23, 2011 at 6:39

p.m. She weighed 6 pounds 14

ounces and was 19 inches long.

Two weeks later, to be exact,

Mady made her grand entrance.

Madyson Shawn Kelly was born

on March 9, 2011. She weighed

7 pounds (even) and was 18

inches long.

Welcome, to our new (little)

members, Leah and

Mady!

P A G E 6

AUSTIN- On May

17, 2011, the House Com-

mittee approved a bill al-

lowing students and profes-

sors to carry a concealed

handgun in classrooms and

buildings on public college

campuses in Texas.

After 5 hours, House bill

750 was approved by the

House of Homeland Secu-

rity and Public Safety Com-

mittee by a 5-3 vote. Now

students and professors who

have a concealed handgun

license can carry a gun on

campus. The bill originally

added private universities

but was changed to only

public universities.

―It's strictly a matter of self-

defense," state Sen. Jeff

Wentworth, R-San Antonio

told Reuters. "I don't ever

want to see repeated on a

Texas college campus what

happened at Virginia Tech,

where some deranged, sui-

cidal madman goes into a

building and is able to pick

off totally defenseless kids

like sitting ducks."

Wentworth, the author of

the bill, believes this will

make college campuses

safer. However, others dis-

agree. Sen. Judith Raffirini

D.-Laredo and Chairwoman

of the Senate Committee for

Higher education, opposes

the bill. "I think there will

be increased violence and

unnecessary tragedies be-

cause of this bill," Zaffirini

told Reuters.

Zaffirini was a student at

the University of Texas

when sniper Charles Whit-

man killed 13 people and

wounded others in the Ad-

ministrative tower in 1966.

Chancellor of the Univer-

sity of Texas Francisco

Cigarroa, wrote a letter to

Governor Perry stating the

bill was not safe for college

campuses. However, Perry,

a gun enthusiast, stated that

he will sign the bill if it

reaches his desk.

Texas is the 2nd state, be-

hind Utah that allows con-

cealed handguns on cam-

pus.

According to the Monitor,

―More than 80 of 150 repre-

sentatives have already

signed on as co-authors of

HB 750, and the Senate is

expected to easily approve

it after passing a similar bill

in 2009.‖

By: Sheila Bishop

T H E B R I E F C A S E

P A G E 7 V O L U M E 1 , I S S U E 1

Grand Canyon

University New programs:

Masters of Science in Nursing

(MSN)-Health Informatics

Masters of Science in Nursing

(MSN)-Public Health

Walden University President Bill Clinton, founder

of the William J. Clinton Foun-

dation and 42nd president of the

United States, will be the key-

note speaker at Walden Univer-

sity’s commencement on July

30, 2011. Walden plans to con-

fer President Clinton with an

honorary doctorate in recogni-

tion of his commitment to civic

engagement, youth leadership

and education.

President Clinton also serves as

honorary chancellor of Laure-

ate International Universities,

the global network of leading

private universities that in-

cludes Walden. As honorary

chancellor, he advises the net-

work in areas such as social

responsibility, youth leadership

and increasing access to higher

education.

Let us know what is happening at your school. Email any information to: sbishop@tarleton.edu

Ashford University New programs:

BA in Applied Linguistics

BA Cognitive Studies (Under

Education)

BA in Real Estate Studies

BA in Cultural Anthropology

BA in Library Science and Me-

dia

BA in Adult Development

BA in Complementary and Al-

ternative Health

BA in Heath Education

BA in Gerontology

BA in Health Informatics

BA in Health Marketing and

Communication

All programs are offered 100%

online and may include minors

and concentrations for more

education diversity.

Dallas Baptist University Dallas Baptist University has

announced two major initiatives

that target adults who want to

improve their employment and

advancement opportunities by

earning undergraduate or gradu-

ate‐level degrees. First,

DBU is renaming its College of

Adult Education (established in

1974, now the longest‐running

bachelor’s degree

completion program of its kind

in the state of Texas) to the

College of Professional Studies.

Second, DBU will be

relocating its DBU North re-

gional academic center from

Frisco to Plano. DBU North

will move to 2805 North Dallas

Parkway, Suite 450 ‐ Plano, TX

75093 during the week of May

23, 2011 and will offer classes

there beginning May 31st

in time for the summer 2011

semester.

University of Texas at

Arlington Beginning Fall 2011, UT Ar-

lington’s College of Education

and Health Professions will

offer an MBE (Master in Mind,

Brain Education

Business Name

The North Texas Collegiate Consortium, estab-

lished in 1993, is an association of recruiters from

North Texas Colleges and Universities. The mem-

bers of the Consortium assist employers in their

efforts to encourage an educated workforce by

coordinating their education fair needs with all

members of the Consortium. This means that the

employer simply provides the facilities and adver-

tises the event with their employees. The Consor-

tium eliminates the need for hundreds of e-mails,

phone calls, and coordination with all of our uni-

versities and colleges.

The North Texas Collegiate Consortium recog-

nizes that an educated employee is our most valu-

able resource. Therefore, the Consortium, work-

ing together in collaboration with business, indus-

try, and other community organizations, seeks to

offer their service to encourage, promote, and pro-

vide continued education options for adults.

This service is offered by members of the

North Texas Collegiate Consortium to serve

business, industry, and community organiza-

tions while promoting associate, bachelor,

graduate, and doctoral level study.

The Briefcase, a North Texas Collegiate Consortium publication, is produced by the Newsletter Committee

Editors: Bethany Winkenweder, Concordia University Texas

Sheila Bishop, Tarleton State University