Media United

This meeting we were joined by Beth Koemans, MCDM’s Program Manager and Community Architect to discuss the programs interest in an alumni group, and how best to structure a relationship between the two.

Identified opportunities:

• A survey of alumni can be structured so as to gather more useful information on current status and interest in ongoing MCDM involvement
• MCDM can have better email communication segmentation, targeting messages based on alumni status/cohort number/or other individual information
• The alumni group could be given access to the alumni mailing list and ask everyone to join the existing LinkedIn group
• We could look into using LinkedIn’s API to pull info to the MCDM site, so alums and students don’t have to maintain profiles in yet another location
• Flip the Media could be a venue for alums
• Flip the Media could run alum profiles
• Rebrand Media United as “MCDM Pro,” and align it with the new MCDM site branding.

Assigned tasks:

• Begin structuring survey questions and methodology, potentially using Flip the Media as a means of gathering input (Harry)
• Coordinate with Beth to post events and other information in one place (Amy Rainey)
• Identify two people in each cohort that fill the social connector role (Beth). Craft a plan for asking these connectors to coordinate cohort social events, maintaining ties that can roll up to the MCDM level (Peter and Brook).
• Schedule another MU meeting (Brook and Harry).
• Amy Rolph raised the idea of MCDM alum profiles for Flip the Media. Brook will present this at the next FtM editorial meeting and follow up with Amy

Unassigned tasks:

• Use Media United to generate a specific task list to help alums (example “two workshops with Angie Lindsey a year…”)

Summary of major points of discussion:

• How many alums are there currently? 
  • Roughly 700
  • Estimate that number will be increasing by 50 every year at current enrollment levels
• What can a fledgling alumni group do to help the school? 
  • Everything that everyone, students, alumni, faculty, staff can do to get the word out about MCDM increases the health of the program and the value of the degree.
• How can MCDM keep alums informed as classes and information evolve? 
  • It’s really a communications platform issue
  • MCDM can have better email communication segmentation, targeting messages based on alumni status/cohort number/or other individual information
• When efforts have been made to include alums in workshops and events, turnout has been low to non-existent. Why have alums not responded or stayed more involved with MDCDM? 
  • Four Peaks has had good alum volunteer support
  • Despite email targeted at alums, it appears none attended Seattle Arts and Lectures event
• Why isn’t there a place to track what students do after graduation? 
  • LinkedIn has a lot of that information, but there isn’t a consistent name for MCDM, so it’s hard to identify everyone with a LinkedIn profile who’s been through the program.
  • The MCDM site has student and alumni profiles, but it’s not clear how to maintain them, and it’s yet another profile location that is hard to remember to keep up to date.
  • We could look into using LinkedIn’s API to pull info to the MCDM site
• What is going on with rebranding MCDM web properties? 
  • It’s been recognized that the MCDM site, Flip the Media, Media Space, Four Peaks, etc. are disjointed experiences with competing branding
  • If Media United turns out to be primarily an MCDM alumni group, then it is adding to the brand proliferation problem
• How can students be promoted so they benefit from the visibility of the program? 
  • There may be a meeting in June where students can present work to other MCDMers and the Advisory Board
  • Not all student work lends itself to the sort of presentation being discussed for the June event
  • MCDM receives a lot of specific job opportunities that might be good for a subset of alums/students, but it’s not clear how to identify those students and share the information
  • The hiring of Associate Directors has been part of trying to focus on what’s better for students
  • Every aspect of the public work is for the program
  • There is interest in getting more alum/student access to Four Peaks speakers
  • Alums/students in attendence agree that it would be good to have a better mechanism for connecting employers to MCDMers
  • Possibly more focus on capstones, but are there enough resources to support capstones?
  • There are students that are passionate about certain topics, and they could benefit from more exposure
  • One problem is people need what they need when they need it, not when it fits the program’s timetable
  • Have smaller scale networking events. It’s hard to network with 300 people. Encourage cohort social/networking events

Attendees:

• Beth Koemans
• Brook Ellingwood
• Harry Hayward
• Amy Rainey
• John Stang
• Amy Rolph
• Terry Short
• Peter Luyckx
• Corey Christianson (Skype)
• Brain Johnson (Skype)