Ten with Ken (Video)

This week, Ken completes his 3-part review of higher ed branding in 2015 with a look at “New Names & Nicknames,” from DMZ to uVic! (Part 1 was “Cautionary Tales & Cautious Rebrandings” https://youtu.be/m2LF3rGiMLc . Part 2 was “Bold New Brands of 2015” https://youtu.be/pxmRfUfzZ5o .)

Without a doubt, institutions are loathe to lose decades of brand equity and recognition by changing their names. Generally it occurs only when the institution’s mandate has changed significantly, such as when a college gains university status, or an institute becomes a polytechnic. (Most recently it was SIAST becoming Saskatchewan Polytechnic.)

For years we’ve also seen a pretty widespread trend toward dropping adjectives like “regional” and “community” from college names, and minimizing or eliminating the use of the word “college” itself.

Last spring, Saskatchewan’s Southeast Regional College launched a bright new brand identity without the word “Regional.”

The AUCC rechristened itself “Universities Canada” last year, launching a “dynamic” new visual identity using a diamond rather than a square, to symbolize convergence, such as at a crossroads, a town square, or a university quad. https://youtu.be/cYeXSlzYIsw

Last year we also saw Fanshawe College announce the Don Smith School of Building Technology, UBC name the Peter A. Allard School of Law, and Wilfrid Laurier University rename the Laziridis School of Business & Economics.

Higher ed more often shortens names than changing them completely, such as when Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone adopted the official name “DMZ” last spring.

Ryerson University itself launched a refreshed visual identity last summer, featuring fresh new colours, a slightly modernized typeface, and a bit of “out of the box” symbolism. The positioning strategy emphasizes 5 key differentiators from other Toronto institutions, and we look at two quick brand videos to see it in action. In keeping with our “nicknames” topic, Ryerson also revealed two abbreviated logos for use in informal situations, and social media.Q&A with Sheldon Levy: https://youtu.be/i3Y7Ln2slyc Mind & Action: https://youtu.be/INllQ597-1U

Last February, the University of Victoria finally embraced the nickname, “uVic,” by which they have been affectionately known for years. The dynamic new brand includes refreshed colours, a new wordmark, and new graphic elements including a wavy “connective thread” and some playful birds, martlets, drawn from the coat of arms. https://youtu.be/gsARvoBJCoU

One of the challenges to adopting a shorter name for marketing purposes is opposition from internal and external stakeholders. I think perhaps uVic learned from the example set by Western University back in 2012. Critics thought the name geographically inaccurate, although frankly there are dozens of “Northwesterns” and “Southwesterns” in the eastern US. The new identity solved many technical issues, and introduced an elegant system of sub-brands that is the nicest I have seen anywhere.

So we’ve seen colleges and universities use several strategies to pave the way for a new name or brand. UCFV adopted an acronym, Malaspina a memorable icon, CBU stripped away all semblance of a logo, and uVic made it clear that the old logo will continue in widespread use.

The real work of rebranding an academic community isn’t creative work at all; the most challenging aspects are consultation, research, consensus building, and easing the campus into a new identity. Too many top-tier ad agencies have underestimated this challenge, or badly mishandled it. It’s the aspect of higher ed brand strategy that I think is most exciting, and it’s the reason I developed my proprietary Brand Chemistry™ model. www.BrandChemistry.ca

And this week’s #ICYMI: a new recruitment theme from Dalhousie University, “Find what drives you.” Nicely addresses concerns about an intellectually-challenging student experience. https://youtu.be/2ysWuPN62og

Coming up next time: a surprise episode! Watch for it later in March, or subscribe to our free email newsletter now for exclusive early access. http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/

Last week, Ken shared some classic cautionary tales of higher ed brand misfires, and we looked at some particularly cautious new brands from Canadian colleges and universities, perhaps in response. (Last week: https://youtu.be/m2LF3rGiMLc ) This week, we look at the flipside: provocative brands and campaigns that deliberately court controversy.

Aggressive Competition:

We start with some examples of pretty aggressive “poaching” campaigns for student recruitment in other institutions’ backyards:

York University led the way with their “question every angle” campaign, and notably a subway station domination strategy at the doorstep of the University of Toronto.

Memorial University of Newfoundland has bought up bus shelters along routes to major undergraduate university campuses across Canada, to promote their Grad Studies “on the edge.”

The University of Saskatchewan has advertised on Calgary transit, dissing Edmonton as a study destination.

And St Mary’s University has bought billboards across the street from Cape Breton University, encouraging students to go to Halifax for the right education.

