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Brand Personality in Higher Education: Anthropomorphized University Marketing Communications
Higher Education Sector, Strategic Brand Management
This paper was in response to a call for exploratory research into the marketing communications of higher education institutions. The universities prospectuses were analysed through a brand personality lens. The initial research objectives and data collection and analysis was carried out by myself and Fiona Lettice, and John Nadeau was invited as a co-author to help interpret the findings.
Rutter, R. Lettice, F & Nadeau J (2016) Brand Personality in Higher Education: Anthropomorphized University Marketing Communications. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education. Download PDF
Introduction – When considering a differentiated marketing strategy, an organisation is encouraged to find and promote its USP (unique selling point). As universities fight to engage the interest of prospective students amid increasingly heavy competition, they are faced with the task of making their 'product' different while essentially offering the same degrees and courses as their competitors. This has led to universities employing a range of tactics to uniquely position themselves in order to attract students. While Higher Education Institution (HEI) league tables or campus location can be used by students to narrow their choices, they are increasingly likely to differentiate on brand, such as the brand personality projected by individual universities. This has led to increased use of brand management techniques borrowed from the corporate sector being used to differentiate institutions.
HEI brand characteristics – To determine what differentiation exists between the top ten universities in the United Kingdom, a process wherein distinct characteristics are ascribed to certain words was utilised, allowing frequency of reference to brand personality dimensions in HEIs' texts to be analysed. The perception of an institution as having a personality or behavioural characteristics effectively anthropomorphises it, legitimising its description in terms usually reserved for people. Following the model proposed by Aaker, five core personality dimensions were considered: competence, excitement, ruggedness, sincerity and sophistication, allowing each university's brand image to be expressed as one or a combination of these dimensions. Some examples of the words relating to each characteristic are shown in Table 1.
Brand Dimensions Synonyms
Competence outstanding, staunch, thorough
Excitement fresh, inventive, young
Ruggedness challenge, difficult, unrestrained
Sincerity compassion, decent, modest
Sophistication charismatic, graceful, magnificent
Table 1: Example of synonyms related to each brand personality dimension
Through measurement of the frequency of occurrence of the brand personality dimensions and a range of similarly assigned words (synonyms) within those pages of the HEIs' prospectuses, the respective positions of each HEI were plotted diagrammatically, shown in the Figure 1 below.
Figure 1: the positions of the top 10 HEIs
Differentiating the HEIs – By their positions in relation to the axes, juxtapositions were observed between excitement and sophistication and between competence and ruggedness, meaning that for all ten universities excitement can be seen to diminish as sophistication increases and similarly competence overpowers ruggedness. Sincerity, however, is an underlying characteristic for the entire sample and, therefore, of no use as a tool to distinguish one from another. The HEIs fell into three categories defined by their most prominent brand personality dimension within the graph:
Sophistication and Ruggedness: Imperial College London and Cambridge, while both possessing strong brand personalities, differed inasmuch as Imperial communicated a high level of sophistication, with a strong specialization in engineering enabling it to establish links with commerce, and Cambridge, in describing its courses in terms of being demanding or challenging, had many more markers for ruggedness.
Competence and Excitement: Manchester, Warwick, York and University College London, were the four most closely identified as possessing competence, having all used similar 'competence' words, such as describing themselves as being 'at the forefront'. To a lesser degree, these four were similar to both Oxford and Essex, although these were more strongly perceived as possessing an air of excitement, both having literally described themselves as 'exciting' in their promotional literature, as well as using a range of 'excitement' words.
Sincerity: The London School of Economics (LSE) and Edinburgh held a more central, and therefore neutral, position and were very strongly associated with sincerity, a characteristic taking a secondary position in the brand personalities of the other eight universities, with Edinburgh describing their staff as 'down-to-earth' and LSE insisting the learning experience would prove 'beneficial'. Both HEIs stressed the friendliness of their establishments.
Conclusions – The findings of this study have ramifications for future efforts to project brand personalities in the higher education sector, having demonstrated the effectiveness of word use and selection by HEIs as a powerful tool of differentiation. Between the message inherent in university-specific literature, emphasis of particular aspects of the curriculum and extra-curricular strengths and a clear understanding of how the features of the location appeal to the key demographic, any university can project a strong enough brand personality to constitute a unique selling point.
Social Media Interaction, the University Brand and Recruitment Performance
July 7, 2016 January 8, 2022
Digital Brand Management, Higher Education Sector, Social Media Management
This paper was in response to a call for research to explore brand identity, meaning, image, and reputation (BIMIR) in higher education in the Journal of Business Research. The paper was written in collaboration with Stuart Roper and Fiona Lettice. The study set out to determine whether use of social media platforms would raise the value of universities' brands by increasing demand for places. If social media use were found to improve brand performance, the study would then determine which aspects of social media would be of the greatest value.
Rutter, R., Roper, S. and Lettice, F., 2016. Social media interaction, the university brand and recruitment performance. Journal of Business Research, 69(8), pp.3096-3104. Download PDF
At @UnionUEA there's something for everyone. Find out more about studying at UEA here: https://t.co/0SUZDd1PpVhttps://t.co/lpZZm8UNZR
— UEA (@uniofeastanglia) May 20, 2016
Figure 1: Example of a Tweet aimed at prospective students by the University of East Anglia (UEA)
Introduction – While many effective methods exist for enhancing brand image, use of social media is increasingly becoming the most common across all sectors, as it allows almost universal access. Although considered controversial in some quarters, Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) have begun communicating in the tone of the marketplace in order to attract students, their de facto customer base, amid inbuilt inequities in both material assets and reputation. Universities with a well-established history of excellence, such as those in the Russell Group, have a significant advantage over newer HEIs or those which are smaller or have restricted access to funding, but the relatively low cost-to-engagement ratio of social media enables all HEIs to embrace it. The research question being: can institutions with lower reputational capital compete for students by increasing their brand presence?
The hypotheses – four possibilities were considered:
The level of HEI initiated social media activity on Twitter and Facebook positively and significantly relates to student recruitment performance – the first hypothesis would be shown to be correct if a clear connection could be demonstrated between those institutions which initiated a greater amount of social media activity and those which experienced an increase in student recruitment.
'The level of HEI social media validation on Twitter and Facebook positively and significantly relates to student recruitment performance – for the second hypothesis, the connection would need to be made between success in recruitment and numbers of followers on Twitter or likes for HEIs' Facebook pages and posts.
The type of tweets, direct user interaction and website links will significantly moderate the relationship between social media followers and student recruitment performance – placing intrinsic value on type rather than amount of engagements, could be shown to be correct through analysis of whether potential students were finding answers to questions, using links supplied via social media and demonstrating satisfaction with their interactions.
The level of social media use, direct user interactions, website links on Twitter and Facebook Talking About will be significantly different between Russell Group and non-Russell Group HEIs – a difference would have to be shown between the numbers of tweets and/or Facebook Talking About (FTA) relating to those HEIs in the Russell Group when compared to the non-Russell Group, as well as numbers of weblinks and levels of user engagement.
Methodology – Data in the form of Facebook likes, FTA and Twitter followers was manually collected and the Twitter archive of each of the 56 HEIs in the study was harvested using web scraping software. The number and type of each kind of interaction was analysed and the data distribution plotted to show any relevant trends; the information was then examined using structural equation modelling, confirming the consistency of the trends. In order to determine how these results impacted on the hypotheses, the researchers garnered information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Services (UCAS) showing the number of applications to each HEI per available place. Plotting the recruitment figures from UCAS against the analysis of the HEIs' social media performance allowed any relationship between the two factors to be observed at distinct points in time and conclusions to be drawn. Figure 2 highlights the scraping process and platforms used in this research.
