The Office of Communications and Marketing is composed of several collaborative units working together to fulfill our mission of advancing the university’s reputation.
Administration
The vice chancellor serves as the university’s chief communications and marketing officer. The associate vice chancellor oversees strategic initiatives and operations. They work closely with cabinet executives, academic and administrative leaders, and marketing and communication directors across campus to align and integrate marketing and communication activities.
Business and Finance
This team oversees the office’s budget, forecasting, accounting, contracts, procurement, HR, and administrative operations. They support our teams to align our resources with our strategies and work closely with the Division of Finance and Administration to ensure our operations adhere to university policy.
Creative Communications
This team of designers, art directors, editors, and photographers, is responsible for overseeing the university’s brand identity and editorial guidelines. They shape creative strategy and produce materials to advance the institution’s key priorities. The team offers valuable resources, tools, and guidance for content creators across campus. They maintain a photography database accessible to campus communicators and collaborate with the Office of Trademarks and Licensing to administer the campus licensing program.
Digital Communications
This team of developers, administrators, and UX experts shapes the university’s digital strategy and develops utk.edu and the university’s primary web platforms. Their work involves building, developing, and sustaining digital communication platforms that align with our institutional priorities. They collaborate closely with the Office of Innovative Technologies (OIT) to ensure the seamless operation of digital communication channels and maintain several enterprise systems.
Executive Communications
This team develops and manages executive-level communication strategies for the chancellor, provost, and cabinet members. They help bring the stories of the university to life, through the words of our senior leaders, crafting speeches, talking points, social media posts, and other content. They manage the chancellor’s website, aligning content strategy with institutional priorities.
Marketing
This team of digital marketing, social media, and analytics professionals manages the university’s brand message strategy and social media and digital marketing programs. They oversee external marketing planning, paid media campaigns, and audience insights. They provide strategic guidance to campus partners, aligning strategies and priorities across various media, and offering planning and support for high-impact institutional goals.
News and Information
This team of communication specialists, writers, and public relations experts is responsible for crafting key messages, developing content, and managing the university’s media relations efforts. Working closely with campus partners, they position faculty experts and university achievements, while establishing and nurturing relationships with local, state, national, and global media outlets. Their duties extend to proactive planning for, mitigating, and responding to issues that may arise. They also curate and distribute crucial internal communications to ensure the campus community is well-informed.
Research Communications and Marketing
This team of communications and marketing experts plays a pivotal role in shaping the tone, messaging, marketing strategy, and visibility of the university’s research enterprise. They collaborate with campus partners to share the public impact of high-profile, interdisciplinary, university-wide research endeavors. The team works closely with the Office of Research, Innovation, and Economic Development, as well as news media, industry, government, and business leaders, ensuring that the impact of our research reaches a broader audience.
Special Events and Protocol
This team crafts extraordinary moments for students, employees, university visitors, and distinguished guests. They plan and organize large, impactful, milestone celebrations that advance the university’s reputation. Other responsibilities include developing and executing events that support the chancellor’s priorities, coordinating closely with UT System staff on presidential and Board of Trustees events that occur on campus, and providing planning advice and guidance to campus event organizers.
Video Production
This team of producers, editors, and studio technicians plans and produces videos to bolster high-impact institutional priorities. They are responsible for the management of the university’s TV studio, studio productions, and satellite uplink. The team supports video needs across campus by providing studio access, templates, B-roll footage, best practices, and guidelines.