Going Negative:

Even more controversial campaigns in recent years have mocked major competitors:

Lakehead University took on Yale and then-president George Bush in their 2006 recruitment campaign, “Yale Shmale.”

Algoma University mocked the fictional “Colossal U” in their 2008 recruitment campaign. But spending your marketing budget establishing name recognition for an imaginary competitor seems too clever by half.

Sex Sells:

Much simpler are the higher ed campaigns that appeal directly to the teenage libido:

Education New Zealand urged Asian students to “Get further away from your parents” in a short-lived 2007 campaign with pretty racy ads.

Algoma University’s 2009 campaign, “Plan your escape,” likewise encouraged Toronto students to get 681 kms away from their parents.

Ohio’s Oberlin College got explicit with their 2011 microsite, “WhyTheF*ckShouldIChooseOberlin.com”, and got 1.5 million pageviews in their first few months as a reward.

In 2015, though, the Université de Moncton outclassed them all with a sexy ad that garnered $300,000 in media headlines, and moreover boosted out-of-province student enrolment by 66%!https://youtu.be/hSwSIALZZqE

Just Plain Bold:

But a brand campaign can be bold without being controversial, or explicit. In 2015, Calgary’s Bow Valley College launched a great new slogan, “Success Rises,” and a social justice fundraiser to boot, “1,000 Women Rising.” It’s memorable, emotional, and nicely done. https://youtu.be/bjAwQsfykC0 https://youtu.be/qLFYfxUDJcw

But of course, good ideas attract imitators quickly, and BVC’s “Rise” was picked up less than a year later by the massive University of Phoenix, which has just launched its new brand platform, “We Rise.” https://youtu.be/N98RB1LK12o

A Bold Athletic Brand:

Finally in this episode, Ken shares a gritty, powerful new brand and campaign for Stingers Athletics at Montreal’s Concordia University. You don’t want to miss it, just #ICYMI!https://youtu.be/n_vQv05ZpZs

Next week, we’ll wrap up our review of 2015 with a look back at some new names and nicknames in Canadian higher ed branding.

Brand Consulting:

Don’t forget that Ken Steele is available to conduct higher ed brand audits, competitive audits, and campus Brand Chemistry™ workshops and presentations. Check out www.BrandChemistry.ca for more information.

NOTE: For the first time we are uploading at standard podcast definition instead of 720p. Let us know if this is a major impediment. 1080p is available on our YouTube channel as always.

For the next few episodes, Ken Steele returns to the Brand Chemistry™ Lab to analyze recent trends in higher ed brand identities and marketing campaigns. This week, we look at some notable brand mis-steps that have become cautionary tales for campus marketers, and the inevitable result: some very cautious, gradual rebrandings that don’t risk passionate opposition from traditional-minded stakeholders like students, faculty, and alumni.

Particularly for smaller, remote institutions experiencing the early effects of declining demographics, it’s critical to develop the visibility a strong brand can support. In recent years, many higher ed institutions have hired top-notch ad agencies to develop their visual identities and marketing campaigns, but there are definite risks to that approach. Branding an academic community is significantly more political a process than branding a consumer product like beer or fast food. Presidents don’t have the authority of corporate CEOs, faculty aren’t as compliant as typical employees, and students are a complete wild card. Not only does the process demand patience and plenty of consultation, but it also demands a marketer’s “A” game; a campus full of brilliant critical thinkers will quickly find any fault possible.

Cautionary Tales:

In Fredericton New Brunswick, St Thomas University’s student union discovered what happens when a design for your orientation week program is actually plagiarized from a broadway musical.

The University of Dayton, in Ohio, launched a new brand for its Flyers athletics, which was promptly criticized by students for appearing to promote venereal disease instead.

The University of California system attempted to launch a new, modern icon to unite the ten campuses in the UC system. But stakeholders objected to the ugly graphic, which suggested nothing so much as a flushing toilet.

And the University of Waterloo undertook an extensive strategic rebranding process in 2008, only to be sideswiped at the last moment when the proposed logo was leaked online.

Cautious Rebrandings:

In part because of these prominent brand debacles, many college and university rebrandings in recent years have been extraordinarily cautious and traditional.

Brandon University, in Manitoba, launched a new visual identity based on their traditional coat of arms in late 2014. Although it dropped the Greek motto, and streamlined the crest to focus on the shield, it retained the colour scheme and didn’t stir up opposition. The new look, sans serif typeface, and bold chevron create a much more contemporary and professional identity, without alienating traditionalists.

