This project proposed a better means to identify what manifests a sense of pride on college campuses and identify how, specifically, VCU could enrich the campus image, the campus experience and the campus environment to nurture and enhance institutional pride. Of the ideas that were proposed, Mary Cox, University Architect, was able to implement several under the purview of facilities management. The VCU Rams logo painted on campus streets and the use of banners highlighting key university accomplishments were among the ideas proposed in this project

Cox, Mary

Davey, Tim

Gooden, Susan

Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University

Lepley, Pamela

Nichols, Catherine

Sizemore, Macon

Stern, Marilyn

Williams, Margaret

English

VCU Scholars Compass

Virginia Commonwealth UniversityVCU Scholars CompassL. Douglas Wilder School of Government andPublic Affairs PublicationsL. Douglas Wilder School of Government andPublic Affairs2005Campus PrideGrace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityMary CoxVirginia Commonwealth UniversityTim DaveyVirginia Commonwealth UniversitySee next page for additional authorsFollow this and additional works at: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/wilder_pubsPart of the Arts and Humanities Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences CommonsThis Research Report is brought to you for free and open access by the L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs at VCU ScholarsCompass. It has been accepted for inclusion in L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs Publications by an authorizedadministrator of VCU Scholars Compass. For more information, please contact libcompass@vcu.edu.Downloaded fromhttps://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/wilder_pubs/35AuthorsGrace E. Harris Leadership Institute, Virginia Commonwealth University; Mary Cox; Tim Davey; SusanGooden; Pamela Lepley; Catherine Nichols; Macon Sizemore; Marilyn Stern; and Margaret WilliamsThis research report is available at VCU Scholars Compass: https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/wilder_pubs/35Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute     Team Members: Mary Cox  Tim Davey  Susan Gooden  Pamela Lepley  Catherine Nichols  Macon Sizemore  Marilyn Stern  Margaret (Peg) Williams  Team Sponsor: John Duval  Project Description: This project seeks to identify what manifests a sense of   pride on college campuses and identify how, specifically, VCU can enrich the campus image, the campus experience and the campus environment to nurture and enhance institutional pride.  Project Goals: The Pride Team emphatically expressed the goal of producing something real and of lasting value to VCU.  We also wanted to choose a project that was highly relevant to VCU’s overall mission and vision and one that touched virtually everyone within the university community.   We wanted to evolve a strategy that enables people to identify not just with their school, department or area of specialty, but also to identify with VCU.  Finally, we wanted to use the team project as a way to practice what we learned at the Grace Harris Institute and advance our personal leadership capabilities.  Strategies: Our strategy was to explore three major areas where the image, experience and environment of VCU could be enhanced.    Image and Identity  Traditions and Stories  Campus Icons  Action Steps: We first embarked on a “discovery” process where we clarified the problem and discussed desired outcomes.  This was difficult for some since it seemed too “open-ended”. Given the team’s strong bias for action there was concern that we would spend all of our time thinking and debating ideas with no tangible resultant work product.   Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute    To solve this we set up a project planning framework that showed a beginning and end to the project with concrete steps in between.  The framework allowed time for exploration and discovery but moved quickly to action steps.   Next we talked about other initiatives going on at VCU and how successful they were.  We compared these initiatives to our ideas to see if there were any overlaps.  We debated whether our ideas really addressed the problems we had identified and consulted with our advisor on where there were needs this team could help with.   Next we split up into three teams reflecting the three major initiatives:  Image and Identity (Catherine, Pam, Tim)  Traditions and Stories (Susan, Macon, Peg)  Campus Icons (Mary and Marilyn) Each team worked on individual ideas that revolved around the common theme of expressing pride in various ways.   The proposed action steps are outlined on each of the individual idea sheets under “Recommendations”.   Outcomes: Overall the desired outcome is that this project acts as a catalyst for faculty and staff to experience an enhanced sense of pride by celebrating what is unique and positive about VCU.   We believe that an enhanced sense of pride will inspire a shared vision that gives focus and direction to VCU’s vision, mission and goals.  