Missouri State enters the age of new media

Starting next month, the university will launch an operational reorganization plan designed to beef up digital media offerings and Web-based marketing. The plan was developed by the New Media Task Force, a group of seven staff and faculty members appointed by MSU President Michael Nietzel earlier this year.

“Dr. Nietzel’s had an interest in moving us more toward new media for a while,” said Paul Kincaid, assistant to the president for university relations. “We’re ahead in lots of areas on campus, but all of us generally recognized we were not where we needed to be with the use of new media.”

Kincaid said the MSU Web site, www.missouristate.edu, already has more than 100,000 pages, but the school’s Web presence is largely devoid of new media.

“It’s not a lack of information. … We have most of the information anybody would want on the Web,” he said. “It’s really trying to mature the site (with) the streaming and the podcasts and the video interviews and moving in that direction more assertively.”

Nietzel charged the task force with evaluating the university’s expertise in new media formats, such as podcasting, video streaming, social networking and blogging, as well as recommending and prioritizing their future implementation. He also asked the panel to identify staffing and funding needs associated with the recommendations.

The task force recently submitted its report to Nietzel, who announced last month that the school’s Office of University Relations – led by Kincaid – would be reorganized to include the Office of Web and New Media, Office of Sports Information and a full-time university marketing specialist.

Sara Clark, who co-chaired the task force, will head up the Office of Web and New Media.

Clark said MSU has initially targeted three areas for new media enhancements: recruitment, alumni and athletics. The initial phase of projects will entail a “mini Web site” tailored to student recruitment, a Web site for the MSU Foundation’s upcoming capital campaign and live streaming of university sporting events, Clark said.

Another dimension of the new media initiative seeks to provide additional resources for members of the press who cover the university and its athletic programs. Clark said audio and/or video clips will accompany more MSU news releases in coming months.

All of these new media upgrades – and the employees needed to coordinate them – come with a cost. MSU is investing $87,000 in the necessary hardware and software as well as hiring a new media producer at an annual salary of $40,000 to $45,000 and Web site designer at an annual salary of about $40,000, Clark said.

On the athletics front, the Office of Sports Information has its sights set on streaming video, which will begin this fall with football and basketball games. Rick Kindhart, who becomes the university’s new sports information director July 1, said he’s excited about the opportunity to reach Bears fans in a new way.

“Hopefully the fall season will go off without a hitch,” said Kindhart, an MSU alum who has been with the Missouri State High School Activities Association in Columbia for the last 11 years. “I think people will be pleased with the outcome when things are under way.”

Kindhart is replacing longtime Sports Information Director Mark Stillwell, who will work on special projects in Intercollegiate Athletics through the end of the year. MSU also is hiring a sports information director of technology, who will be responsible for new media features tied to athletics at an annual salary of about $36,000. Kindhart said scoreboard interfaces and live game stats are in the works.

The task force also recommended that MSU promote part-time Bears radio announcer Art Hains to full-time marketing specialist to assist with a variety of campuswide initiatives, many of which will be encompass new media.

MSU’s New MediaTask Force

• Sara Clark, director of Web Services*

• Julie Ebersold, director of Alumni Relations

• Don Hendricks, director of University Communications*

• Rob Hornberger, coordinator of Web and data support for Enrollment Services

• Padraic McMeel, director of Athletics development

• Cindy Pemberton, acting associate provost for student success

• Carey Adams, dean of the College of Arts and Letters (ad hoc)

• Tammy Wiley, assistant director of broadcast services

*Co-chairs

New positions

MSU is hiring for several positions related to its new media initiative. Among them are:

• sports information director of technology at about $36,000/year;

• new media producer at $40,000 to $45,000/year; and

• Web site designer at about $40,000/year.

Source: Missouri State University[[In-content Ad]]