The Université du Québec en Outaouais redesigned its visual identity last year. Although the new UQO acronym is a starting departure in colour and typeface from the previous logo, both were pretty cold and corporate, and the change is unlikely to generate much passion one way or the other. The new marketing campaign, “Être plus près, aller plus loin” (be closer, go further) is a pretty common tagline for a regional institution speaking to local students.

The University of Ottawa launched a new brand identity in late 2014 that also followed a university marketing convention, in urging students to “Defy the Conventional.” But the new campaign, featuring bright neon colours and cartoon-like illustrations, is a notably creative variation on the theme. https://youtu.be/fhEcDhTDt3I

Finally, a different sort of caution is evident in the gradual “unbranding” of Cape Breton University. In late 2014, CBU announced a new brand that used only a “temporary wordmark” set in the most boring typeface possible, and the single bold word “Happen.” The brand concept looks intriguing, although the creative executions haven’t really appeared yet. In fact, CBU deliberately went a full year without a logo, perhaps to help minimize opposition from those who might have been fierce defenders of the previous visual identity. The new logo for CBU is expected imminently, but this “slow-motion” rebranding process is yet another way to cope with passionate stakeholders attached to the status quo.

Next week, we’ll look at some examples of intentionally provocative brands and campaigns, deliberately courting controversy. It happens more often than you might think, and the results can be striking.

Just #ICYMI, check out Mount St Vincent University’s new recruitment campaign, featuring 15-second ads using thousands of dominos as a metaphor for the student’s path. https://youtu.be/yQ0oVRMXcBo

Ken Steele is available to consult on institutional brand strategy, deliver presentations or facilitate workshops about institutional differentiation and recruitment marketing. For more information http://eduvation.ca/brand/

For early access to upcoming episodes, subscribe to Ken’s free email newsletter at http://eduvation.ca/subscribe/

Last week, Ken Steele looked back at some major PR headaches sparked by students and faculty, from white student unions to a blogging board member. https://youtu.be/qn0ylCsR9Jw

But some of the biggest media relations migraines of all start at the top, with board chairs and presidents.

It’s a considerable risk for a multi-million-dollar organization to rest its reputation squarely on the shoulders of a single individual. Last year Subway’s spokesperson, Jared, went to prison on child sex charges. And the president of a small Christian college in South Carolina resigned in disgrace over his sexual indiscretions.

At Western University, president Amit Chakma’s double pay made headlines in 2015, but he had done nothing wrong in accepting a contract with administrative leave. The bigger issue was that the board committee normally responsible for negotiating such contracts was bypassed, and the board chair, Chirag Shah, seemed responsible. A task force made 22 recommendations for governance reform at Western, and Shah stepped off the board at the end of his term last November.

The year’s biggest PR headache, though, was the abrupt resignation of UBC president Arvind Gupta, only a year into his term. The board hired a passionate reformer with a bold agenda. Gupta didn’t have the usual university administration experience, but instead had founded Mitacs, a fairly small nonprofit. From the beginning, Gupta made it clear he wanted to make UBC more relevant to the needs of society, and he knew that driving change would make some people uneasy.

The board itself started growing uneasy, with the departure of senior executives like provost David Farrar, and rumblings of poor morale across the institution. There were controversial, perhaps political, appointments made to the president’s office. Board chair John Montalbano wrote strongly-worded emails to Gupta, urging him to “refrain from thinking controversial thoughts out loud,” and expressing concern about his “willful disregard for the board’s authority.” With the leaking of these emails, in January 2016, Gupta went public with his side of the story, expressing regret that he didn’t push back harder against the board, and instead chose to resign.

The abrupt departure of a president, after significant executive changes and barely concealed friction with the board chair, would have been bad enough for the media relations people tasked with managing the situation. But then, business professor Jennifer Berdahl wrote a blog suggesting that Gupta lost a “masculinity contest.”

The blog itself might have gone unnoticed amid a storm of speculation, if not that board chair Montalbano took exception. He felt “hurt” that accusations of racism and sexism were being hurled by a professor he knew personally. And so, one fateful day, he called her to discuss the blog directly. Montalbano claimed he was extraordinarily careful, throughout the call, to confirm that Berdahl felt comfortable discussing the blog, and that she did not feel her academic freedom was being threatened or compromised.

But a few days later, Berdahl either changed her mind or found her voice, and a new blog railed against Montalbano’s attempt to intimidate her and suppress her right to academic free speech. She went to the media, and claimed he threatened to discuss the “trouble she was causing” with her dean. Ultimately a fact-finding investigation agreed with Berdahl, and Montalbano stepped down from the UBC board in August.