Figure 2: showing the scraping process and platforms used in the research
Findings – The study shows that high numbers of Twitter followers, Facebook likes and FTA are strong indicators of recruitment performance, with Twitter followers being the most relevant factor. While a greater number of tweets does not predict greater success in recruitment, the type and quality of Twitter interaction is important; as prospective students often engage with HEIs on social media to find answers to specific questions, a swift response is more likely to create a relationship between the HEI and the individual, thereby encouraging recruitment. The amount and type of weblinks posted on social media has no discernible effect on recruitment performance. Hypothesis 4 was only partially correct, as Russell Group universities were neither making a significantly different number of tweets to non-Russell Group universities nor experiencing a higher amount of FTA. Russell Group HEIs were, however, involved in a higher average number of interactions and posted more weblinks, almost exclusively to their own sites, unlike non-Russell Group universities. Figure 3 below summarises how social media can be used to achieve the highest level of UCAS demand.
Figure 3: the social media student recruitment funnel
Conclusion – By engaging with those prospective students who have endorsed the HEI via Facebook likes or by following it on Twitter and making those engagements fast and accurate, social media can become one of the most effective tools at a university's disposal. Regardless of status, those HEIs that create a strong social media presence can improve their brand image and increase student recruitment.
Political Brands: Can Parties Be Distinguished by their Online Brand Personality?
August 8, 2015 January 8, 2022
Digital Brand Management, Strategic Brand Management
This paper was in response to a call for greater exploratory research into brand personality in politics and a collaboration with Fiona Lettice and Chris Hanretty. The paper uses Aaker's model of brand personality along with multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to plot the relative personalities of five UK political parties.
Rutter, R.N., C. Hanretty, and F. Lettice, Political Brands: Can Parties Be Distinguished by Their Online Brand Personality? Journal of Political Marketing, 2015: p. 1-20.
Introduction – The UK political structure has expanded from what was once a two-horse race into a complex multi-party system. This is evidenced by the election of a coalition government in 2010 and the seven-party representation in recent pre-election debates. There have been, however, some suggestions that the electorate have little choice due to the homogeneous nature of a number of the parties. This raises the question of whether there is sufficient differentiation between parties and their policies, leading to increased attention paid towards the 'brand images' of the main five parties: Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, the Green Party and the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP).
Online presence – Parties represent themselves through a variety of media, including television and radio, advertising hoardings, newspapers and personal appearances, such as hustings; all of these contribute to the overall impression that is formed. However, when people are looking for a summary of a party's position on a particular issue, they are likely to turn to the internet, reading both online articles and the contents of the parties' websites. It is from the five main party websites that this research was able to glean a large amount of analysable data, which could be used to analyse the brand personality each appeared to present.
Spatial politics: Brand characteristics – Although branding usually refers to a commercial product, the same principles have been applied to the presentation of political parties. The research utilised Aaker's model of brand personality and five dimensions were analysed: competence, excitement, ruggedness, sincerity and sophistication. Using a system of categorising words and phrases that relate to these dimensions, known as Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count, it was then possible to perform a statistical analysis of the frequency of key words and, consequently, determine the dominant characteristics of each party. The findings showed that: competence and sincerity were considered primary dimensions, and sophistication, ruggedness and excitement took a secondary role.
The brand 'personalities' of the parties – Using the method described, a clear picture emerged of the characteristics demonstrated through the online presentations of each party, as well as how strongly each characteristic was represented.
The Conservative Party demonstrated competence very strongly, through use of such words as 'responsible' and 'guarantee', particularly in relation to economics. The frequency of words such as 'rigorous' and 'tough', on the one hand and 'charismatic' and 'distinguished' on the other, show a balance between ruggedness and sophistication.
Labour showed a bias towards ruggedness and competence, although the latter was less clearly defined than the Conservative position. Their perceived level of ruggedness reflects a position more strongly espoused by the party after losing ground in the areas of sincerity and sophistication due to the electorate's adverse reaction to decisions made by the Blair government.
Having strongly communicated excitement and sophistication during their 2010 election campaign, the Liberal Democrats have been reduced to demonstrating weak residues of competence and sophistication. They are now unable to convince the public of their sincerity after failing to keep some prominent pre-election promises.
Relative newcomers, UKIP, have the strongest brand differentiation of the five main parties, positioned in a unique space in comparison to the other four. They communicate a moderate air of excitement and, through their use of words including 'realistic' and 'heartfelt', a much stronger sense of sincerity.
Of the five parties that operate throughout the United Kingdom, only the Green Party is failing to distinguish itself sufficiently from the others. Its data set shares space with both the Conservative and Labour parties, although it is generally considered to be more closely related to Labour. Unsurprisingly, since its chief area of concern is the environment, the Green Party most strongly communicates ruggedness, but fails to do the same for sincerity or sophistication.
In summary, the study showed that the online brand personalities of four of the five main parties are clearly differentiated, with just the Green Party failing to achieve a unique position. With the results of the 2015 general election now a matter of record, it is entirely possible that those responsible for projecting the images of the parties will turn more heavily towards commercial branding practices.
Bitcoin, Brands and Brand Positioning
Digital Brand Management, Strategic Brand Management, Technology
Bitcoin started out as a fringe movement among crypto-anarchists in the open-source community, but has rapidly gained acceptance as a legitimate alternative to fiat money as it pertains to digital transactions. Accordingly, the volume and value of mined Bitcoin has seen exponential growth since this crypto-currency was first launched in 2009. As per available data, nearly 13.28 million Bitcoins have been mined so far [1]. Meanwhile, the value of a single Bitcoin has increased from £4.25 in July 2012 to a high of £753 in November 2013 – an increase of roughly 17600% [2].
Bitcoin was originally developed as a fast, safe and cost-effective currency for digital transactions. Consequently, its earlier adopters were tech-forward users in the open-source community. Despite its growing clout in the mainstream, Bitcoin's most aggressive proponents remain largely entrenched in this community.
It shouldn't come as a surprise, then, to learn that brand Bitcoin, as it exists today, has come to be associated with words like "underground", "alternative", and even "anarchic". DC Forecasts latest crypto updates and they have been saying for years that this lends it considerable weight as a branding tool for certain businesses. For others, the negative connotations of Bitcoin, along with its proliferation through underground marketplaces, can be largely detrimental to the business' brand image. Adopting and accepting Bitcoin through online channels, therefore, is something a brand must consider carefully before making a decision.
Bitcoin as the "maverick" …
There are some obvious business arguments in favour of using bitcoin to paypal, namely, the low transaction costs associated with the currency, emphasis on privacy, storage of coins in digital wallets, and speed of transactions. This has made the currency especially useful for digital-only transactions (i.e. purchasing digital products) where user privacy is important. For example, the popular website Reddit, which emphasises anonymity, accepts Bitcoin as a transactional medium largely because of its privacy features (Reddit's community is also tech-oriented, which helps in higher adoption). Since Bitcoin is also decentralised and unregulated, it has earned the image of being a "pro-internet freedom" currency.
Integrating Bitcoin gives a brand the added advantage of aligning itself with Bitcoin's brand associations. As noted earlier, Bitcoin has come to be associated with the "alternative". In some ways, this is not dissimilar to the debate between open-source and closed-source software in the 1990's, when some brands adopted open-source solutions such as Linux to position themselves as the "mavericks" who care about "community" and "digital freedom".
Consider the example of the popular domain registrar, Namecheap. Namecheap has consistently positioned itself as the alternative to the more mainstream registrars (chiefly, Enom.com and GoDaddy.com). To this effect, it has aligned itself with pro-internet movements such as the Electronic Frontier Foundation's legal fight against the SOPA ("Stop Online Piracy Act") in the United States in 2011 [3]. Namecheap later started accepting Bitcoin in 2013, noting in its release statement that the company considers itself the "pioneers in the space of innovation and online freedom" [4].
In fact, the top websites that accept Bitcoins is almost entirely composed of brands that identify themselves as the "alternative" [5]. This includes Virgin Galaxy (space flights), OkCupid (the free alternative to Match.com), PirateBay.org (free, pirate alternative to file sharing), WordPress.com (free alternative to paid Content Management Systems), Reddit.com (alternative to Digg), Mega.com (alternative, restriction-free file sharing), and Overstock.com (online-only alternative retailer).
When a business adopts Bitcoin, it is signalling to its users that it is a "maverick" that cares about issues such as internet-freedom, user privacy and being tech-forward. Brands that self-identify with these qualities would benefit the most from adopting Bitcoin – at least in the form that it exists today.
