Saint Louis University (SLU), through Atty. Shellah Yzanne P Merced, LLM, Vice President for Administration and Dr. Stephenie O. Busbus, Director of the Office of Global Relations and Alumni Affairs welcomed officials from its sister school, Saint Louis College of San Fernando, La Union to benchmark on the overall framework and processes of the SLU’s University Information Office (UIO) on 16 September 2024 at the Burgos Conference Room, Administrative Building, SLU Main Campus.
The SLC representatives, led by Viviene Aisha Gugol-Baker, Head, College of Information and Marketing Office (CIMO); Monte Carlo B. Zuniega, Marketing Supervisor; and Beatrize V. Marquez, Media Assistant had a walkthrough of the operations and functions of the UIO through the presentations of the UIO staff.
The benchmarking was facilitated by Dr. Busbus together with Atty. Johanne Margarette Macob, University Information Officer; Lianne Pauline Carreon, Public Relations, Media and Communications Assistant; Kaye Leah Sitchon, Writer; and Carl Kayne Valeriano, Multimedia Staff, elaborating on the importance of organizational skills, especially on aspects such as information management.
The University Information Office was established under the strategic vision of the University President, Rev. Fr. Gilbert B. Sales, PhD, CICM, and Vice President for Administration, Atty. Merced. In talking about the intricacies of the office, Atty. Macob said, “It is primarily responsible in ensuring that all forms of communications and messages delivered on and in behalf of the University — in the form of public relations and advertising, as well as those utilizing print, broadcast, or online media — are accurately, creatively, and timely put together.”
Discussions centered on internal and external corporate communications, media coverage and production, content creation, and information management, alongside established publication systems. The focus was on a commitment to producing high-quality content to enhance institutional visibility and brand awareness, ensuring a consistent and engaging brand message that reaches broader audiences.
The benchmarking emphasized the critical importance of streamlining and optimizing internal and external communication, branding, and information management to foster an informed community and drive increased engagement across the university’s digital platforms, including its official Facebook page and institutional website. The presenters further underscored key data and analytics insights, showcasing organic traffic trends across both platforms. They also offered strategic guidance on effectively responding to user feedback and visitor interactions.
The UIO, despite only being a year-old office, has captured the attention of different universities to learn about its pivotal role in media, communications, and institutional visibility. SLU’s unwavering commitment to quality education has established its offices as a premier benchmarking outfit for private and public universities. This aligns with the university’s support of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), primarily SDG 04 Quality Education, and SDG 17 Partnerships for the Goals. (Article by Shane Marc T. Gamboa, OGRAA Intern | Photos by Agnes Dela Peña, UIO Intern)