More specifically, we hope that shared vision, a stronger association with the university as a unit and a better understanding of VCU’s best qualities will result in the following outcomes:  Promotes a more active and engaged alumni  Raises the bar….encourages people to stretch themselves.  Improves recruitment and retentions  Dollars  Enhances cross-disciplinary collaboration.   Recommendation: Team Pride developed a series of recommendations that are further described in “idea sheets” attached.  We provided specific timelines, cost estimates and resources whose Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute    involvement is needed to launch these initiatives.  We were specific about the action steps because we want these ideas take root and grow, and not just reside in this document.  The recommendations are:  Image and Identity  Develop a coordinated pride marketing strategy  o Develop a VCU alumni publication o Engender excitement in University not just School o Highlight university wide achievements o Tap untapped resources  Propose ideas for a VCU crest and motto  Build on the momentum started by Athletics  Traditions and Stories Establish or reinvigorate events that highlight accomplishments, celebrate achievements and recognize successes.  Provide a venue for telling our story:   Create Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day   Revitalize Service awards  Create a Grace E. Harris Achievement award  Tell the VCU Story through an oral history project and a visual presentation  Let the campus tell the story  Campus Icons Develop plans that allow the university community to be proud if its work environment and encourage reinvestment in the institution, and speak about what is uniquely VCU.  Create a Class Giving Program  Integrate Art into the Environment   Enhance Campus Identity  Write a Campus Heritage Plan  We hope that some of these initiatives may be included in the University’s strategic plan to reinforce their importance and enhance their potential for success.  We have completed the following activities during the Grace Harris Leadership program:  Increased awareness and velocity of pride at VCU  Proposed ideas for a university motto and crest  Organized product merchandising with Pride logo  Helped renew interest in service awards  Proposed ideas for banners to tell the VCU story Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute     Created commemorative committees  Established design competition guidelines  Launched the first design competition for art in the environment  Wrote a campus heritage plan  Developed a Getty grant proposal   The following challenges remain:  Create a “Grace Harris” award.  Encourage production of a “VCU Video” or recommend channels for use of visual presentations.  Promote a VCU Oral History Project.  Establish a faculty and staff appreciation day.  Create alumni giving guidelines book.  Coordinate marketing and outreach efforts.  Build on the pride momentum started by Athletics.  Build gateway markers and street signs.  Create a VCU Alumni publication in addition to the two that exist.  The attached document outlines specific action steps for these remaining challenges.  We also recommend that a standing committee be appointed to guide the growth and development of these initiatives and evaluate the outcomes.   Conclusions: We explored the concept of “pride” and realized early on that we had chosen a project that is intangible, but at the same time palpable.   It is hard to define in concrete terms, yet we perceive its existence or absence.  We investigated the definition of pride and found that it has broad meaning, spanning the spiritual realm from tribal allegiances to the more subtle and personal knowledge that you are part of a group whose values and objectives align with your own.    We realized also that pride develops both from the inside out and the outside in.  Pride represents a sense of identification with the University that is a deeply held and personal response to what the University is thought to represent. Expression of pride grows and flourishes in response to elements of and experiences with the University, its members, and environment. Pride is not something that can be superimposed or overlaid onto a culture that does not accept it as real.  There must be a nucleus or seed of truth Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute    from which the expression of pride grows and flourishes.  Thus, the task of building VCU pride is to tell the story of the University so that the seeds of pride can be planted within individuals.  We found that pride is the feeling that you are part of something greater than yourself.  The book “Exceptional Leadership” provided some guidance in its assertion that pride derives from what is unique about an institution.  So we asked ourselves:   What is our passion?  What are our rallying points?  What are we best at?  How do we tell our story?  What makes VCU unique in a positive way?  In our early investigations, we found that pride already exists within the ranks of students, faculty and staff at VCU.  