… Bitcoin as the "criminal"
However, the privacy and anonymity of Bitcoin has also made it the favoured transaction medium in underground marketplaces known for trading illegal drugs and contraband. The volume of this trade is immense, although given the secretive nature of these marketplaces, the exact figure is hard to ascertain. By one estimate, roughly half of all Bitcoin transactions are to buy drugs online [6].
The large volume of these transactions, coupled with the recent closure of Silk Road [7] (the largest underground marketplace) and massive security breaches at popular exchanges like Mt. Gox [8] have affected Bitcoin's image in the mainstream. Besides "alternative", it wouldn't be wrong to say that some have also started associating words like "illegal", "scam" and "unsafe" with the currency (howsoever factually untrue it may be) [9]. Naturally, this association rubs off on brands who choose to adopt the currency. For mainstream brands that don't have tech-forward audiences that understand Bitcoin, this may even backfire.
The keyword, thus, is "alternative".
Given the current state of Bitcoin, every brand should make careful considerations before aligning itself with the currency. While on the one hand, it can amplify the "maverick" image of a brand that identifies itself as tech-forward, pro-internet freedom and "alternative", it can also harm the image of a brand with customers who don't fully understand Bitcoin and other crypto-currencies.
[1] https://blockchain.info/charts/total-bitcoins?timespan=1year&showDataPoints=false&daysAverageString=1&show_header=true&scale=0&address=
[2] http://blogs.marketwatch.com/thetell/2013/11/29/bitcoin-hits-record-1242-as-it-nears-value-of-ounce-of-gold/
[3] http://venturebeat.com/2011/12/27/namecheap-offers-discount-for-domain-transfers/
[4] https://www.namecheap.com/support/payment/bitcoin.aspx
[5] http://www.forbes.com/sites/jonmatonis/2013/05/24/top-10-bitcoin-merchant-sites/
[6] http://lsvp.com/2013/08/15/about-half-a-percent-of-bitcoin-transactions-are-to-buy-drugs/
[7] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/silk-road-closed/
[8] http://www.wired.com/2014/03/bitcoin-exchange/
[9] http://www.debate.org/opinions/is-bitcoin-a-scam
University Brand Experience
The academic and practitioner literature which surrounds branding would seem exhaustively to have discussed all of the possible ways in which the brand experience can be crafted within businesses. In contrast, however, the literature on the ways in which higher education institutions ("HEIs") formulate and think about their brands is sparse. Whilst some of the principles which apply to universities are similar to those within the business sector, such institutions actually think somewhat differently about themselves, and the way in which their brand experience operates.
Of course, the first thing to realise about most HEIs within the UK is that they do not think very much about the brand experience at all. The majority of branding work within universities is still relegated to the marketing department, rather than being treated as an integral part of the academic sector. Many academics view branding as a dirty word, not wanting their work to be packaged and sold in the same way as a chocolate bar might be. As one might expect, this attitude leads to most HEIs within the UK presenting a disparate and confused brand to their potential 'customers'.
Those HEIs which have crafted a successful branding experience have usually explicitly realised the necessity of defining their own brand, and of identifying their unique selling point. In the academic sector, the 'customers' to whom the brand experience is important can be seen as the students whom the HEI is attempting to recruit, and the academics whom it is attempting to employ. If a university wishes to differentiate itself from the herd, then a unique brand experience is key. An example of this can be found at Loughborough University, which has been highly successful in leveraging its initial investment into sports infrastructure and technology into a world-wide brand around sports excellence. In order to do this, Loughborough identified its existing strengths, and made an active decision to focus its marketing and branding efforts around them. Simply put, it has been more successful than most in promoting its unique selling point. This is so much the case that students in other subject at Loughborough often complain that people assume they are studying for a sports science degree!
The numerous undifferentiated HEIs across the UK could learn more from Loughborough's experience than the simple importance of defining one's unique selling point. The university has also been adept at making use of free and/or cheap publicity, both by hosting high profile sporting events such as the Loughborough International athletics meeting, and leveraging the profile of famous and successful alumni. Other HEIs have not had to make such a proactive effort to achieve the same level of publicity, with already famous institutions such as Oxford attracting it as a matter of course. Oxford's brand recognition, for example, cannot have been harmed by being the weekly subject of the TV programme Lewis (and before it, Inspector Morse). The suggestion that the city is a hotbed of murder and intrigue, of course, might have been less useful!
All joking aside, smart organisations align themselves not only with their existing strengths, but with the appeal of their geographical location. Whilst the University of Oxford is a special case given its existing brand strength, the same effect can be seen through an examination of the city's other university, Oxford Brookes. That organisation has made a point of playing up the refined atmosphere of the dreaming spires, even though it is actually situated to the east of the historical Oxford city centre. Those managing Oxford Brookes' brand experience know that the reputation of its sister university can be used to their advantage, and have not been slow to do so.
Rugby match between Oxford University and Oxford Brookes University
Whatever the unique selling point and free publicity which is leveraged for it, however, no brand experience can substitute for the reality of an institution's advantages and disadvantages. Too often, brand managers seem to believe that they can weave a story which will eliminate the actual weaknesses of their organisation and the courses it offers. Such a strategy cannot last for long. Again, Oxford Brookes can be used as an example. Its postgraduate legal offering ran into trouble this year, suffering as a result of the downturn in the economy and the resulting lack of demand for the vocational training required to become a solicitor. Whilst it attempted to sell its course using the traditional attractions of its location, and its unique selling point of partnership with the University of Oxford, the best brand experience techniques were no match for the blunt economic realities of the legal market. Above all, brands must be aligned with reality, if they are to survive. If HEIs manage this, identify their unique selling point correctly, and take advantage of free publicity, they will be well on their way to successful differentiation.
Loughborough Image http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/olympicsvideo/9222125/London-2012-Olympics-Team-GBs-training-camp-is-best-kept-secret-of-sport-in-Britain.html
Inspector Morse Image (Copyright ITV) http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/2009/jun/07/morse-oxford-walking-guide1
Oxford Rugby Match Image http://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/student-sport/clubs-colleges/
Social Media within Higher Education: US and UK Universities
May 10, 2013 May 6, 2013
Higher Education Sector, Social Media Management
Over the last few years, every institution in the Western world seems to have jumped onto the social media bandwagon. Often without much accompanying analysis, organisations have assumed that engagement through social media will have positive effects on their recruitment and performance, and the higher education sector has been no different. It is rare indeed to find a university which does not maintain a Twitter feed and Facebook presence at the very least. Only now, however, is work really being done to examine how these tools might actually affect university performance.
Social media consultancy Sociagility recently carried out a study which attempted to measure the correlation between engagement with interactive online communication and overall university rankings. After measuring the social media output of the top 25 US and UK universities (as found in the Times World University Rankings) within a comprehensive scoring system, the report found a very close correlation between social media scores and overall institutional rankings. In other words, the better the university performed, the more successfully and actively it used its social media outlets.
Of course, in some ways such an outcome is unsurprising. The best higher education institutions in the world inevitably tend to have more money than less reputable institutions, and so are likely to have a more comprehensive social media strategy. The report did not claim to prove a causative link between social media use and institutional success. What it did show, however, is that UK universities as a group scored significantly lower in measurements of successful social media usage than their counterparts in the US. It seems that the British education sector has yet to catch up with the use of social media.
Some might argue, however, that lagging behind in terms of social media is not such a bad thing. For example, recent research jointly conducted by the PR firm Communications Management and The Student Room has found that a university's online activity has little bearing on student recruitment. Over 300 current and potential students were surveyed about their choice of university in this study, and whilst two-thirds of students use social media channels several times a day, this outlet of information was rated as both less influential and less trustworthy than traditional printed material, or face-to-face communication opportunities.
Such research does not show that social media is unimportant, but rather that higher education institutions should take a balanced view of its utility. It is certainly not the panacea which might have been hoped for in some quarters, but neither is it useless, particularly given the high social media usage of the student demographic. Ultimately, universities which wish to use social media appropriately need to understand that the most important part of any student's choice of institution is reputation. Social media is not only a tool for communicating that reputation, but also a powerful factor in shaping it, as long as the university is willing actively to engage with current and prospective students.
