COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON

This year’s conference will be held on the campus of College of Charleston, in the Thaddeus Street Jr. Education Center, located at 25 St. Philip St. Charleston, SC 29424 (a 6-minute walk from the Francis Marion Hotel).

HOTEL INFORMATION

The timeframe to reserve a room at the Francis Marion Hotel (just steps away from the conference) expired on May 23. Rooms are still available at this hotel under their regular rate, or you are welcome to reserve at a nearby hotel of your choosing.

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Day 1 Schedule

5 p.m.
CNAC Board meeting

6 p.m.
Cocktail reception at the Francis Marion Hotel

7 p.m.

Dinner on your own or with groups. Sign-up sheets coming soon!

NOTE: Schedule is tentative and will be finalized soon

8:15 a.m.
Registration & continental breakfast
Swag Central (tables will be set up to place items). Bring swag (T-shirts, caps, pens, notepads, luggage tags, etc.) from your colleges to share with others.

9 a.m.
Welcome remarks by Billy Liggett, CNAC President and Director of News & Publications at Campbell University

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9:15-10:30 a.m.
Storm of the Century: Appalachian State University’s response to Hurricane Helene

Members of the communications team from Appalachian State University share their story from Hurricane Helene, from their initial response to the messaging to the campus community in the weeks (and months) that followed).

• Megan Hayes, Chief Communications Office, App State
• Emily Autry, Critical Crisis Communications Specialist, App State
• Anna Oakes, Senior Director of Public relations, App State

Crisis Communications Panel

Panel discussion and Q&A, featuring Appalachian State and other schools affected directly by Hurricane Helene

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10:30 a.m.
Break

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10:45-11:45 a.m.
How to Lead When You’re in the Weeds: Lessons From a Former Line Cook

“In the weeds” is restaurant worker slang for being so busy that you’re lost amid a thicket of competing obligations. This can happen in higher ed, too, whether because of staffing shortages, financial challenges, political environments, or just plain drowning in work at a busy time of year. In this session, Brent Winter will draw upon his five years of experience as a restaurant line cook to present leadership strategies for surviving the busiest of slams.

• Brent Winter, Director of Editorial Services, NC State University Foundation

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11:45 a.m.-1 p.m.
Lunch / Membership Meeting / Awards

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1-2 p.m.
Humanizing Higher Ed: Integrating ‘Student Care’ Within Your Marketing Team

Discover Forsyth Tech’s groundbreaking integration of a Student Care model within their marketing framework, which was adopted in 2022, helping achieve unparalleled student engagement and support. Witness how this model has redefined the marketing funnel, contributing to double-digit enrollment increases as well as increases in student completion and retention.

• Devin Purgason, associate VP of student experience, marketing and Outreach at Forsyth Technical College
• Lauren Werner, director of communication and engagement, Forsyth Technical College

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2-3 p.m.
Higher Education & the Government

Panel discussion on the state of higher education and challenges with cuts to budgets, DEI initiatives and other programs currently under questioning by the current administration.

• Billy Ball, Editor Cardinal & Pine, regular contributor to UNC-TV
• Dr. Anthony James, Director of Inclusive Excellence Education, University of South Carolina
• Other panelists to be confirmed/announced soon

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3 p.m.
Break

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3:15-4 p.m.
Storytellers

We’ll end the day with a short session on storytelling best practices from award-winning magazines.

• Billy Liggett, Campbell Magazine editor
• Tom Cunneff, College of Charleston Magazine editor
• More speakers to be announced soon

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4 p.m.
Return to hotel

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5:30 p.m.
Group outing in downtown Charleston. Dinner included (on us).

Note: Schedule is tentative and will be finalized soon

8-9 a.m.
Full Breakfast / Announcements
Swag Central (tables will be set up to place items). Bring swag (T-shirts, caps, pens, notepads, luggage tags, etc.) from your colleges to share with others.

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9-10:15 a.m.
Building Social Media Campaigns Around the Recruitment Cycle

Presenters will explore how College of Charleston strategically aligns social media campaigns with each phase of recruitment, all the way from applications open to move-in day. The COFC team will share examples of how they use student influencers, local events and campus lifestyle to boost yield and prevent summer melt. 

• Marissa Leigh Bamonte, Social Media Manager, College of Charleston
• Macey Nitchie, Social Media Coordinator, College of Charleston

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10:15 a.m.
Break

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10:30-11:45 a.m.
Mini Sessions (each 25 minutes)
• Generative AI
• AP Style refresher course
• Tik Tok and Reels - Best Practices

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11:45 a.m.
Announcements / Adjournment