Communications contains a continuum of disciplines
To deliver strategic communications, we work as chief strategists and managers for your communications. To do this, we rely on expertise from many disciplines — from internal to external communications and a wide-variety of professional specialists.
Some of these disciplines are represented within the VPFO communications team, some are dedicated teams who serve the entire university, and some are external consultants for specialized situations:
A bit more detail on each discipline at UBC
- Change communications: Helps individuals find themselves in change. The Change Management Community of Practice at UBC is led by UBC HR Organizational Change & Transition while we, along with HR and the VPFO Project Management Office (VPFO PMO), support change in the VPFO portfolio. The leaders of VPFO Communications & Engagement are certified in the ADKAR model of change through PROSCI.
- Employee engagement: Consults or partners with staff to lead the university. UBC’s employee engagement framework comes from Human Resources’ Focus on People Strategy. The leaders of VPFO Communications & Engagement are certified in the Fundamentals of Engagement though the IAP2.
- Employee communications: Speaks with UBC’s faculty & staff. The framework is led by UBC Internal Communications, while we lead internal communications within the VPFO portfolio.
- Corporate identity: The look and feel for UBC is led by the UBC Brand and Marketing team while we predominantly execute and support it in the VPFO portfolio.
- Brand & marketing: Works with all stakeholders to mold and direct opinion to yield positive outcomes for the university. Research from UBC Brand & Marketing is central to developing and understanding our university’s positioning.
- Crisis communications: Helps the university move through our response to significant unexpected events. This is a multidisciplinary response that will involve people from all parts of the university.
- Issues management: Helps the university manage reputational and operational risks from one-time events. The issues management response is typically led out of UBC Media Relations while we support issues management within the VPFO portfolio.
- Stakeholder engagement: Consult or partners with key audiences of the university. UBC’s engagement framework comes from Campus & Community Planning while we lead engagement within the portfolio. The leaders of VPFO Communications & Engagement are certified in the Fundamentals of Engagement though the IAP2.
- Media relations: Works with the media to help bring the UBC story the general public. Media relations is led by UBC Media Relations with our support for VPFO-specific stories or presenting financial or operational data.
- Investor/donor relations: Work with key financial contributors to the university. This led by UBC Development & Alumni Engagement while we support with the presentation of financial or operational data.
- Government relations: Builds strong partnerships with all levels of government. This is led by UBC Government Relations while we support with the presentation of financial or operational data.