In other words, simply having a Facebook and Twitter account is not enough. The research conducted by Communications Management and The Student Room suggested that many of the students surveyed were unaware that their chosen university even had a social media presence. In order to be effective, such tools must be actively utilised, rather than simply existing. What is more, the information put out through such media cannot simply be the usual promotional and PR language simply translated to a different medium. Students gave clear feedback in the survey that "they [universities] do not talk about the things we need to know" and that "I don't find enough useful information [on social media channels] that relates to me".
Essentially, the study has found that social media is of little use unless its content is both targeted at the right audience, and utilises the strength of the medium. Rather than talking 'at' students, universities should be using social media to find out what is of interest to them, and then tailoring their output to the responses received. That, after all, is the strength of social media. The number of institutions which still appear to believe that simply having a Twitter presence is enough to grant online credibility is astonishing. As the above quotations reveal, many universities do not even signpost students to the fact that they have a social media presence, seeming instead to believe that their work via social media will somehow be noticed by osmosis.
The traditionally bureaucratic structure of higher education institutions may also be problematic when seeking to use social media effectively. After all, the manager of a social media account is unlikely to have the authority needed to respond properly to student concerns, and in most cases will not even be monitoring social media channels in a full-time capacity. Twitter, Facebook and other such media cannot be used to their maximum effect without significant effort and thought being put into the task.
As with all university functions, social media works much more effectively if it is part of a wider recruitment and performance strategy, and if its purpose is clearly identified. Currently, too many universities see their social media presence as a box to be ticked, rather than a powerful tool to be explored. It is, perhaps, little wonder that many students currently feel that universities have missed the point of social media altogether. It remains to be seen whether the UK's higher education sector will eventually catch up with its US counterpart.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/higher-education-network/blog/2013/apr/17/university-student-recruitment-social-media
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/comment/podcasts/the-podcast-social-media-roundtable/2003307.article
http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/419520.article
"Margaret Thatcher, milk snatcher" – Higher Education and Universities
"Margaret Thatcher, milk snatcher". Ask most people about the recently deceased Prime Minister's impact on education, and most will reply that she took away free milk from schoolchildren whilst serving as Secretary of State for Education under Edward Heath. However, memorable headlines apart, Margaret Thatcher actually had a sweeping and widespread influence across the education sector, and nowhere more so than in the traditional world of universities.
As with so many other things about Margaret Thatcher's political career, opinion is split about the desirability of the revolution she and her philosophical soul-mate, Keith Joseph, brought about in the higher education sector. Far from conserving the traditions of Britain's ivory towers, Baroness Thatcher's government sought to introduce competition and free market ideology into the country's universities for the first time. She started a trend which has continued over the last three decades, and in many ways has resulted in British academia becoming almost unrecognisable from the pre 1979 years.
It did not take long for the new Thatcherite government to start altering the university sector, with sweeping cuts being made in 1981 as part of the wider monetarist agenda. Many universities were given only a month to make 18 per cent cuts in their overall budgets, and over 3,000 academics lost their jobs as part of the retrenchment in funding across the public sector. In the same year, the government approved the introduction of full tuition fees for international students, and also attempted to offset the impact of this move by taking the first steps towards marketing the UK's higher education sector as a desirable export to developing countries.
For many in Baroness Thatcher's government, the introduction of tuition fees for international students was just the first step towards the full marketisation of the higher education sector. That, however, was an idea whose time had not come, and despite Keith Joseph's plan to abolish the maintenance grant and introduce tuition fees for all students, the political situation during the miner's strike forced the shelving of such radical ideas. Instead, the Conservative government introduced the concept of competition into universities in more subtle and perhaps more far-reaching ways, the most controversial of which was the formulation of the Research Assessment Exercise.
The RAE, which first took place in 1986, was designed to measure the research output and quality of higher education institutions within the UK, and was the progenitor of the various league tables and assessment procedures which exist throughout universities today. It was enormously controversial upon its introduction, and was seen as ushering in the end of 'pure research' in favour of market orientated academic work. It can certainly be said to have led to an increase in competition between universities, which has only increased after the transformation of the old polytechnics in the 1990s. The RAE and its successors introduced quantitative assessment into a sector which previously operated almost entirely on reputation and freedom of research, and there can be no doubt that this has changed the face of academia throughout the UK.
Once the RAE had been conducted, the government led by Margaret Thatcher continued to push forward its radical reforms in the education sector, accomplishing the long desired abolition of tenure for university professorships in 1988. Many senior academics consider this to have increased the tendency for research to orientate itself towards business-friendly applications, and blame it in part for the decline of research into the liberal humanities. Others, however, point to it as a vital move towards the increasing efficiency and relevance of academia to everyday life. It has certainly contributed to the rise of the 'new managerialism' within the higher education sector, as well as the increasing importance of business tools such as branding.
Of course, the Thatcher government did not entirely break with the past when administering higher education. As might be expected by an Oxford graduate and former scientist, Baroness Thatcher was keen to push forward scientific research, and her interest in building a meritocratic society led her to champion some projects which were initiated by Labour, such as the Open University. Throughout the decade of Thatcherite policies, however, an emphasis on increased competition and efficient administration continued to transform even these originally socialist projects.
Ultimately, however, it may be that Baroness Thatcher's most significant achievement in the higher education sector was the legacy she left, providing the foundation upon which others could build. Allegedly, when asked about her finest achievement in politics, she replied "New Labour". Nowhere is this more evident than in higher education. Tony Blair was able to radically transform the university sector only because of the foundational work which had been done by Baroness Thatcher and her government. Regardless of whether one views modern academia as efficient and responsive or managerialist and overly competitive, Margaret Thatcher's policies can be seen everywhere. She truly did have a significant impact throughout society.
Research Excellence Framework: The Role of Higher Education Employment Branding
Anyone who has ever had a discussion with someone who has bought products from either Apple or John Lewis will recognise the signs. The slightly fanatical stare and almost religious language, the identification with the product or service not just in terms of its efficiency or quality, but also in terms of the values it promotes. Both organisations are prime examples of successful brands, and of the ways in which organisations can become anthropomorphised in the imaginations of consumers and other stakeholders.There is no doubt that companies, driven by the incentives of the marketplace, have been in the forefront of such branding exercises. Nonetheless, organisations in other fields have also been branding themselves for years, often in unconscious but extremely powerful ways.
"Never Knowingly Undersold".
The higher education sector is no different to other areas of the economy in this regard. The University of Oxford, for example, can boast a complex and highly effective brand, which operates around its traditions, history, reputation for academic excellence and place in the wider cultural context of the United Kingdom. Meanwhile, on the opposite end of the spectrum, the University of Sussex continues to benefit (and, in some ways, suffer) from its reputation as a left-wing and progressive institution.
With the advent of the Research Excellence Framework, many universities have been engaged in a near frenzy of offers and counter-offers to so-called 'research stars'. The quality and quantity of research produced by higher education institutions will now dictate, in large part, the funding provided to them. As a result, salaries for the top end of the academic scale are increasing, whilst those academics who are committed to teaching or whose publication history is less than stellar find themselves near the scrapheap. Clearly, such a bidding war disadvantages smaller and poorer institutions. It is here that branding within higher education can come into its own.
The business sector has long recognised that salary is only one indicator of job satisfaction and that, indeed, it is often not the most important factor when considering both recruitment and retention of top quality employees. After a certain point, salary functions largely as an indicator of status, as well as a sign that the company values the work done by an employee. Many innovative businesses have found that a supportive working environment, non-financial 'perks', and an institutional value system which aligns with those of the employee, are actually significantly more important when considering retention than salary alone.
