INSTITUTIONAL STRATEGY

APLU CSC Summer Meeting

This collaborative retreat brings together senior communications and marketing leaders from public and land-grant universities to navigate the complex intersections of public perception, AI innovation, and institutional advocacy.

Dates & Location

July 12–14, 2026

Denver, Colorado

Three people sit on a sofa, smiling and talking, with a laptop in a bright, modern office space.

Details

Public research universities face a unique challenge in articulating their value to a skeptical public, making a clearly defined brand truth more critical than ever. We are joining the APLU CSC community in Denver to demonstrate how our research-backed institutional strategies can help leaders move beyond traditional PR and toward an unmistakable, personality-driven identity. By aligning strategic communications with data-driven insights on AI and brand listening, we empower public institutions to shatter the “sea of sameness” and build the long-term community trust necessary for future growth.

Presentation

Internal Communication in Times of Constant Change: Building Trust and Confidence

Presented by Deb Fiddelke, Vice President, Strategic Communications

In times of relentless change, good communication is one of an institution’s most strategic assets. This session introduces a practical framework for change communication, and concrete approaches that can help close the gap between leadership’s intent and the way campus experiences it.