Goal 4: Objective 4.5 | Penn State College of Health and Human Development

Goal 4: Improving college operations and resources

Objective 4.5: Re-organize and re-balance resources needed to support the strategic communication needs of the college and its components.

Action Item 4.5.1

Increase staffing to support strategic communications at HHD.

Implementation Tasks

Hire two additional central communications specialists
Explore a model where staff based in HHD Communication are assigned to academic and (as needed) other central units
Assess model and determine best approach for developing further capacity

Responsible Party: Dean’s Office and HHD Communications

Metrics: Staff hired; staffing model assessed.

Start and end date: Fall 2021 (hiring); Fall 2021- Fall 2022 (model assessment); Fall 2022 (plan moving forward)

Action Item 4.5.2

Determine independent vs. shared responsibility between HHD Communications and other central and academic units around highest-priority communication functions.

Implementation Tasks

Working from the initial schema developed by HHD Communications in 2020 and the experience gained after hiring additional communications specialists, develop procedures for producing highest-priority communications products and integrate into procedures archives described in earlier objective.
Pilot procedures.
Adjust and finalize

Start and end dates: Fall 2022 (develop and pilot procedures); Spring 2022 (finalize)

Responsible Party: HHD Communications

Metrics: Procedures developed with clear designation of responsibility that allow for the consistent and effective development of highest priority communications products.

Action Item 4.5.3

Improve the college website and assure content is current.

Implementation Tasks

Continue to disseminate features and functionality from college home page to unit pages
Fold academic and central unit webpage management/updating into the procedures to be developed under the preceding action item.

Responsible Party: HHD Communications

Metrics: Web features and functionality consistent for all pages with updated content, regularly revised.

Start and end dates: Spring 2021 – Spring 2022 (features and functionality); Fall 2022 (procedures)

Key Performance Indicators

Increased quality of communication to multiple audiences with better awareness and coordination between the college and the academic and central units.