Strategic Communication

Goal: Communicate strategically to internal and external constituents

Notre Dame endeavors to communicate consistent and effective messages to the University’s critical audiences of faculty, staff, students, alumni, parents, friends, local community, government, and peers. Here are some notable recent achievements toward this goal:

  • Community Engagement
    Notre Dame has made great strides in its relationship with the local community over the last five years, earning a Carnegie Classification in 2010. Efforts such as the Robinson Community Learning Center, Irish Green, Innovation Park, government donations, Eddy Street Commons and especially participation in the NNRO – a unique partnership between the University, neighborhood groups, city and major businesses that won a gold award from the National League of Cities in 2010 – have received wide recognition for their success.
  • Faculty Expertise
    Notre Dame’s Office of Public Relations proactively places Notre Dame research stories and faculty experts in the news. Through strategic national media placements, the office seeks to promote the University’s reputation as a top academic and research institution and to share the expertise of its public intellectuals on a wide variety of important topics.
  • Interactive Web Pages
    Notre Dame has recently launched a number of interactive websites. Three of the most popular interactive web pages are the Gameday site for football weekends, the Pray@ND site for alumni spirituality and the virtual tour.
  • iTunes U
    In 2009, Notre Dame joined iTunes U, a dedicated area within Apple’s iTunes Store that features lectures, lessons and other materials produced by colleges and universities. The ND iTunes U site contains hundreds of free, downloadable audio and video files representing academics, research, campus life, faith and service, as well as a section dedicated to alumni, parents and friends.
  • NBC Commercials
    The University of Notre Dame asks “What Would You Fight For?” in this series of stories highlighting the research, scholarly achievements and social initiatives of our faculty and students. The two-minute segments during each home Notre Dame football game started on NBC broadcasts in 2008.
  • Notre Dame Forum
    Established by Father Jenkins in 2005, the Notre Dame Forum has brought leading authorities to campus to discuss substantive issues of the day. Forum topics have included Catholic education, the global marketplace and its impact on the common good, immigration, sustainability, global health and the role of religious faith in a plural world.
  • Updated Website
    In 2011, Notre Dame applied an updated design and improved technology to its website, which receives up to one million hits each month. The new visual design is intended to provide users with easier access to important information, reinforce ties between the University and local community, and convey the spirit and beauty of the Notre Dame community and campus.