VP of communications candidate Lori Bauer says community support, communication key in CMU moving forward

One out of the three finalists seeking to become Central Michigan University’s associate vice president of University Communications, Lori Bauer, former Chief Marketing and Communications Officer at Arcadia University, talks to faculty and staff about her strategy for effective communication. “If you’re not changing your strategy every day then you’re not doing it right,” Bauer said Monday afternoon in the Lake Huron Room of the Bovee University Center. (Brooke Mayle/Staff Photographer)

Assistant Vice President of University Communications candidate Lori Bauer said Monday at an open forum she would work to gain community support and communication on a larger scale if hired by Central Michigan University.

The position of VP of university communications includes reporting directly to the university president, serving as the chief spokesperson for the university, holding responsibility for the development and maintenance of outreach relations with both the media and other constituents and enhancing the university’s visibility and awareness of its mission.

Other candidates include Jan Bond from Ashland University and Sherry Knight, who is currently interim VP of university communications.

Bauer, former chief marketing and communications officer at Arcadia University, said she is interested in higher education for two reasons: her own curiosity and her love for people and the transformative power of education.

“Marketing and communications are changing every day, and it’s easy to create many unconnected channels,” Bauer said. “The challenge is to get the most info to the largest audience. For this, we need community support and to get out of the office.”

Bauer commented on the overall problems with communication in higher education, her support for University President George Ross and the handling of the faculty, and her “more show, less tell” attitude on communication.

“A shift needs to be made,” she said. “Additional voices are important, particularly student voices. That’s who we need telling the story of CMU. It’s all about getting our stories heard.”

Bauer said communication at CMU is about identifying and conveying what the university will grow into through the success and stories of the students.

“I challenge people,” Bauer said. “I am persuasive. I’m just aggressive when it comes to new technology.”

Open forums for Jan Bond and Sherry Knight will take place Wednesday and Friday from 1 to 2 p.m. in the Lake St. Clair Room in the University Center and the Park Library Auditorium, respectively.

Both are open to the public.