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Part 1: Assessment and Planning – Thursday, June 25

Part 2: Key Audiences and Messages – Thursday, July 9

Part 3: Executing and Optimizing Your Plan – Tuesday, July 21

Webinar SeriesBuilding Your Fall 2020 COVID Communications Plan

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AGENDAContext

The messaging timeline

How to choose the right communication channel

Best Practices to optimize the messages

Q&A

Context: The COVID JourneyInstitutions and students continue to face unprecedented challenge after unprecedented challenge

Transfer to Remote Learning

Shifting Guidelines

and Dynamics

Build Contingent Fall Plans

Campus Closures

Execute on Fall Plans

On-Campus

Window of Opportunity Virtual

Hybrid

Students

Institutions

Adjust to Remote Learning

Make Grading

Decisions

Re-visit Summer

Plans

Move Home

Evaluate Fall

Plans

Stay the Course

Evaluating Options for Fall

Transfer

Gap Year

Most students and institutions want the same thing – to be back on campus – but often for different reasons

Students Institutions

More control over student experience

Better infrastructure

Necessary for financial viability

Context: Goals and Motivations

On-campus instructional experience

On-campus social/extracurricular experience

Don’t want to be at home

Student behavior is the biggest wildcardAchieving Balance for Safe Return to Campus

Can (and will) students…

- Follow institutional guidelines?- Forego the social nature of college?

Can institutions…

- Create guardrails and backstops to keep everyone in line?

CONTEXT

To Recap

Communications Basics, Elevated

Data

Content and Messaging

Execution

Feedback and Analysis Segmentation

Student

Financial Aid

Registrar

Student Life

Financial Aid

Advising

Financial Aid

Athletics

Financial Aid

Parking

Student Accounts

Departmental Approach to Sending

Results in conflicting messages: Advisor: You are cleared to Register

Registrar: Your registration date is Monday

Financial Aid: You haven’t signed your loan document ad I have placed a hold on your account

Student Accounts: You have an outstanding balance

Results in confusing messages: Advisor: You need to review your grade type

Registrar: Your add/drop dates have been revised

Financial Aid: You might be eligible for a new COVID grant

Student Accounts: There is a new COVID payment plan

Stu

dent

D

esire

d A

ctiv

ity Step 2(Office B)

Step 1 (Office A)

Step 3(Office C)

Step 4(Office D)

Generate a compelling, specific, action-oriented message from a

trusted sender (in Office X)

Coordinated Approach to Sending

Results in a Student Centered message from a Trusted Source:Petra, You are eligible for a COVID grant that may impact your course registration decisions. Add/drop ends on [date] so Set up an appointment ASAP and we can determine your payment plan options.

Messaging Timeline

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I’ll get to it when I get to it; it’s a month away

Why aren’t they getting this done so they can get the next thing done?

When and why things need to be done matters differently to the student and the staff

Messaging Timelines Differ

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Task BreakdownDifferentiate between tasks and outcomes

What specifically has to be

done?

Desired Outcome

What is the motivation for doing

it? (carrots and sticks)

When does it

HAVE to be done?

How long does it take to

do?

Does the student have what they

need to complete the task?

What does the data show?

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Task BreakdownBuild communications around key tasks for each segment

Resolve outstanding

account balance

Registration

Select grading

preferences

Complete COVID forms

Determine alternative cadence of

courses

Attain Advisor

Clearance

Confirm access to

key resources

Review Degree Audit

The Bottom Line

Effective communication > Over

communication

Choosing the Right Channel

Download this chart at https://www.signalvine.com/covid-19/tool-choosing-the-right-communication-channel

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Messaging Infrastructure: Know your desired outcome, use your channel, iterate

Scenario Planning•4 Possible Fall options•based on JHU epidemiology

•cognizant of institutional realtity

Timeline•Amount of Time needed to incorporate ideas/policy/planning

•Taking action on plan•Cadence of updating the plan

Communication Plan•Who is communicating•What•With which students•Why•When•On which Channels: Website, email, general/emergency text, personalized texing

Maximizing Messaging•Identifying the highest value person to initiate

•Clarity on desired behavior and value of action

•Personalized to each student

•Cadence of outreach•Modifying messaging based on student response or student behaviors

XX

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Back to Communications BasicsClarify the call to action

Pick the right sender

Choose the appropriate channel

Establish a cadence that escalates as deadlines approach

Acknowledge completed actions and remove students from continued outreach

Track the data

Leverage polling functionality

Continue to iterate and test new messaging protocols

Share highest performing messages across the institution

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Topics broken down by where students are in their academic journeys

Breaks down what you want to know vs. what your students want to know

Editable PDF available: https://www.signalvine.com/covid-19/tool-sample-communication-timeline-for-fall-2020

Sample Communication Timeline

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10 Tips to Optimize Messages to Students

Read the full blog: https://www.signalvine.com/covid-19/10-tips-to-optimize-messages-to-students

10 tips to optimize messages to students to create proactive, caring, directional messages

Expert consultations on COVID messaging -- sign up with your Account Manager

COVID Communications Toolkit: Planning for Fall

The Vine (Current Signal Vine Customers)

See a demo!

contact@signalvine.com

Q&A and Additional Resources