The Rhodes College Office of Marketing & Communications is charged with telling the college’s story both on and off campus. The communications team carries out its mission by sharing key messages and timely information using a variety of strategies and channels.
We work closely with the president, the Board of Trustees, and the senior leadership team to support institutional-level communication. Our partnership with the Office of Admission supports the recruitment and retention of well-qualified, diverse students from throughout the country and the world. We also provide support for a variety of alumni and development initiatives.
Our team manages the college’s digital presence, which includes Rhodes.edu and affiliated websites as well as the college’s flagship social media channels. We produce and publish Rhodes magazine.
The Office of Marketing & Communications proactively shares stories with local and national news organizations to advance the college’s reputation. The team responds to media inquiries and facilitates interviews with faculty experts and administrators.
Linda Bonnin, Vice President for Marketing & Communications
The Rhodes College Brand
The Rhodes College Brand Identity Guide serves as the foundation for all of the college’s communications materials. The document is based on the college’s strategic plan research. Hundreds of voices contributed to the final product through student, faculty, staff, and alumni surveys and focus groups.
The brand identity guide outlines the proper use of the college’s brand marks and logos, primary and secondary colors, and approved fonts. In addition, the guide outlines how to express the college’s personas through writing and imagery.
The Office of Marketing and Communications follows the Rhodes College Editorial Style Guide.
Read more about Rhodes highlights and achievement stories: Rhodes Highlights Fall 2024 (PDF)
The Office of Marketing and Communications’ Digital Services team manages the college’s main public-facing website, as well as the Express Online intranet, the online Handbooks and Catalogue, News.Rhodes.edu, and the collection of office, initiative, and research-based microsites branded as Sites@Rhodes. Digital Services staff work with stakeholders and subject matter experts across the college, reviewing content to determine how it will best fit into the college’s websites and sees to the day-to-day management of content and architecture.
For content that needs its own independent navigation or which does not directly fit the mission of the college’s other sites, the Office of Communications offers college-branded sites for all faculty, offices, and programs through Sites@Rhodes. Digital Services staff will consult on matters of architecture, design, and layout, set up and populate the site, and provide individual or small group training, handing off routine, minor content updates to the content owners.
We encourage the Rhodes community to take advantage of our services, available at no cost to the user. Maintaining integrity of design is important to our various audiences to provide a consistently excellent user experience and to conform to the college’s branding, as well as to guarantee accessibility as required by law and in accordance with the mission and vision of the college.
In cases where an outside vendor must be used to host web content, the proposed vendor must consult with the communications office about workflow, branding, integration, accessibility, and other guidelines before signing a contract or agreeing to any terms of service for web properties that will in any way bear the college’s name or branding.
The Office of Marketing and Communications assists with the promotion of major college events such as Commencement, Opening Convocation, Family Weekend, Homecoming, large-scale admission programs, and other events designated by the president.
The Office of Marketing and Communications publishes RhodesNews, a newsletter highlighting campus news and upcoming events. RhodesNews is published on the first Wednesday of each month during the academic year, except for holiday weeks, when it will publish the following week. The events listed in RhodesNews are drawn from the college’s public events calendar.
Due to limited resources, the office is unable to assist with the planning of departmental or program-level events. For assistance with events, contact the Office of College Events.
Video is a key component of the college’s communications strategy. The Office of Marketing and Communications produces video content to share the college’s story and promote key college initiatives. Video projects can be found on the college’s YouTube channel.
Live streaming video is an important tool used to share the college’s story with internal and external audiences. The Office of Marketing and Communications oversees the live streaming of major college events and other events designated by the president and senior leadership.
The office is unable to assist with instructional video production. The college’s instructional technology team is available to assist with these needs.
The Office of Marketing and Communications captures photography to support strategic goals in all areas of the college. Photography appears in admission materials, internal news, on the website, on social media, and elsewhere. The Rhodes Brand Identity Guide addresses how best for photography to support the identity and messaging of the college.
The Office of Marketing and Communications accepts requests for photography that are aligned with its mission. However, the office is unable to schedule photography for departmental or program-level events.
The Office of Communications Creative Services team is primarily focused on supporting admission recruiting projects and development and alumni relations initiatives. The team is also able to consult on and provide design services for major college initiatives and events.
The team is also available to consult and answer questions on the proper use of the college’s brand and visual identity standards.
The Office of Marketing and Communications handles media relations for the college. The director of communications is the college’s primary spokespeople.
The office regularly publishes news about the college, faculty accomplishments, and student success stories. (See the “Stories” section for more information.) In addition, the office is available to assist faculty as they work with members of the news media. This includes facilitating expert interviews with reporters and correspondents, advising on the development and pitching of editorial pieces, and training faculty members how to best share their research and scholarship with news organizations.
Members of the media are welcome on campus to cover events open to the general public. Permission must be given in advance before media can access the campus to conduct interviews or capture video or photography. Contact the media relations manager at news@rhodes.edu to request permission to come on campus. Once permission is granted, the Office of Marketing and Communications will notify Campus Safety to ensure access to campus is granted.
The Office of Marketing and Communications regularly publishes news about the college, faculty accomplishments, and student success stories. These are based on the college’s strategic priorities and are developed in concert with the relevant departments and divisions.
The office welcomes relevant pitches for story ideas from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and friends of the college. We are not able to publish every idea, but will give serious consideration to all. Please direct your pitches to the director of communications.
Rhodes Magazine is published biannually for alumni, students, parents, faculty, staff, and friends of the college. It contains news and profiles of alumni, faculty, and students, along with a lengthy alumni news section. To submit story suggestions or comments, contact Samuel X. Cicci, senior writer & magazine editor, at ciccis@rhodes.edu or (901) 843-3100.
To submit alumni news (including marriages, births, and obituaries) or to update your contact information, contact Tracy Patterson, director of alumni relations, at pattersont@rhodes.edu or (901) 843-3856. You may also send your information to alumni@rhodes.edu.
For information or inquiries regarding athletics, contact Breanna Stalsitz, director of athletic media relations, at stalsitzb@hodes.edu or (901) 843-3063..
To promote or inquire about alumni activities, contact Mimi Salazar '96, director of alumni relations, at salazarm@rhodes.edu or (901) 843-3856.
Social Media
The Rhodes flagship social media accounts are run by the Office of Marketing and Communications and are one of the primary channels we use to elevate stories and key messages. Our social media accounts make use of video, photography, and print media. Official Rhodes accounts appear on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
With approval from the relevant vice president, other channels may be run by Rhodes affiliates, such as academic and administrative departments, but are not under the purview of the Office of Marketing and Communications. Use of the Rhodes Brand Identity Guide is required for all accounts representing Rhodes College divisions, offices, departments, or programs.