Global News interview with Arvind Gupta: http://globalnews.ca/news/2484938/watch-one-on-one-with-former-ubc-president-arvind-gupta/

Global News interview with John Montalbano:

http://globalnews.ca/video/2173090/extended-ubc-board-chair-john-montalbano

CBC interview with Jennifer Berdahl:

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2673915157

Some of the biggest dysfunctions on college and university campuses occur when outsiders attempt to push an agenda without truly appreciating the subtleties of academic politics. It’s vitally important to recognize that universities aren’t so much hierarchies, as loose democracies.

Even after someone is fired, the media migraine can continue. Last year, former president Ralph Weeks sued Medicine Hat College for wrongful dismissal in 2013, and Ilene Busch-Vishniac sued the University of Saskatchewan too.

Scandals and controversies can explode in the media like a reputational bomb. There’s no point attempting to bury an inconvenient truth on campus, because it will always surface, and when it comes to light the damage will be even worse. It’s always preferable to identify potentially explosive issues early, be proactive in treating them, and transparent in reporting them to the campus community. Best to find the bomb and defuse it, than have it go off unexpectedly and take everyone by surprise.

BTW, Ken Steele is available to facilitate workshops or present at conferences and on campuses about PR headaches and how to manage media relations in a crisis. More information at http://eduvation.ca/pr-headaches-how-to-treat-them/

#ICYMI, this week we feature an excerpt from UNB Fredericton’s “dog’s eye view of campus” featuring Lucy. https://youtu.be/aaxJwxOKrQk

For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/

This week, Ken Steele looks back at some of the biggest PR headaches afflicting Canadian colleges and universities in the past year, looking for common causes and some lessons we can learn about crisis communications.

Academia may well be the most challenging environment in which to manage messaging, with opinionated faculty, unrestrained students, and concerned parents, alumni, and taxpayers in the community.

Without a doubt, many PR headaches are caused by the students, intentionally or not. In previous episodes we’ve looked at sexist behavior in social media and during orientation, but Dalhousie’s School of Dentistry struggled with the biggest PR headache of 2015, when 13 male students posted sexist, misogynistic remarks to a supposedly private Facebook group. Protests, suspensions, a task force – in all, it cost the school about $650,000. And the underlying culture of sexism should have been addressed years earlier.

CBC’s “This Hour Has 22 Minutes” parody commercial – https://youtu.be/RtffrcWeMf0 Last year the University of Toronto had to ramp up campus security in the wake of a series of online threats posted by an anonymous user named “Kill Feminists.” The University of Ottawa coped with the fallout of the alleged sex assault by male hockey players, and a $6 million class action lawsuit. Several universities tore down posters for “White Students Unions.” 2 Montréal CÉGEPs had to cope with more than a dozen students leaving Canada to join Jihad.

But of course, students aren’t the only creative, intelligent and outspoken people on your campus. Last year we saw plenty of PR headaches caused by faculty members, too.In the UK there was Nobel-prize-winning biochemist Tim Hunt, and his ill-advised attempt at humour about the distraction of women scientists in the lab. (His botched apology made things far worse, and cost him his job.) In Ontario it was St Lawrence College business professor Rick Coupland, who was fired for violent homophobic comments last summer.

At Carleton University, biology professor Root Gorelick has caused a stir with his blog, commenting on his experiences as a member of the university board of governors. He sees himself as elected by faculty, with an obligation to his constituents, but the rest of the board and the administration are concerned about the ways in which his blogs do not always agree with the official minutes. He is accused of attacking the personal integrity of fellow board members. Carleton has put in place a new code of conduct for board members, making it clear that governors must not criticize decisions once they have been made. Several campus groups are concerned that Gorelick may be removed for his refusal to sign this “gag order.”

It seems pretty clear that when students or faculty behave badly, the institution needs to condemn their actions swiftly and unambiguously, suspend the perpetrators, start a thorough investigation, and possibly a restorative justice process. The institution may have to address the problem, through enhanced campus security, harassment policies, or codes of conduct. Sometimes swift action will lead to accusations of overreaction, such as at Ottawa and Dalhousie, where potentially innocent students are considered guilty by association. But these responses seemed to be the most popular approach in 2015.

Next time we’ll look at some of the most serious higher ed headaches of all. And as the metaphor might suggest, they often start at the top, with presidents and board chairs.

