Student Life Communications and Marketing
The Student Life Communications and Marketing team leads the communication strategy for the Division of Student Life.
We partner within the Division to ensure that students connect with opportunities that support their lifelong success. Our work builds bridges between the Division’s services and the members of the University of Delaware community. We support the Division’s mission of advancing equity and inclusion, deepening student learning and driving holistic development at the University of Delaware.
Our Team
Heather Tansley
Portfolio Partners
- Business Operations
- Student Life Development and Alumni Relations
- Strategy and Planning
- Vice President of Student Life
Abigail Phillips
Portfolio Partners
- Fraternity and Sorority Leadership & Learning
- University Student Centers
Sarah Cummings
Portfolio Partners
- Residence Life & Housing
- Student Diversity & Inclusion
Jessica Downey
Portfolio Partners
- UD Career Center
- Center for Counseling and Student Development
- Student Health Services
- Student Wellness and Health Promotion
Sean Diffendall
Portfolio Partners
- Community Standards & Conflict Resolution
- Office of the Dean of Students
- Orientation and Transition Programs
- Student Services for Athletes
Our Services
Digital
- Email communication, including weekly student and staff newsletters and email marketing strategy discussions
- Social media requests, including content creation and promotion
Editorial
- Pitches for UDaily articles
- Blog posts
Website and UX
- Website content creation, revision and analytics
- User experience research studies for web
- Digital signage coordination and content management
Creative
- Collateral creation and updates (e.g., brochures, mailers)
- Event collateral (e.g., invitations, flyers)
- Photography
- Video
- Promotional materials (swag) design
- Environmental design
Strategy
- Strategic planning and advising
What's Our Process?
When you submit our project request form, you start the process of collaborating with the Student Life Communications and Marketing team to complete your project. Unsure where to start? Request Project Discovery and our team will meet with you to discuss your needs, gather additional details and determine a timeline and projected costs.
Rhythm of Business Calendar
To help with project planning and requests, find SL Comms events and deadlines on the calendar below.
Want to Advertise in the student Centers?
Submit an advertising request to the Student Centers. Design projects for print and digital advertising locations will only be fulfilled after advertising space reservations have been confirmed.
Lead Times
SL Comm is committed to doing our best to meet requested deadlines, however we cannot honor requested deadlines if we do not have complete or accurate information during the agreed upon timeline and/or if we are not given enough lead time for the project. The SL Comm Project Coordinator will reach out to you if a submitted request is incomplete and/or the requested deadline cannot be met for any reason.
Annual Event Lead Times:
| Annual Event | Event Date; | Submit Requests by: |
|---|---|---|
| Summer NSO | June–July | Early March |
| RA Fair | August | Early June |
| Fall opening (Move-in, Welcome Days, Welcome messages) | September | Mid June |
| I Heart UD Day | May | Late March |
| Spring NSO and Welcome Days | February | Mid November |
Sample Project Lead Times:
| Project Type | Lead Time |
|---|---|
| Multi-page print material | 4–6 weeks (including printing) |
| Multi-page digital designs and multimedia campaigns | 2–4 weeks |
| Single-page print or digital materials | 2–10 days |
| Web edits or web content updates | 1–2 days |
| New web pages or page redesigns | 2 weeks |
| Website redesign | Project specific |
| Photography and videography | Project specific |
| Storytelling/featured stories (initial draft) | 2–4 weeks |
| Social media posts | 1–3 weeks |
| Newsletter inclusion | 1 week prior |
| Environmental branding projects | Expect longer lead times as time depends on project complexity |
Email Campaigns
The Student Life Communications and Marketing team creates and distributes a variety of email newsletters to both internal and external audiences.
Blue Hen Life Newsletter
Audience: All UD students
Frequency: Weekly, Mondays at 9 p.m.
Content Deadline: Thursdays at midnight
SL Employee Newsletter
Audience: Student Life staff
Frequency: Weekly, Wednesdays at 3 p.m.
Content Deadline: Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
Career Newsletters
Audience: All UD students by career community
Frequency: Weekly, Thursdays at 2 p.m.
Content Deadline: Tuesdays at 5 p.m.
The Egg
The Egg Student Creative Agency is a professionally-advised student multimedia and design group. For our student staff, we are an experiential learning program centered around creativity.
Located in the Perkins Student Center, a hub of student life on campus, we are in a unique position to support the Student Centers spaces and programs, as well as the vibrant community of nearby student groups.
The most effective way we can realize our goals is to communicate through one voice and one cohesive institutional brand. By doing so we showcase activities and achievements happening throughout the University. UD’s Office of Communications & Marketing maintains style guidelines to help all those working at and with UD to be the best stewards of its image, reputation and story throughout the world. Be sure to check these links often, as changes are made frequently.
The Division of Student Life advances equity and inclusion, deepens student learning and drives holistic development through education, experiences and communities.