Clearly, as well as being potentially able to offer larger salaries to academic 'stars', the top universities in the country are also able to call upon established branding in order to persuade the best of the best to become their employees. Smaller institutions can also develop effective brands, however, which will allow them to compete in the new, research-led climate. For example, whilst the University of Oxford may well be attractive to a top academic due to both the financial security of an offered post and the intellectual excitement of becoming part of a tradition of academic excellence, such a job also has its downsides. A savvy, smaller institution may not be able to offer the tradition of Oxford, but it can provide a top academic with the opportunity to take a leading role in helping to catalyse a rise up the institutional rankings. It can, also, offer the kind of status and importance within the organisation which even the most prominent academic in Oxford is unlikely to possess.
In other words, universities need to play to their strengths when branding, and need to recognise that their brand is vital when potential academic employees make job related decisions. If an institution does not already have an established brand, no time should be lost in planning a branding strategy, and then executing it. Due to the relative cheapness of online communication channels, this does not have to be an expensive exercise. When done properly, it can form part of a positive feedback loop which rapidly alters and enhances the recruitment and retention of employee talent.
When facing the institutional Goliaths of the academic world, small higher education institutions can feel like David, overwhelmed and overmatched by organisations with more resources and more established reputations. If Apple had reacted to such a situation by simply maintaining their existing brand, it is likely that they would have gone out of business many years ago. Instead, they proactively chose to fashion their weakness into a strength, and to set themselves up as a brand which appealed to a certain type of person. Similarly, if a university does not have centuries of tradition or hordes of Nobel Prize winning alumni, it is still possible to establish a reputation for academic innovation, a friendly atmosphere, beautiful surroundings, or even excellent perks such as fantastic food and drink!
In essence, then, it can be seen that financial resources are not the be-all and end-all of recruitment and retention, either in the corporate or higher education sectors. As the REF era begins, and ever increasing salaries are mooted for academic stars, universities would do well to consider their branding before simply adding another few thousand pounds to their financial offers. Not only will it pay off in terms of recruitment, but it can help to forge an identity for the institution which will drive positive change for years to come.
Academic recruitment: beware, predators at large
How can universities keep their star academics happy to stop them succumbing to a rival's advances?
University Funding Cuts: Brand Differentiation
December 10, 2012 December 9, 2012
Digital Brand Management, Higher Education Sector
At a time when budgets for primary research, teaching and educational infrastructure are being slashed, it might seem that branding should be a very low priority for higher education institutions. This is certainly true, if branding is viewed as an inevitably expensive and resource-intensive process. This does not, however, have to be the case. A rebranding exercise can give new life to a demoralised institution, helping to refocus staff and students onto their primary goals, and to externally project those goals into the wider world.
Of course, branding can certainly be done in the wrong way. Research suggests that undertaking commercial branding in the context of "not for profit" organisations can create a spirit of harmful rivalry within the sector in question. This can cause a marketing 'arms race', in which all institutions increase their spending on branding in order to produce often questionable and intangible benefits (Sargeant, 2009). This was often the case during the economic boom years, particularly within a higher education sector driven by the government target of 50% of young people achieving a university degree. The research above, however, suggests that instead of a traditional high-spend strategy, universities may be better served by leveraging their strengths of creativity and innovative thinking.
One recent example of a university doing just this is the University of California, which underwent a major rebranding exercise in the last quarter of 2012. Taking their starting point as the logo which has represented the university for over a century, the team working on the project aimed to create a modern and instantly recognisable identity for this disparate collection of higher education institutions from across the state. They recognised that, at a time of spending cuts and belt-tightening, it would not be appropriate to launch a traditional branding exercise. Instead, they have attempted to cut through the current image of the university with one new logo, supported by a range of low-cost marketing tools. The rebrand has ensured that discussion around the University of California has increased, and that residents of the state who had hitherto taken the institution for granted are being exposed to its values, its purpose, and its relevance to 21st century California.
In the era of digital communication and viral media, it should be easier than ever for non profit organisations to leverage their existing non-financial resources when looking at branding. There is no need to spend vast amounts of money on marketing if existing staff, students and other stakeholders are consulted about what makes the university attractive to them. Finding out the reasons for existing stakeholders having chosen the institution makes it possible to build on already existing strengths within the brand, whilst building loyalty to the institution and a sense of involvement within its academic and alumni community. It may also be advisable to ask students and staff from other institutions about the existing brand of the university, to better recognise its weaknesses.
Consulting existing stakeholders is only the beginning of leveraging an institution's existing strengths. In an era of innovative and virtually free online communication techniques, which are often spread through social media and viral marketing, a university's staff, students and alumni can be significantly involved in promulgating the brand message on which they have been meaningfully consulted. If a rebranding exercise forms a coherent part of a comprehensive strategy which is understood by all stakeholders, a non profit organisation can leverage the kind of support which, in previous decades, would have cost large amounts of money to purchase from professionals.
Existing marketing strengths can include the location of the institution, which often plays a role in the branding of universities (see Chapelo, 2010). It has been found that certain cities, such as Manchester, are broadly considered to be desirable from a lifestyle perspective, whilst others, such as London, offer a cosmopolitan and international experience. The branding efforts of higher education institutions within those locations tend to work in synergy with the existing brands of the city, gaining strength and influence without any additional injection of money (see Walvis, 2003). The local and regional political institutions of such cities have access to significantly greater resources than most universities, and working with the grain of their marketing strategy makes a great deal of sense.
It is also open to academic institutions to reverse the pattern of the marketing 'arms race' which was identified above, and instead to work together to strengthen the brands of their particular academic specialisms. This can be done either through the centrally directed efforts of the institutions themselves, or at the initiative of particular academic departments and their natural inclination to work together on specific projects. Rather than promoting one institution over another, universities can advertise the prospect of cooperation and synergy with other institutions as a positive good. No university is an island unto itself, and the marketing efforts of such organisations should recognise this. Weaknesses in a brand can be offset through cooperation with other organisations.
It should now be evident that a branding approach which involves significant investment of financial resource is only one kind of marketing strategy which can be utilised by higher education institutions. Particularly in the current economic climate, it is almost certainly not the best approach for universities to be taking. Instead, such organisations should be seeking to leverage existing positive factors, both in terms of the creativity of their stakeholders, and the existing brand strengths of both their location and their academic specialisms.
Chapleo, C. (2010). What defines "successful" university brands?. International Journal of Public Sector Management, 23(2), 169-183.
Sargeant, A. (2009). Marketing management for nonprofit organizations. Oxford: Oxford University Press.


text:
Lviv & International law
News of international law
Сurrent projects
Lviv Center for International Law and Human Rights
Centre is an independent organization which is cooperating with the Lviv Universities for the study of international law and human rights
Following the educational traditions of Lviv of the end of the 19th-beginning of the 20th century, which gave the world a generation of distinguished scholars, the city would be an ideal base for an international center for international law and human rights
The vision of the Lviv Center for International Law and Human Rights is to become a leading center for the study of international law and human rights in Ukraine and beyond.
The mission of the center is to:
restore the memory about the Lviv period of the internationally-recognized lawyers who studied and worked in Lviv before the Second World War
develop a repository of knowledge about the work of Hersch Lauterpacht, Raphael Lemkin, Manfred Lachs, Louis Sohn and other lawyers who studied or worked in Lviv
develop high-level research and publications in the fields of human rights and international law
facilitate dialogue and exchange among the Ukrainian and foreign students and scholars in the fields of human rights and international law
make the most important research and publications in the fields of international law and human rights available for students, young scholars, lawyers and professors in Ukraine
promote Lviv as a center for dialogue and scholarship
Centre is an independent organization which is cooperating with the Lviv Universities for the study of international law and human rights...
Sorochynska str., 8/57, Lviv, Ukraine, 79058
lvivcentre.ilhr@gmail.com
Copyright © 2015 Всі права захищено

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The GNS Press Association is an officially registered press and journalist association, registered in the Corporate Registry (reg. no: PO2000133258) and officially registered in Germany. GNS is a sustaining member of the EUCJ (European Chamber of Journalists) and has been recognised by this organisation. Only renowned press agencies, journalists, newspaper publishing companies and schools are members of this association. Information available here: EUCJ Committed colleagues of all walks of life as a journalist obtain their accreditation from GNS and value the special service.
