COVID-19 shook up everything in 2020, and higher education communications is no exception. With so many unknowns at the onset of the pandemic, parents were included in direct messaging in an effort to be transparent and to ensure information relevant to their student’s health and safety was being delivered. However, in centering parents, colleges and universities have inadvertently shunted students off to the side. And now as we see a glimmer of hope for some return to normalcy as the vaccine rollout ramps up, parents have continued to push for constant contact. But a return to normalcy means we need to redirect our communications efforts to our key audience: students.
In a piece for University Business, Erin and Teresa explore the pandemic-driven communication shift and urge institutions to reassess whether they can–or should–continue to keep parents as a primary audience.
Let us know what you think of the piece. Send us an email, or connect on Twitter or LinkedIn to share how your comms team has navigated the uptick in parent contact or tips on how you are reprioritizing students in your information sharing.
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