James Madison University
CASE STUDY
James Madison University Harrisonburg, Va.
HIGHLIGHTS INSTITUTION James Madison University LOCATION Harrisonburg, Va. ESTABLISHED 1908 ENROLLMENT 20,855 (92% undergraduate) No. 2 public school in the South —US News No. 2 master’s institution for study abroad participation —IIE
What does it mean to be a Duke? James Madison University aspires to be the national model for the engaged university: a place that prepares students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. The institution’s strategic plan highlights a push to expand co-curricular learning activities, undergraduate research opportunities, integrative capstone experiences, and community and service learning programs by 2020. These distinctive opportunities at JMU are embraced by each of the institution’s 20,000+ students differently. Every student has a unique combination of experiences that, when shared with the right people, can inspire and educate a broader network of stakeholders about the value JMU offers.
Connecting value to stakeholders With more than a quarter of its undergraduate students from out-ofstate, JMU needed to reach a wide
national audience with specific proof points of what a JMU education means, and do it repeatedly. At the same time, JMU needed to continue to shore up its reputation in its home state, particularly with key stakeholders like legislators. To ensure that as many people as possible are aware of the programs and opportunities JMU has already put in place to create an engaged university, the institution adopted Merit to connect personalized stories of each student’s JMU experience with a national network of high schools, media organizations, government representatives, and friends and family on social media. JMU identified some of its most distinctive programs—a marching band that frequently performs for international audiences; an Alternative Break community service program with participation above national averages; a LeadershipU program for student club leaders; and strong showings in academic competitions and research presentations -- and used Merit to broadly tell stories of the students participating in each program directly to people who know and care about each JMU student.
With Merit, everyone Conclusion knows what it means It’s not just about storytelling and media coverage, but about finding to be a Duke ways to take the programs that your Merit allowed JMU to connect the story of the university to thousands of communities across the country by making it easy for the institution to showcase specific students from that community and the success and opportunity they have at JMU. When the Marching Royal Dukes were invited to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, JMU used Merit to create a personalized story for each of the 450 band members and share each one’s story with the people who knew each student and cared about their success.
institution has already committed to and invested in and ensure that each student’s participation in them is not a missed opportunity to reach that student’s network of stakeholders with a story of their success and your institution’s role in it.
News coverage increased 55% in one year with Merit
News coverage of JMU increased 55% when local weeklies all over the country began publishing stories of hometown students and their accomplishments at JMU. In the 2014-15 academic year, the institution created more than 28,000 personalized stories about students, which reached more than 1,770 communities and 127 elected officials. News items in all 50 states mentioned or featured JMU, including all of the top 100 media markets.
WHAT IS MERIT? What does it mean to be a student at your institution? Your efforts to create a distinctive, comprehensive student experience are made more meaningful when Merit connects the unique story of every student with the people who care about their success: their communities, high schools, family and friends, and future employers.
Discover why hundreds of institutions rely on Merit: www.meritpages.com | 1-800-552-2194 | [email protected]
James Madison University Harrisonburg, Va.
HIGHLIGHTS INSTITUTION James Madison University LOCATION Harrisonburg, Va. ESTABLISHED 1908 ENROLLMENT 20,855 (92% undergraduate) No. 2 public school in the South —US News No. 2 master’s institution for study abroad participation —IIE
What does it mean to be a Duke? James Madison University aspires to be the national model for the engaged university: a place that prepares students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives. The institution’s strategic plan highlights a push to expand co-curricular learning activities, undergraduate research opportunities, integrative capstone experiences, and community and service learning programs by 2020. These distinctive opportunities at JMU are embraced by each of the institution’s 20,000+ students differently. Every student has a unique combination of experiences that, when shared with the right people, can inspire and educate a broader network of stakeholders about the value JMU offers.
Connecting value to stakeholders With more than a quarter of its undergraduate students from out-ofstate, JMU needed to reach a wide
national audience with specific proof points of what a JMU education means, and do it repeatedly. At the same time, JMU needed to continue to shore up its reputation in its home state, particularly with key stakeholders like legislators. To ensure that as many people as possible are aware of the programs and opportunities JMU has already put in place to create an engaged university, the institution adopted Merit to connect personalized stories of each student’s JMU experience with a national network of high schools, media organizations, government representatives, and friends and family on social media. JMU identified some of its most distinctive programs—a marching band that frequently performs for international audiences; an Alternative Break community service program with participation above national averages; a LeadershipU program for student club leaders; and strong showings in academic competitions and research presentations -- and used Merit to broadly tell stories of the students participating in each program directly to people who know and care about each JMU student.
With Merit, everyone Conclusion knows what it means It’s not just about storytelling and media coverage, but about finding to be a Duke ways to take the programs that your Merit allowed JMU to connect the story of the university to thousands of communities across the country by making it easy for the institution to showcase specific students from that community and the success and opportunity they have at JMU. When the Marching Royal Dukes were invited to perform in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City, JMU used Merit to create a personalized story for each of the 450 band members and share each one’s story with the people who knew each student and cared about their success.
institution has already committed to and invested in and ensure that each student’s participation in them is not a missed opportunity to reach that student’s network of stakeholders with a story of their success and your institution’s role in it.
News coverage increased 55% in one year with Merit
News coverage of JMU increased 55% when local weeklies all over the country began publishing stories of hometown students and their accomplishments at JMU. In the 2014-15 academic year, the institution created more than 28,000 personalized stories about students, which reached more than 1,770 communities and 127 elected officials. News items in all 50 states mentioned or featured JMU, including all of the top 100 media markets.
WHAT IS MERIT? What does it mean to be a student at your institution? Your efforts to create a distinctive, comprehensive student experience are made more meaningful when Merit connects the unique story of every student with the people who care about their success: their communities, high schools, family and friends, and future employers.
Discover why hundreds of institutions rely on Merit: www.meritpages.com | 1-800-552-2194 | [email protected]
