Florida State University’s Office of University Communications garnered two national awards and the FSU Foundation claimed another in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s (CASE) Circle of Excellence Awards competition.
The Circle of Excellence awards showcase outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing. The awards are open to professionals working at member colleges, universities, independent schools and their affiliated nonprofits around the world.
“Our communications and advancement teams have played an integral role in raising the profile of the university,” said President John Thrasher. “They are truly deserving of these awards recognizing their exceptional work.”
University Communications won a Bronze award in the category of Advocacy/Issue Campaigns. “FSU Soars to 18th Ranking” was an effort to elevate the academic preeminence of the university, perhaps known more widely for its athletics prowess. University Communications’ message: FSU is rising higher and faster than any other university in the U.S. News & World Report Top 50.
Judges said that University Communications did an “excellent job on amplifying the university’s message. Changing a long-entrenched reputation and changing people’s minds is no mean feat.”
University Communications also won a Bronze award for the second consecutive year in the category of Digital Communications: Social Media – Student Life. The project, “Nole Talk News: A News Series Powered by Students,” is a 60-second news show hosted and produced by student interns with the goal of conveying official Florida State University news to a student audience.
Judges liked the idea of a bite-sized news program produced by and for students on a regular basis. They added, “the one-minute length is perfect to get the information to the viewer without boring them.”
The FSU Foundation won a Silver medal in the category of Individual Fundraising Publications for its Fall Direct Mail Appeal, which encouraged donors to support students who spend their summers on various experiential learning initiatives. The mailer highlighted how students are impacting the greater good while gaining valuable skills they will use in their future careers.
The judges said, “This mail piece felt simultaneously contemporary and vintage, making the design highly appealing to a broad audience. The stories, woven with student quotes, detailed their unique experiences while drawing a direct line to the impact donors had on their work.”