With approximately 8'000 members, GNS Press is one of the largest and independent international associations for journalists. GNS members hail from all fields of the media world, are highly integrated into journalistic work and are responsible for a multitude of press reports. GNS Press has been working as journalist association since 1991 and is a member of many organisations.
Official press cards never existed. This myth is an invention by some journalists who are spreading false rumours and allege to be in the possession of an official press card. Anyone who alleges that 'nationwide' or 'official' press cards exist, is wrong. As a matter of fact: no institution or authority is issuing press cards. Consequently, the term 'ministerial' or 'official' press card is misleading. For good reasons, the legislator never specified which organisations are entitled to issue press cards and which ones are not. Coupling the issue of the card and the associated examination by national institutions is not desirable because of the freedom of press (section 5 of the Basic Constitutional Law) and the associated free press reporting. Therefore, press cards have been issued autarkic by various industrial and professional associations for many years. As a matter of fact: no association is entitled to the exclusive issue of press cards.
No legal basis for the issue of press cards exists. Government offices are not issuing press cards for reasons under constitutional law (guaranteed freedom of press).The authorities are not responsible or entitled to issue press cards for journalists. No official press cards exist. Journalist associations are not entitled to the exclusive issue of press cards. Associations are not 'the press' in itself, but at most a small part of it. People who work as journalists as a second occupation or part-time journalists are also entitled to a press card. After all, part-time journalists are also representing the media.


What Is Utilization Management in Health Care?
Health care programs have used utilization management activities for more than 20 years, according to Managed Care Resources. Health care providers and patients benefit from UM monitoring systems because they help patients receive the most appropriate care.
Utilization management is the collection, assessment and monitoring of data that pertains to patient services and treatment. UM activities evaluate many aspects of patient care, such as the timeliness of services, the number of bed days used in a hospital, the amount of medication prescribed and a patient's recovery time.
The health care field relies on utilization management to ensure patients receive appropriate services at the right time, and for the right duration of time. UM activities determine appropriateness of medical services and treatment, so that any unnecessary services can be eliminated. Managed Care Resources says that UM activities even serve to help reduce the number of inpatient stays at hospitals.
Patients benefit from utilization management because it requires continuous review and monitoring of their care. Doctors and health care organizations look for areas of improvement and evaluate statistical trends, such as the average length of stay in a hospital.


text:
Spied: 2014 Nissan Qashqai/Dualis
Nissan has begun testing the next-generation Qashqai compact crossover in Southern Spain.
Spied here in test mule form, the altered prototypes give very little away about the exterior styling. Extended wheelarches and a slightly longer wheelbase hint at a repackaged interior, which will offer more cabin space. The current model's dashboard materials and quality will be address with softer, more upmarket materials.
Although powertrains have yet to be announced, a new turbocharged engine may be offered. The current naturally-aspirated 1.6 litre petrol is likely to be replaced with a Renault-sourced 1.2 TCe, while a 1.6 dCi, 2.0 dCi, and 2.0 litre petrol with various power outputs will also be available. These will be paired to a manual, automatic, and CVT transmissions that will power the front-wheels, although four-wheel-drive models will be offered.
Some production for the new Qashqai will transfer from Sunderland, England to Saint Petersburg, Russia from 2014 to avoid import tariffs and to free assembly space for the revised Leaf electric vehicle, due in 2013. Japanese production will cater for global markets, like Australia, Middle East, South Africa, Mexico, and China.
Last year, the Sunderland plant produced 301,277 Qashqais running three shifts at maximum capacity, becoming Nissan's best-selling car in Europe with volume of 216,970 units, up 1.3% from the year before, according to JATO Dynamics.
A long wheelbase, seven-seat Qashqai+2 will arrive later, alongside a possible performance-orientated model.
The new Qashqai will launch in Spring 2014, priced from around £17,000.
Via Autocar.co.uk and Gmotors.co.uk


text:
Q: Parse.com daily email sent based on data I looking into the possibility of using Parse.com for a HTML5 Mobile app. The App will be simple enough although I will need to send a daily email to 2 different addresses based on the data recorded that day. I understand you can send emails via Mandrill/Mailgun APIs though they seem very basic do these API supports such complication.
Sorry I'm a Parse newbie on this
Thanx in advance

A: The ability to send a daily email is simple enough, just use a Cloud Code job and use one of the Cloud Modules for mail.
The issue of how you visualise your data and put that into an email might be trickier. You'll need to be able to either generate an image or turn the output into HTML, or just redirect them to some page on your site that shows the data.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


The thermocline is the transition layer between the mixed layer at the surface and the deep water layer. The definitions of these layers are based on temperature.
The mixed layer is near the surface where the temperature is roughly that of surface water. In the thermocline, the temperature decreases rapidly from the mixed layer temperature to the much colder deep water temperature.
The mixed layer and the deep water layer are relatively uniform in temperature, while the thermocline represents the transition zone between the two.
Why Worry About the Thermocline?
It is important to understand the importance of the thermocline if you want to find trout when water temperatures soar. The thermocline is a magnet for trout in the summer. It provides a sanctuary for trout where they find cooler water and oxygen. Trout are most comfortable in water temperatures between 50-65 degrees Fahrenheit. Mortality rates for trout caught in temperatures above 65 degrees increases exponentially. Although not part of the thermocline definition, oxygen is an important consideration for trout. They cannot live with less than 5 parts per million.
With knowledge of the thermocline and oxygen levels we can find where the fish are. With that understanding, we can make better decisions regarding when it is safe to fish and when to limit fishing.
The thermocline layer is bounded on the top and bottom by temperature. The livable water for trout is determined by temperature at the upper level while oxygen saturation usually sets the lower limit. Trout will swim above and below the thermocline layer to feed. Early morning and late evening trout may move into the danger zone near the surface to feed, however, they will return quickly quickly to the safe layer.
Bounded on the top, bottom and left by temperature and on the right where the temperature and oxygen cross, the green box shows the limits of the comfort zone. In the graph of the July data the sweet spot is roughly between 12 and 21 feet deep. This is where the trout are.
How do we know? Why do we care?
Measurements are taken several times a year by John Kornegay using equipment that measures water temperature and oxygen levels at three foot intervals. By locating the thermocline when it begins to form and tracking it through the season we can manage our fishery to best advantage. When surface temperatures become lethal we can selectively restrict fishing and when they moderate these restrictions are relaxed.
In July the surface temperatures in our quarries are lethal should a trout were to remain there. Fish are holding somewhere between 12-21 feet deep only moving into the danger zone to feed but then quickly returning to the comfort zone.
Fish caught at this time of year are subject to more stress. Larger fish fight hard and do not recover as quickly which leads to higher mortality rates. Using this information and with previous year's experiences John and Owen Mitchell (Fisheries Chair) made the recommendation, which was accepted by the Board, to close Cedar to all fishing to protect our trophy population. Although Pine and Birch have similar thermocline profiles, they were not closed. The fish are smaller and have easier access to deep water when released so it was decided to let them remain open for fishing.
Measurements and observations continue throughout the summer to make sure fishing in Birch and Pine is safe and to help determine when it is safe to reopen Cedar. The most recent measurements taken in August show the water continues to get warmer even though we have had plenty of rain and some cool nights. Last year, the water temperatures were much warmer and water levels were at drought levels. With accurate data and our experience we can better balance the need to maintain a healthy fishery with the opportunity to continue fishing.
We are fortunate to have a very robust thermocline layer compared to other lakes in Connecticut may be only 2-3 feet thick. We don't know why but aren't we lucky.
©2019 Limestone Trout Club / SportsEngine. All Rights Reserved.


text:
Museums face calls to better represent people of color
Museums set the standard for what art is, and this standard has generally been decided by white men and excludes other viewpoints, says Mike Murawski, a Portland-based leader of Museums Are Not Neutral.
By Associated Press Nov 6, 2020, 2:05pm CST
Christine Fernando, AP
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La Tanya Autry, a curatorial fellow at The Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, poses outside of the museum in Cleveland. Museums are being called on to examine what's on their walls amid a national reckoning on racism.
