Services & Capabilities

Communications for the College of Agricultural Sciences 

The College of Agricultural Sciences is complex, diverse, and expansive. Our research, teaching, and outreach includes innovations in sustainable agriculture, food, and fisheries production. It includes natural resources science and stewardship. It includes community and industry engagement across the entire state and beyond. We are here to help tell that story. If you are a part of our college and experiment station story, we are here to help you tell your part of it. Scroll below to learn about the capabilities and services we provide, and then visit our Start a Project page to get the ball rolling.

Our Services & Capabilities

Communications Strategy

We are communications strategists first and foremost. Our focus is on shaping and sharing the story of the College of Agricultural Sciences, elevating our work in agriculture and natural resources with key audiences to achieve meaningful results.

As the communications agency for the college, we deploy a number of tools in our arsenal to effectively do that and often work with faculty, staff, and other stakeholders to help them achieve their communications goals in line with the College’s vision through collaborative partnerships.

The following is a sampling of the capabilities we have to help tell your part of the College’s story.

 

Writing + Editing

We can provide writing support for your creative and communications needs. This includes copywriting for advertising, editing content for your website or other collateral materials, or support proofreading and editing award applications and other non-research specific grant proposals. Basically, anything that is meant for a general audience and is non-scientific in nature – we can help write and edit.

Not sure if we can help? Contact us and we can talk about it. 

 

Media Relations

We partner closely with EESC to help tell our story to interested media. While EESC does the majority of press release writing for research and other critical news announcements coming out of the College, we also pitch media with stories that help us share the bigger vision of not just the vital research but the real-world outcomes and impacts that the general public and other stakeholders are interested in learning about. If you have a story idea or are interested in learning more about what kinds of stories we pitch, please contact us.

 

Social Media

We manage the social media accounts for the College of Agricultural Sciences, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instragram. We are always looking for ways to connect and share stories across the college and help promote events and activities taking place in different programs and departments. If you have news or information you’d like us to share to our followers, please let contact us.

 

Marketing Materials

We can provide support in designing and writing content for collateral materials such as brochures, leave-behind materials, you may want to create for a specific audience, purpose, or event.

 

Crisis Communications

Because we work in the world of agriculture and natural resources (stuff that comes out of the ground, water, and air) a crisis isn’t a matter of “if” it’s a matter of when. We can help you navigate any potential public crisis and collaborate closely with University Relations and Marketing leadership in these efforts.

The rule of thumb is the sooner we know, the more we can help. And if you aren’t sure about whether or not your situation has the potential to be a crisis, email or call us at 541-737-9180 . We will talk it through and help determine what preparation (if any) is needed.

Better to have a plan and not need it, that to need a plan and not have it.

Websites & Digital Storytelling

The College of Agricultural Sciences web ecosystem comprises of departments, academic programs, experiment stations, research institutes and more that create more than 10,000 pages worth of extremely valuable content. In order to keep these websites updated, the communications team uses the site coordinator model that assigns web responsibilities to people within each unit to perform web tasks. 

We also assist faculty in developing websites for research. Sometimes that research is broad, and in other instances the web needs are specific to a grant requirement. In these instances, we collaborate closely with the lead researcher as often there is a communications component to their grant guideline. There are a variety of ways we can support this work.

Please contact us and we can find the best solution for you.

 

Lab Websites

We host lab websites for faculty to showcase their research. Lab websites use the Wordpress system because it is easy to use with minimal training and it is relatively simple for faculty to maintain.

 

Video + Multimedia

We can support your video and multimedia needs, from script writing and production planning, to shooting and editing. We also have access to additional resources for higher-end video production, such as motion graphics, that may or may not have additional fees depending on the complexity of the request.

We also provide all of the content for the digital signage in Strand and are in the process of creating an Asset Library where departments can access content they may want to share on their signs.

 

Faces of AgSci

Faces of AgSci is a student storytelling platform that helps various audiences better understand the diversity and hands-on experiences that our students have as vital contributors to the work we do as a college. If you have a student that you think has a story worth sharing, we'd love to hear from you.

 

The Source

The Source is a quarterly newsletter distributed to more than 10,000 internal and external stakeholders interested in learning about the latest news about agriculture and natural resources work, awards and accomplishments, and other news and events taking place at the college. 

 

Oregon’s Agricultural Progress

In addition to all of the support we provide in guiding communications strategy for the college and helping faculty and staff in their communications efforts, we are also involved in the editing and publishing of Oregon’s Agricultural Progress magazine. If you have a story idea you think would be of interest for that publication, please contact us.

 

Advertising

When appropriate, we will purchase advertising and when we do we lead the design and development of the ad. If you have a publication or organization you sponsor and would like help in developing your ad, please contact us.

 

Event Support

Do you have an event or activity coming up? We can help drive awareness via media outreach, social media posts, or digital signage. We can also just be a resource to brainstorm creative ideas and activities for your event and in some cases can either provide photography or connect you with resources for photography.