Meanwhile you might like to check out our review of the biggest higher ed headaches of 2014 - https://youtu.be/TJaZsXv68s4

Ken Steele is available to facilitate workshops or present at conferences and on campuses about PR headaches and how to manage media relations in a crisis. More information at http://eduvation.ca/pr-headaches-how-to-treat-them/

#ICYMI, check out ASAP Science’s a capella parody of Taylor Swift’s hit song, which they called “Science Style” - https://youtu.be/sWwd5vks9n8

For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/

This week, Ken Steele completes his countdown of the ten biggest trends impacting North American higher education in 2015, with the top 4: from political correctness and personal safety to major demographic shifts.

If you missed part 1, check it out first: https://youtu.be/bziLQbNEXcI

Trigger Warning: The topics of trigger warnings and sexual assault may be disturbing to some viewers. Discretion is advised.

4) Indigenous Content:

Even before the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission, institutions began announcing new mandatory indigenous content in their curricula. Students at the University of Winnipeg proposed mandatory courses in indigenous history or culture. Lakehead University announced that it would introduce indigenous perspectives into courses across all faculties. UBC’s Sauder School of Business and the UBC Okanagan School of Nursing both announced that they would be integrating Aboriginal content. The new president at the University of Saskatchewan declared that he would make indigenization his top priority. And the Law Faculties at UBC and Lakehead had both established mandatory courses in Aboriginal Law and intercultural training.

3) Zero Tolerance:

Last year we saw significant mainstream attention being paid to microaggressions on campus, and ongoing debate about trigger warnings for the curriculum. Faculty, most of whom are Baby Boomers or Gen Xers, are alarmed by the rising tide of political correctness and its potential to undermine academic freedom and free speech on campus. Generation Y students, on the other hand, take free speech for granted, but in a social media era have learned to retaliate against even the subtlest prejudice with a firestorm of outrage. Last year, several top comedians declared that they would no longer perform on campuses because students just couldn’t take a joke. A controversial prof at Laurentian asked his students to sign a waiver acknowledging coarse language in his lectures. Universities introduced microaggression training in their faculty orientations, collective agreements, and more. The Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms ranked Canadian universities and gave 15 universities and 26 student unions grades of “F”.

2) Sex Assault Protocols:

Although long-term trends in the incidences of sex assault on campus are debated, we saw an immense public spotlight focused on the issue last year. First there was the fallout of a discredited campus rape story published (and then retracted) by Rolling Stone magazine. The release of The Hunting Ground, a full-length documentary about Ivy League schools covering up rape to protect their brands. A Columbia student carrying a mattress with her everywhere on campus, including to her graduation. Task force recommendations at the University of Ottawa, in the wake of a sex assault that resulted in the suspension of its men’s hockey team. Rape allegations at Royal Military College. And then there was the CBC’s ranking of colleges and universities based on sex assaults reported in the previous 5 years. Across the country, presidents announced task forces and new policies and protocols, student unions and mental health services launched awareness campaigns and bystander intervention programs. There are even smartphone apps designed to secure affirmative sexual consent in the heat of the moment.

Full official trailer for The Hunting Ground: https://youtu.be/GBNHGi36nlM

Full ad for Alberta’s #IBelieveYou: https://youtu.be/VruBjg_dc2Q

1) Peak Campus:

Most significant of all, last year there was just no denying that enrolment was plateauing or declining at many campuses across North America. In the US, the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reported that college enrolment declined in 2015 for the third straight year, particularly at 2-year community colleges and for-profit institutions. The University of Phoenix had lost half of its students between 2010 and 2015, a whopping 250,000! The Council of Ontario Universities reported declines of about 5% in applicants province-wide over 2 years – and more remote institutions like the University of Windsor or Lakehead saw drops of up to 19%. The Maritime Provinces Higher Education Commission reported a 1% decline in enrolment after 4 consecutive years of growth, and smaller campuses in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick were particularly hard hit.

Check out Ken’s white paper, Peak Campus, for more detail: http://eduvation.ca/2013/09/peak-campus/

Next time we’ll round up the top higher ed headaches of 2015. For exclusive preview access, a week early, to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/

2015 was a rough year, from terrorist attacks in France and extreme weather in Texas and California, to the Volkswagen emissions scandal and the surprising rise of Donald Trump. But we also saw the launch of the Apple Watch, the Lexus hoverboard, and Nike self-lacing shoes. And there was a profound leftward shift in Canadian politics, from Rachel Notley’s NDP in Alberta to Dwight Ball’s Liberals in Newfoundland, and of course the second prime minister Trudeau. But there was also no shortage of developments directly affecting higher education. Some we have covered in previous episodes of this podcast, and others will deserve more attention soon. Here are Ken’s picks for the top ten.