INDIANAPOLIS — As young as 5 years old, La Tanya Autry loved visiting local museums like the Detroit Institute of Art with her mom. She relished the shows, dances and plays she saw there. But as she walked through their halls, she felt a disconnect.
There were few artworks by Black Americans like her in the works on display.
"They didn't show my experiences or the experiences of so many other communities," said Autry. "That has to change."
Today she is on the front lines of a movement calling on museums to better represent communities and artists of color.
"What museums call `neutral' is all part of a status quo system," said Autry, a curatorial fellow at the Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland who helped start an initiative called Museums Are Not Neutral. "And that system perpetuates oppression, racism, injustice and colonialism."
Museums already were struggling with questions of inclusivity when the coronavirus pandemic forced a lot of them to shutter in March. Then in May, the police killing of George Floyd led to protests and calls for racial justice. Tech and film companies, banks, sports leagues and other institutions started making changes as part of a racial reckoning.
Museums set the standard for what art is, and this standard has generally been decided by white men and excludes other viewpoints, said Mike Murawski, a Portland-based leader of Museums Are Not Neutral.
Among 18 major U.S. museums, 85% of artists featured are white, while 87% are men, according to a 2019 study conducted at Williams College.
Museums Are Not Neutral is calling for structural change, including in museums' hiring practices, the makeup of their boards and their partnerships. They say museums should also return looted African artifacts, and other items stolen from marginalized communities and former colonized countries.
"We want transformation... Not solidarity statements, not cosmetic changes, not a little lipstick that gets wiped off a week later," said Murawski, who is white.
Other initiatives include #DismantleNOMA, which hopes to reform the New Orleans Museum of Art's work environment and leadership. It started after five former NOMA employees signed an open letter this year alleging that the museum enabled the use of racial slurs, underrepresentation of Black artists and wage disparities for Black workers.
Such calls to action are not new, going at least as far back as the 1960s, when civil rights activists took issue with racism in museums and other institutions.
Murawski took up the cause in 2014, when two Black women — Aleia Brown and Adrianne Russell — launched #MuseumsRespondToFerguson after Michael Brown, a Black 18-year-old, was shot and killed by a white Ferguson, Missouri, police officer.
Other social-action groups include Museum Workers Speak and MASS Action.
Some museums are making moves to acknowledge racism within their walls. The Art Institute of Chicago, the Getty Museum, the Museum of Modern Art and many others issued solidarity statements following Floyd's death. Some offered staff inclusivity training and issued diverse programming goals.
The non-profit American Alliance of Museums is continuing a 2019 initiative to improve diversity on museum boards, offer equity training and evaluate the governing structures of 50 museums.
It's increasingly difficult for museum directors to argue for a neutral approach, said AAM president Laura Lott.
"Neutrality and partisanship often get confused," Lott said. "We shouldn't be partisan and back certain candidates or political platforms, but that's totally different from being neutral or taking positions on social and human rights issues."
Museum attendance continues to skew toward the white and wealthy, the same communities disproportionately reflected on their walls and on museum boards.
The AAM found that in 2008, 79% of museum-goers were white, and that percentage was growing. A 2010 study by the group predicted that, if the trend continued, people of color would make up only 9% of museums' core visitors by 2033.
Educator and writer Gretchen Jennings, who has worked in museums and museum education for more than 30 years, said administrators have largely evaded systemic overhauls.
"Museums have not changed much structurally," Jennings said. "They're not seeing themselves as part of the problem."
Autry said many museums still embrace the narrative that they are apolitical or represent a neutral perspective. When proposing programming on racial justice, she said, she has often encountered challenges from white colleagues saying her plans were too political.
In trying to do better recently, museums have made missteps. For instance, the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art's director, Max Hollein, apologized to Black artist Glenn Ligon this summer after using his art without permission in a letter addressing the museum's response to protests of racial injustice. The apology followed an Instagram post by Ligon in which he wrote, "could y'all just stop... Or ask me first?"
Ariana Curtis, curator of Latinx studies at the National Museum of African American History & Culture, said her experience has been different from that of many curators who work in white spaces. Curtis started her career at the Anacostia Community Museum, which opened in 1967 as part of the Black museum movement.
"These museums that came out of the Black museum movement came out of the experience that museums excluded us, and the way for us to center our perspectives is to build our own spaces," she said.
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North West Hospice will host a Remembrance Evening on Wednesday, 16th October at The Model Arts Centre, Sligo at 7.30pm.
This special occasion will provide an opportunity to pause and remember our loved ones, to reflect on their passing and to look forward with hope. Including music and reflections, the evening will be non-denominational and is open to all who have been bereaved.
Maria Mulligan, from North West Hospice, explains "We hope that this Remembrance Evening will bring together those in our community who have been bereaved. The evening will give us an opportunity to honour the life we shared with our departed loved ones and to gently look to the future with hope. All are welcome to join us for this special evening".


The line between fussy and non-fussy when it comes to table tops.
My first kid event will be JJ's birthday party followed by Ava's. This is for a girl, and we can all agree it's inspiring, right? I'm pretty sure I don't need to really go all out for JJ since he opted for a bowling alley celebration. I think if I put a big plate of carrot cake out, alongside some chips, he'll be thrilled. So for him, I'll probably go the balloon and cake route. Love the combo of place mat stripes and polka dot napkins for Ava's party though... She wants gray and turquoise and we're going with a dolphin theme.
I'll also be hosting a Seder dinner and that usually involves a lot of guests. I'm inspired by this, even though it's not at all my style, and I'll be working a gray and orange theme in to the mix. Somehow. I only have three ideas but I think it's a start and of course it will be cute in the end. I hope.
Though if I had to pick one table for all time, that kicks all other tables hineys, it would be this one. Pretty much everything about it screams my name. Seriously, it does. I think I'm going to make this table for myself. Maybe for MY birthday! Ha!
Do you see what I mean? "Sasha!!!!!" I do believe that little pop of golden yellow sealed the deal for me.
I like nice, orderly tables. I loathe cluttery ones with junk everywhere. I like my centerpieces dead center, or in a nice, agreeable line, like this one.
I like soothing, but I also love a good punch of color. So basically I'm a walking contradiction. Or a dining contradiction, rather.
What's your favorite way to set a table? How about centerpieces- do you prefer fussy or non-fussy. Lots of fluff on the table, or keep it simple? And HOW ON EARTH would you pull gray and orange off? Seriously, I'm asking. There's not a lot of that out there... help!
There was one lane separating us. She moved through the water cleanly, her technique neat and precise, as my friend and I slipped down into the slow lane for laps. I didn't pay any attention to her, other than to note her lane was filled. Down and back I went, finally stopping to catch my breath and reach for my flotation board. That's when I saw the woman next to me, frozen, standing straight, watching something in shock. I looked slightly beyond her to the man carefully flipping a woman over onto her back, and at the same time a lifeguard plunged in, simultaneously blowing his whistle.
A flurry of activity commenced, and everyone in the pool stood, watching. She was blue and still.
I was struck with a force of chill bumps and the sudden, intense urge to pray. Immediately, I began whispering prayers over this unknown woman. Praying over the lifeguards who were working to get her onto a board and out of the water. Praying as the fire trucks rolled up and men in navy uniforms came pouring in.
We sat on the bleachers, onlookers in another person's life story. Hushed bits and pieces of eyewitness stories, and variations from so many perspectives were whispered almost reverently. Scattered nervous laughter, serious eyes, and worried expressions wove together to create the fragile chain connecting us.
As the woman on the stretcher began to move her feet, a surge of thanksgiving flowed voluntarily from my heart and I began praying thanks over the lifeguards quick actions, the fire department's immediate response time, the wisdom of those trained in life saving maneuvers. But most of all, I thanked God, that for this emergency, there was no life claimed.
My fingers were chilled and my heart was heavy with questions. Who was she? What if they had gotten to her a second too late. What if the man swimming in her lane wasn't near enough to her to sense she was in trouble. And as I close this post with the scent of "what might have been" still clinging to my skin and hair, I want to ask you a question. What if it was you? Do you know without one doubt, that you would find yourself safe, in the arms of Jesus if your time was up?
