Communication Champions Program

This foundational class introduces you to what makes Radford University’s brand distinct – our voice, our values and our place in the higher education landscape. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the brand’s building blocks and your role in representing it. 

• Introduction to the university's brand elements, values and positioning
• Overview of your institution's unique value proposition and target audiences
• Key messaging frameworks and how they align with university goals 

Learn the fundamentals of Radford University's visual identity, including logo usage, colors, typography, imagery, accessibility and brand consistency. The session also covers the use of licensed marks, submitting projects for brand review through branding@radford.edu, and navigating approval requirements for branded purchases and promotional items in eVA. 

• Essential visual identity components (logo usage, color palette, typography, imagery)
• Dos and dont's of visual applications across different media
• Accessibility considerations in university communications
• Resources for obtaining approved brand assets
• Licensed marks and how to submit for review and approval for promotional items 

Learn how to collaborate effectively with Marcom, navigate project timelines and expectations, submit requests through Lytho and access the tools and assets needed to keep communications on brand and on track. 

This class gives you a practical, step-by-step orientation, so you can start using it with confidence right away. 

• Introduction to the Lytho platform and its role in brand consistency
• Step-by-step process for submitting marketing requests
• Accessing and utilizing the digital asset library
• Tips for efficient review and approval workflows
• Demonstration: Submitting a sample request from start to finish 

Learn how the university’s website and social media ecosystem works, including governance, content best practices and brand standards. Understand how to request website updates and create effective digital content across web and social channels.  

This class gives you a practical, step-by-step introduction to creating and managing effective digital communications, so you can confidently use web and social media to reach your audiences. 

• Overview of Radford University’s website and social media ecosystem
• Understanding digital communications governance and roles
• Website content best practices and processes for requesting updates
• Social media best practices for creating effective, engaging content
• Applying university brand standards across web and social channels 

• Effective brand communication starts with the right words. This class teaches you how to write – and think – in Radford’s distinctive voice, whether you’re drafting an email, a social post, or a departmental flyer.
• Guidelines for writing in the university's distinctive voice
• Adapting tone for different audiences while maintaining brand consistency
• Practical examples of effective vs. off-brand content
• Quick-reference tools and templates for common writing scenarios
• Hands-on practice: Transforming generic content into on-brand messaging 

Apply branding and communication principles to plan coordinated campaigns for unit initiatives. Learn how to measure success through analytics, identify meaningful outcomes and use insights to strengthen your unit’s future communication efforts. 

• Aligning departmental initiatives with university-wide marketing strategy
• Measuring communications impact and effectiveness
• Case studies of successful communications implementations across campus
• Collaborative problem-solving for brand challenges 

Great photos and videos don’t happen by accident. This class teaches you how to capture imagery that feels authentically Radford – whether you’re shooting on a smartphone or working with a professional camera – and how to use those assets within brand guidelines. 

• Brand standards for photography: composition, lighting and subject matter
• What makes an image “on brand” vs. generic or off tone
• Smartphone photography and video tips for campus content creators
• Guidelines for selecting and licensing third-party photography
• How to submit/upload and tag visual assets in the PhotoShelter digital asset library
• Video basics: length, format, captioning and accessibility requirements
• Learn how to find photos in the PhotoShelter galleries. 

You don’t have to be a designer to produce polished, on-brand materials. This class walks you through Radford’s library of self-serve templates – covering everything from flyers and event programs to digital screens and PowerPoint templates – so you can create what you need quickly and confidently. 

• Overview of available self-serve templates by category and use case
• Step-by-step walkthrough: Customizing a template in Adobe Express
• What can and cannot be changed within a template (and why)
• Requesting new templates or modifications through Marcom
• Exporting and sharing your finished files in approved formats
• Tips for maintaining consistency when using templates across your team 

Social media is one of the most visible expressions of our brand. This class gives you the knowledge to create, share, and amplify content across platforms in a way that’s consistent, compliant, and compelling – whether you manage an official university account or simply want to be a thoughtful brand advocate. 

• Radford’s social media brand standards: voice, tone and visual identity in the feed
• Platform-specific guidelines for Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn
• How to get your departmental social account officially recognized by Marcom
• Content planning basics: what to post, how often and how to build a calendar
• Community management: responding to comments, mentions, and messages
• Accessibility on social media: captions, alt text and inclusive design
• What to do (and not do) when a sensitive situation arises online 

For Emma-approved users, this course covers email writing, newsletters, Emma best practices, compliance and performance metrics. 

This class covers how to craft email communications – from department newsletters to event announcements – that are visually consistent, accessible, and aligned with Radford’s brand voice. 

• Using Emma – the university’s brand platform, best practices, how to create groups, etc.
• All about newsletters – best practices
• Writing subject lines and content that reflect the brand voice
• Accessibility and compliance considerations
• Reviewing email metrics in Emma: what to track and how to improve 

A refresher course for approved CMS editors covering governance, standards and publishing best practices. 

Maintaining a consistent, accurate and user-friendly web presence is an important part of representing the Radford brand online. This refresher course is designed for approved CMS editors and provides updated guidance on web governance, accessibility, content standards and publishing best practices to ensure university webpages remain effective, compliant and aligned with institutional priorities. 

• Reviewing university web governance policies and editor responsibilities
• Refreshing best practices for web writing, formatting, and user experience
• Accessibility requirements and common compliance issues to avoid
• Maintaining brand consistency across webpages and digital content
• Tips for organizing, updating and retiring outdated content
• Understanding approval workflows and when to partner with Marcom or IT 
• Common CMS editing mistakes and how to correct them effectively 

Media interviews are an opportunity to share Radford’s expertise, achievements and impact with the public. This specialty course prepares university leaders and faculty to engage confidently and effectively with the media by developing clear messaging, understanding interview dynamics and learning best practices for representing the university in public-facing communications. 

• Understanding the role of a university spokesperson and when to engage with media
• Preparing key messages and talking points before an interview
• Techniques for delivering clear, concise and confident responses
• Navigating difficult questions and staying on message during interviews
• Best practices for television, radio, print, podcast and virtual interviews
• Coordinating with Marcom before and after media opportunities
• Media interview simulations and real-world practice scenarios
• Tips for maintaining professionalism and representing the Radford brand effectively in public conversations 

Please remember: If you receive a direct request from a reporter for an interview, you must contact Justin Ward as soon as possible so he can prepare in advance to work with you and the reporter on the opportunity.