From pay equity settlements and campaigns to encourage female enrolment in Engineering, to sexism in social media, and in nominations for the Science and Engineering Hall of Fame, gender can’t be ignored when we look back at 2015. Dedicated episode on Gender Equity

Electronic textbooks are being explored, particularly at Olds and Algonquin colleges, but last year we saw real momentum building for open texts – free, online, peer-reviewed textbooks. California, BC, and Manitoba have committed funding to so-called “Textbook Zero” programs, which can reduce student attrition by 10%. And the US Congress is again considering the Affordable College Textbook Act, to encourage the development and adoption of open text alternatives. Dedicated episode on e-Texts and Open Texts

Last year the “new faculty majority,” untenured part-time sessional instructors, joined fast-food workers on the picket line in the US to fight for a $15 minimum wage. While the situation in Canada is somewhat better, striking sessionals at York University still made national headlines. Dedicated episode on Adjunct & Contingent Faculty

Consumer drones hit the mainstream last year, about 4.3 million of them worldwide. They’re being used to patrol college entrance exams in China, and have entered the curriculum for programs in journalism, video, agriculture and firefighting, among others. But drones really took over last year in PSE marketing departments, with everybody featuring aerial footage in their videos.

A study published last year found that as much as 70% of scholarly output in some disciplines is in the hands of just 5 multinational publishing companies, and since publication determines tenure, promotion, research grants and university rankings, these corporations are the de facto “power brokers” of higher ed. They are posting better profit margins than Apple, and institutions from McGill to Harvard are finding they can no longer afford to subscribe to scholarly journals. Last year we saw editors and editorial boards quit in protest over pay-to-play peer review, extortionate subscription rates, and extensive peer review fraud.

Last year there was also a groundswell of protest against generous executive pensions and administrative leave, allowing university presidents in particular to “double-dip” and get paid double their salary, or their salary in addition to pension in retirement. Western University president Amit Chakma took the brunt of the outrage, but other cases included Michael Goldbloom at Bishop’s, Arvind Gupta at UBC, Heather Munroe-Blum at McGill, Tom Traves at Dalhousie, and Sean Riley at StFX. When a scarcity mentality sets in, people start looking for scapegoats, and presidents are tempting targets.

Next time, we’ll finish this countdown with the 4 biggest trends affecting higher ed last year, from political correctness to major demographic shifts. (Subscribeto get access to future episodes a full week in advance!)

Ken Steele completes his survey of recent trends in college and university holiday greeting videos in this week’s 20-minute episode of Ten with Ken. (If you missed Part 1, watch it at https://youtu.be/iImd9p1O3nQ ). This time, we look at highlights from 27 institutional videos from some of our favourite categories: comedy and parody, seasonal goodwill gestures, and campus choirs and musicians.

We’ve had to significantly edit these videos for the podcast, and although we’ve tried to retain their flavour and focus on their best moments, you may want to go watch the full, unedited versions:

MARKETING DEPARTMENT GREETINGS:

Fanshawe College Reputation & Brand Management, 2014 - https://youtu.be/o-DdAhlUbBY

University of Waterloo Communications & Public Affairs, 2014 - https://youtu.be/DuwCR7PGJqg

Western University Creative Services, 2014 - https://youtu.be/WFC-tiKVvBE

HUMOUR & PARODY:

Bow Valley College 2014 - https://youtu.be/dT6s4A8X8GM

University of Waterloo Faculty of the Environment, Kris Kringle Research Institute 2013 - https://youtu.be/jx-tI5rLi3s

UBC Ubyssey, 36 Things to Do 2014 - https://youtu.be/qinukwkwzwk

Sheridan College Bachelor of Animation, 2014 - https://youtu.be/aHhLNCsytRs

SEASONAL GOODWILL GESTURES:

WestJet Christmas Miracle, 2013 - https://youtu.be/zIEIvi2MuEk

University of Waterloo Faculty of the Environment, 2014 - https://youtu.be/ycx6mOHh0uk

Trinity Western University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/3uVk_f4xT7k

McMaster University, The Spirit of Giving 2014 - https://youtu.be/b1C7hU45eC0

Red Deer College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/T51u6kxFmnc

Humber College, Spreading a Little Humber Happiness 2014 - https://youtu.be/PHWrbFwEkZg

Saint Mary’s University (Halifax), Be Thoughtful Be Festive 2014 - https://youtu.be/51He8sxwSTA