The evolution of the Athletics program has fostered this as have the merchandising efforts of the bookstore and the research awards program.  We documented what works now at VCU and recommend the continuation of certain events and programs.   We also recognized that there are members of the University community who have a true love of the institution; and many academic units within the University have developed their own rituals, traditions, and histories that have instilled pride in their members.  However, there is not a coordinated effort to embrace and foster this affinity nor to take it the next level – that of the University as a whole.  This project is intended to provide the framework within which university pride can flourish and grow.  In a way this project is about increasing the “velocity” with which people feel a personal relationship to and a sense of connection with the university as a whole.  Even though it is intangible, we believe that the effects of pride will be felt in the form of an increased focus and direction to VCU’s vision, mission and goals.     1/28/2010VCU Pride►Why pride?  Unity Authenticity Uniqueness Value1/28/2010VCU Pride►Outcomes Promotes a more active and engaged alumni Raises the bar….encourages people to stretch themselves Improves recruitment and retention Dollars $$ Enhances cross-disciplinary collaboration1/28/2010VCU Pride► Project description Image and Identity Traditions and Stories Campus Icons1/28/2010VCU pride► Image and Identity Coordinate marketing efforts. Use VCU Pride as a pilot project for coordination.►Business services ►Athletics►VCU marketing►Health SciencesBusiness ServicesAthleticsVCU MarketingHealth Sciences1/28/2010VCU pride►Building Pride: classic marketing modelI’m proud of VCUConsiderationI believe in VCUbFavorabilitybI know VCUbFamiliaritybWho is VCU?bAwarenessb1/28/2010VCU pride► Image & Identity Develop a VCU Alumni publication. Engender excitement in UNIVERSITY, not just SCHOOL. Highlight university-wide achievements. Tap an un-tapped resource.VCU Alumni1/28/2010VCU Pride► Image and Identity Create a university motto for►Rallying around a unifying theme►Letterhead►AdvertisementsINNOVATION is our Tradition1/28/2010VCU Pride► Image and Identity Create a University crest for:►Diplomas►Campus identification►Formal awards and certificates►Benches and fences1/28/2010VCU Pride► Image and Identity Build on the momentum developed by AthleticsBuilding Pride.  One Victory at a Time.1/28/2010VCU Pride► Traditions and Stories Express key values Communicate our history1/28/2010VCU Pride► Traditions & Stories Create Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day►Social (picnic-type) event►Senior administrators serve cake►Door prizes and drawings►End-of-year or Back-to-school event1/28/2010VCU Pride► Traditions & Stories Reinstate and reinvigorate service awards Create a “Grace E. Harris” achievement award2005 limited edition stained glass mirror for 25 or more years of service. 1/28/2010VCU Pride► Traditions & Stories Tell the VCU story►VCU Oral History Project►Visual presentation 1/28/2010VCU Pride► Traditions and Stories Let the campus tell our story►Banners celebrating achievements►Monuments of VCU luminaries1/28/2010VCU Pride► Campus Icons Class Giving program►Develop idea book for class giving.►Meet with class officers on giving program.►Let class gifts unify and motivate future classes.►GEHLI Class of 2005 Gift1/28/2010VCU Pride►Campus Icons Art in the Environment► Identify venues for display of indoor & outdoor artwork.►Set up a committee to manage the program.►Host design competitions for students, faculty and alumni.1/28/2010VCU Pride► Campus Icons Enhance campus identity►Create VCU street signs►Build gateway markers►Capture views and vistasFranklin Street1/28/2010VCU Pride► Campus Heritage Plan Submit a Getty grant. Develop campus commemorative committees. Prepare a written plan for preserving our rich heritage.1/28/2010VCU Pride Increased awareness and velocity of pride at VCU. Proposed idea for banners to tell our story. Launched idea for pride logo merchandise. Promoted revitalization of service awards. Created commemorative committees. Established design competition guidelines for art in the environment. Launched 1st design competition. Proposed ideas for a university motto and crest.What we’ve accomplished so far:1/28/2010VCU Pride Create a “Grace E. Harris Achievement Award”. Promote the VCU Oral History project. Establish Faculty and Staff Appreciation Day. Create alumni giving booklet. Encourage production of a “VCU Video” Create a VCU alumni publication. Coordinate marketing and outreach efforts. Build on the pride momentum started by Athletics. Build gateway markers and street signs. Write a “campus heritage plan”and Getty grant proposalThe challenges that remain:1/28/2010VCU PrideMary CoxTim DaveySusan GoodenPam LepleyCatherine Nichols Macon SizemoreMarilyn SternPeg Williams

Campus Pride

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Campus Pride

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