I do. I want that for you too and if you can't shout a resounding and confident "yes" to my question, you might consider reading this for direction.
Life is a gift, but it does have an expiration date.
That post I wrote the other day... the one about how I finally handed everything over to the One that controls it all anyway? Yeah. I'm still basking in the sweet glow of that knowledge, but I wondered if it would prove to be one of those changes of heart based on a changing whim of the moment. A feeling at the time. And oh how I hoped it wouldn't be!
As we cruised into our weekend, I had an opportunity to find out.
I got a call from not one, but two realtors wanting to show our house which is odd because we've had pretty dead traffic for quite some time. And then one of them called back because they want to show it for a second time to the same people, tonight.
I didn't freak out, scouring the whole place from top to bottom in nervous anticipation, worry and fretting. I didn't call all of my peeps and beg for frantic prayers of hope. I didn't really do anything. I simply prayed, "Your will be done," and left it at that.
I told my man, "This time, for some strange reason, it didn't drive my emotional status... it just was."
And if we get no feedback, no word, no information (like we normally do) I hope and pray that my reaction will remain steady and trusting. Mostly, I'm not thinking much about it- which is also different. I'm just going about my business, letting God do His thing since it's certainly unclear what that thing is to me anyway. It's not like He needs my help... Ha!
So that's my world... how are things in yours?
It's a quiet Saturday, and I've been sipping tea with my babies and reflecting while my man is away for the day. This is pretty much my favorite season of the entire year. While I love the preparations and buttoning down of Fall, and of course delight in the hustle and bustle of family-filled holiday season, the season of Lent is my all time favorite. If I had to choose one favorite holiday, out of all holidays, (which of course I adore) it would have to be Easter. I love the way my little family celebrates and prepares for this most special holiday.
In our family, we prepare for Easter with a few fun traditions. We celebrate passover by hosting a Seder Dinner, which is always the most amazing blessing, and we always make resurrection cookies the night before Easter morning. All of these things weave together, to prepare our hearts for the startling realization that Jesus Christ gave up His most precious life to pay the price of our sins, was buried, and then, because He was God, rose from the grave, life beating death. We believe this with all our hearts.
I read this, and for the first time, suddenly understood the purpose of Lent. Rachel Held Evans asks the following questions about Lent on her blog, and I loved them so much, I wanted to post them here so we could chew on them together.
1) When I wake up on Resurrection Sunday morning, how will I be different?
Aren't those amazing questions? Did any of them hit home for you like they did for me? (#1,2, 6 and 7 really struck me.) Do you typically celebrate Lent and do you find yourself feeling different on Easter morning because of it? If you feel at liberty to share, what are you planning to give up or improve during this season?
This most recent cleaning spree made it's way into my studio, my closet, and basically every nook and cranny of our home. One of my favorite spaces in the whole house, is my office area. My desk was feeling cluttered, so I removed a bunch of items, and streamlined it somewhat. Sometimes, I need simplicity. I loved the big lamp that sat on the end of my desk, but in the decluttering process, this small glass lamp found a new home here instead.
I love this little corner in our studio. I did a little decor fluffing, and filled a metal box with my ribbon spools. I love how crazy the sketching model always looks. I think it's running hurdles. (Incidentally, I've been dying to do that my whole life but scared spitless to try. Isn't that funny?) The people I live with find it hilarious to pose it. Often.
I moved my old craft cupboard so that I can see it when I'm in my living room. I like to look at it. I think it inspires and calms me. I also re-hung the curtains I took down when we listed our house. Which brings me to this- Adrain and I came to the same startling conclusion about our home. There may be some different career possibilities with his employer, over the course of the next year. One of them of course, would be staying put indefinitely, but financially, that's the least favorite of our choices. We don't know what his career path will look like this time next year, so our first thought was to remove our home from the market while we ride out the waiting period, and forget all this hope and nonsense of trying to sell. And then, it was as though the shadow of the past two years finally caught up to us, and firmly assured us that God's got this. While listed, our home will not sell if it's not meant to. (I'm pretty sure the publisher's clearing house debacle of 2011 proved that one.) And nothing will keep it from selling at the proper time if it's meant to. It sounds so simple, and I've been hearing and saying it all forever but believe me, the road to the full realization of this has been anything but simple. I mean I knew it of course, but now I seem to really know it. It's as though we suddenly relaxed-truly relaxed-into the abyss of not knowing, and ceased almost caring (or maybe fretting is the better word here?) because the future rests entirely in the most capable of hands- God's. We can stay or go- I'm good with either and the peace I finally feel over the entire thing is overwhelming. In fact, I hardly know what to do with it now that I have grasped it. I didn't know I lacked it, until I finally had it, and I have no idea how I got it. It's been a journey, that's for sure.
I hardly know what to say now that I got that all out. It seems so insignificant in the black and white of it, but trust me, the words themselves are only the tip of the iceberg in my heart. There is an overflowing quality happening here.... like I'm no longer an empty shell, just waiting... waiting.
It's as though life is renewing in my little world, and it has nothing to do with the promise of spring.
I've been memorizing the book of James. (I'm sadly not very far along yet.) What a comfort those first few verses have been to me, and it's possible that I've been in a flurry of spring cleaning because of this renewed growth on the inside. Like I'm somehow attempting to display outwardly what I'm rejoicing of inwardly. Does that make sense?
So...after baring my heart to y'all and basking in this new found faith and peace of heart... Do you guys think we are the most wishy-washy people on the planet? LOL Thank you so much for continuing to ride this crazy roller coaster with us. I love hearing your similar stories, and wonder, have you ever had this happen? When something you knew suddenly became something you KNEW?
Making it mine... again.... for like the second or third time. I forget.
I call it the cleaning snowball effect. It usually begins with a gallon of paint, which quickly morphs into a full-scale, divide and conquer type spring cleaning fest, complete with Goodwill donations and a happy Mama. This time, it began with Fleur de Sel, a paint color by Sherwin Williams, that is literally making my heart go pitter-patter. It's a soft, light, airy, hazy gray. And I'm in love with it. I always see these ideas, thinking, "Oh I should do that someday..." but because our house has been for sale for what seems like forever, I hold back. I don't know what snapped in me, but I hit this place by storm, busting out one idea after another this weekend.
Our plan for JJ's room, was replace his dingy, yellowish paint color with something crisp and clean, whip his room into better shape, streamline his storage, and do it all on a squeaky little budget. I shuffled curtains around and he got some old drapes from the kitchen, we consolidated our books onto one bookcase, and he got the other, that sort of thing. The one thing I wanted to do, was get him some newly updated bedding since he's had the same quilt about eight or nine years. I found a darling green and blue duvet set for him, at Pottery Barn. (It was on sale and had free shipping, so it didn't even make it into the splurge category.) I did a dance.
After JJ's bedroom was done, I was standing in the hallway between the kiddo rooms, paint roller in hand, and gave the wall I was looking at a quick coat of my new paint BFF. It looks so much better. By the way, if you need a new color that brings light into a room, look no further. JJ has the darkest room in the house, and I was shocked at the amount of light in his room now. Once that was dry, I hung some of JJ and Ava's artwork. I will add to it as time goes by.
That led to the laundry room. Mainly because I'd half-heartedly planned it for the past year, but also because I was still wielding a paint roller. I made short work of that room because 1) I loathe room painting and would rather get it done as sloppily quickly as possible, and 2) it's small. So there you go.
Laundry rooms are awful to photograph. And ours is the worst because it's super tiny, not to mention also the access to our garage, making it double as a mud room. I did the best I could. In this room, I spray painted wicker baskets, adhered chalkboard labels, painted an old bench black, decanted clothes pins to a pretty jar, corralled shoes in wood bins with new casters attached to them.
I'm probably about to hit my wall of tiredness soon, but being out sick for a whole week made me crazy. It feels so good to not be sick anymore!
Do you guys have any projects in the works or things you've been wanting to do?


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Hi! I'm trying to execute the "Hello World" tutorial of the "Embedded Adventure", using the picpack library, but when I compile the program, in the Build section appears the message "Error: preprocessing error" please help me!


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