At its core, Eastern Kentucky University is about people, and a partnership nearly one year in the making highlights that value.
EKU Voices (www.alumni.eku.edu/voices) is a new feature of the Alumni and Donor Engagement website that highlights stories about people at EKU.
“Thanks to a strong relationship between the University Diversity Office, the Division of Alumni and Donor Engagement, as well as the academic program in public relations, this new focal point of the campus was created,” states the EKU Voices site, which went live April 15. “EKU Voices provides a place of expression to help showcase the diverse alumni, students, faculty and staff that make up our Colonel Family.
“Each week a new story will be featured, shining a spotlight on the unique experiences of a fellow Colonel,” according to the site. “You will learn more about faculty members who seek to impart knowledge and wisdom onto our students, staff members who live to advocate and serve the mission of the university, and alumni who represent Eastern throughout their lives and are passionate about giving back to their alma mater.”
The stories were written by students in Dr. Pam Parry’s PUB 380 Public Relations Writing and COM 420 Mass Communication Research classes as part of their course work. Parry said that her students write as part of the curriculum and, as they produce real-world stories, it enhances their education and their professional portfolios.
“A win-win,” she said.
Sherwood Thompson, interim chief diversity officer, said EKU Voices “provides great value to the EKU campus community (and) is a recognition of the unique individualism on the EKU campus. Reading the accounts of individuals highlighted on EKU Voices is living proof of how exceptional EKU is as a university.”
EKU Voices “is about our greatest asset, EKU people,” added Steve Greenwell, senior director for engagement and communication with the Division of Alumni and Donor Engagement. “It’s an opportunity to provide a voice to these individuals, each with a story different than the next. It’s one of the best projects I’ve been involved with in my 13 years at EKU.”