University of Victoria, Holiday Wishes 2014 - https://youtu.be/SvcSfPFcGi8

Durham College, Make it Merry 2014 - https://youtu.be/BhcrMrd2-AI

MUSICIANS & CHOIRS:

University of Waterloo Applied Health Sciences, 2013 - https://youtu.be/dRhmITUxEc4

Carleton University VP Research, 2014 - https://youtu.be/7QWWF63VNMY

Upper Canada College, A Jingle Bells School Day, 2013 - https://youtu.be/OSkPQVhJRdg

Huron University College, 12 Days of Christmas, 2013 - https://youtu.be/N81ybB-kqlA

Mohawk College, Holiday eCard 2013 - https://youtu.be/6NV-S_l9DJA

Mohawk College, Behind-the-Scenes 2013 - https://youtu.be/sNx_qr-SxPk

Huron University College, Decorating in the Chapel, 2013 - https://youtu.be/EkUNNrxYjt0

Algonquin College, President’s Holiday Message 2014 - https://youtu.be/Wla_j1g0nSA

Bow Valley College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/-eWLBmdIswI

King’s University College Chamber Choir, 2014 - https://youtu.be/m3QV1J9O1lQ

Capilano University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/DOCAgUMcvrc (also used over our closing credits)

Cambrian College Choir, The Winter’s Night 2014 - https://youtu.be/ca9RX3nLjr0

St Clair College Performing Arts Students, O Holy Night 2014 - https://youtu.be/uHXPvjBCWW4

If you’ve seen a noteworthy campus greeting message this year, check to see if it’s on our 2015 Holiday Greetings playlist at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLodJ8ParJmYULq5f-_JsusgbW1V8BNfSd . If not, please drop me an email at [email protected] so we can add it. (We’ll discuss this year’s crop next December.)

For exclusive preview access to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/

Best wishes for a peaceful holiday with family and friends, and for a happy and prosperous 2016! We’ll be back in early January with several “Year in Review” episodes of Ten with Ken!

As Canadian campuses wind down toward the winter holidays, Ken Steele surveys recent trends in college and university holiday greeting videos in 2 special extended episodes of Ten with Ken. In this week’s 19-minute episode, Ken shares extremely tightly-edited highlights from 49 institutional videos in 5 categories: animated greeting cards, short story vignettes, personal greetings, Q&A compilations, and multilingual greetings.

Thompson Rivers University's marketing department captures the challenges of being politically correct and gaining committee approval, 2014 - https://youtu.be/5S5h_x8vLCQ

ANIMATED CARDS:Vancouver Community College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/l_xwoG4e4CM University of Waterloo, CECA, 2014 - https://youtu.be/Bv5DoNH2PK0 St Lawrence College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/0KzxSuDVak8 University of Winnipeg, 2013 - https://youtu.be/yjTKfdn2Pjw Georgian College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/APdQM1wWKYM Humber College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/UECuf6MblwI BCIT, 2014 - https://youtu.be/kiJmwr1Oop4 Centennial College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/jt5Zm_HamLE Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2013 - https://youtu.be/GHSyo8uygs4 Red Deer College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/uW2gWhbsJs0 Carleton University, 2010 - https://youtu.be/jYJvv9cJ2e4 Ryerson University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/RA3RdWDgWQY Camosun College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/lcTvWbO3PZg UBC, Interactive Website, 2014 - https://support.ubc.ca/ecards/holiday-card-2014/ Nipissing University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/WwOM1-CWBNE Emily Carr University of Art + Design, 2014 - https://youtu.be/aliM2MOwzvs Royal Roads University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/kUf0A3jx8Jk George Brown College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/orUM1PPPV2k Acadia University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/_QWIUq9JsZw Nova Scotia Community College, 2012 - https://youtu.be/99mCxoykG-Y Mohawk College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/S9GrSNxdGnk Niagara College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/sQBxQQfuN1w Western University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/BHU5GPrqxps

VIGNETTES:Sheridan College, 2013 - https://youtu.be/GOXFAN4gRRM Sheridan College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/jU3Rb1ZYkh8 York University Lassonde School of Engineering, 2014 - https://youtu.be/BvcELvQimPc Western University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/McDzHIkKMco

PERSONAL GREETINGS:Collège Boréal, 2013 - https://youtu.be/yNw1Po8tPMg St Lawrence College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/DTbnoNYqKBI Briercrest College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/KRUHGnms9rM Mount Royal University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/mYANycbBYUE Trent University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/xf9HawOXgr4 Simon Fraser University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/OV67RXMCd2o Thompson Rivers University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/YCuS-bGItfA University of Waterloo, 2014 - https://youtu.be/Peb_Dpvjqbc Algonquin College, 2014 - https://youtu.be/Wla_j1g0nSA Nipissing University, 2014 - https://vimeo.com/113403258

Q&A COMPILATIONS:Dalhousie University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/Wu_J8Nmn8X8 King’s University College at Western, 2013 - https://youtu.be/G557sfnMxTw Saint Francis Xavier University Athletics, 2014 - https://youtu.be/v-MLNQOj6uY University of the Fraser Valley, 2014 - https://youtu.be/v-lR1708CDI Queen’s University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/1pcIt7vuFFc

MULTILINGUAL GREETINGS:Vancouver Island University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/s4eRu4R3a3g Vancouver Island University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/iEjJpctxWoU Cape Breton University, 2014 (no longer online)Ryerson University, International Student Life, 2014 - https://youtu.be/3-ulasYNuXU McGill University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/M8NgbWtezGI Dalhousie University, 2013 - https://youtu.be/cUvNrgNTJCg Simon Fraser University, 2014 - https://youtu.be/Ql92s8LaL2Q

Stay tuned next week for part 2, in which we share excerpts from 27 more holiday greeting videos, from categories like comedy and parody, seasonal goodwill gestures, and campus choirs!

If you’ve seen a noteworthy campus greeting message this year, check to see if it’s on our 2015 Holiday Greetings playlist. If not, please drop me an email: [email protected].

For exclusive preview access to future episodes of "Ten with Ken", be sure to subscribe to Eduvation's "in the loop" email newsletter, at http://www.eduvation.ca/subscribe/

Ken Steele sums up trends in on-campus housing, as colleges and universities build more and more residences, to appeal to international students, teenagers and their parents. Western University has 5,346 residence rooms, and most built in the past decade feature a semi-private floorplan with private bedroom and study space, shared washrooms, kitchen and living area. Colleges have increasingly been following suit, such as Fanshawe College, whose Merlin House accommodates 428 students in a similar fashion. Amenities arms races in Canada are nothing compared to those at American colleges (consider for example the $7 million leisure pool at Texas Tech University), but nonetheless the bar keeps rising for luxury campus housing. For example, Brescia University College opened a new $30-million residence in 2013 with private rooms, queen-sized beds, individual thermostats, and even room service. The University of Winnipeg opened a residence, McFeetors Hall, that combines 172 student dorms with 25 ground-floor townhomes, half reserved for community housing. In many provinces, capital debt is discouraged for residence construction, so increasingly institutions are turning to P3s (public-private partnerships) to design, build, and sometimes manage student residences (such as Thompson Rivers University, Ryerson University, and SAIT Polytechnic). If institutions don't build enough residence space, private developers will often swoop in to build apartment towers adjacent to campus. In some cases, student residences are an integral part of the academic mission of the institution, such as the Velocity Residence at the University of Waterloo, a "dormcubator" designed to incubate new student-run businesses (and already a success, considering graduates like Ted Livingston, founder of Kik Interactive, who donated $1 million to establish a seed money fund for future student ventures). In a previous episode, we argued that there has been a rise in part-time and commuter students on campus, even when they are "invisible" (see the episode at https://youtu.be/e5GGxa2Z7EY ). Some institutions are dedicating dorm space to commuter students, such as Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. UBC Okanagan has created "Collegia" to provide space to study, cook, socialize, or nap for commuter students on campus. Ryerson University has opened a new commuter hostel, with 9 rooms available to students for $35 per night, on a limited basis. Some residences are considerably less luxurious. In Terrace BC, Northwest Community College opened a 49-bed campus residence using the same ATCO trailers used in remote work camps - not only a cost-effective solution, but an experiential learning opportunity for trades students. Although the campus housing market seems to be bifurcating, students often demonstrate a resentment of inequality -- most recently, Ryerson University students gained international media attention over the #TissueIssue (fancier 2-ply tissue in the administration washrooms on campus). Space in residence may become even tighter yet, judging by the example of modular dorms in Hong Kong, based on the capsule hotels of Japan. Students pay HK$3,500 per month for a 6x4x3' slot, barely larger than a morgue drawer. Most places in Canada will never see such cramped quarters, but if they do appear, it will likely be in downtown Vancouver, where international students may arrive with less and less expectation of personal space.Finally, just #ICYMI, we share clips from a catchy new music video from the University of Victoria, "Discover Your Edge." (Oh, and a couple of bloopers follow the closing credits, for those of you who stick it out!)