The Network

You may have noticed over the last few weeks that a number of UQ sites have started to look substantially different, in a very good way. ITS has been working with a number of different units to launch some major updates to UQ sites. These overhauls are long overdue and improve internal processes, promote our brand more effectively to external audiences, and reflect best practice for web design and user experience. The following sites are key parts of the upgrade that affect marketing and communications teams.

Starting at UQ

An updated and improved student onboarding site, Starting at UQ, is scheduled to launch on my.UQ on 13 December 2017. The new site has a clean and simple layout that is broken into easy-to-follow stages for new coursework students to work through. Certain blocks of text or content will conditionally display to students upon login – depending on whether a student is domestic, international, undergraduate, postgraduate, or from a range of disciplines – and allows us to tailor content to suit a particular student’s needs, communicate specific information down to the level of a student’s program, and create a personalised, streamlined digital student experience.

ITS has worked in conjunction with the Academic Services Division, UQ International, Student Services and the Student Centre, to ensure the new website is clear, correct and comprehensive. All existing links to faculty- or program-specific information on the current website has been incorporated into the new site. After launch, ITS expect to consult with faculties and schools in more detail as they look to continue incorporating more tailored and contextually relevant content into Starting at UQ. ITS recommends all site editors/content owners check and update all relevant URLs on the sites you manage after launch – the new site will be my.uq.edu.au/starting-at-uq.

If you have any questions, or if you need some help, contact the ITS content team at content@its.uq.edu.au.

Courses and Programs

Many of you may be familiar with the previous Courses and Programs website, which was originally intended to provide course information to both current and prospective UQ students, who look for quite different information when searching for UQ programs.

With the Future Students website launched in 2016 and now an established part of UQ’s web presence for prospective students, pages on the Courses and Programs website will now redirect users to either my.UQ Programs and Courses or Future Students.

The change further differentiates the two sites and their intended audiences from one another, while also allowing for the continued development of content tailored to the needs of different users.

These redirects are in place now:
• Courses and Programs homepage redirects to the Future Students homepage.
• Courses and Programs program pages redirects to Future Students program pages.
• Courses and Programs major pages redirects to my.UQ major pages.
• Courses and Programs course pages redirects to my.UQ course pages.
• Courses and Programs course lists redirects to my.UQ course lists.
• Any other Courses and Programs page redirects to my.UQ.

ITS anticipates that the effects of this change on work processes will be minimal, but recommend that marketing and communications teams check and update all relevant URLs on websites and in documents to ensure they’re directing the intended audience to the right place. If you have any questions or need assistance, contact Academic Policy and Programs at app@uq.edu.au.

Current Staff

UQ’s existing Current Staff website has been transformed into the new hub for all things related to working at UQ. The site was redesigned to bring together the core information and services that staff need. Functions and tasks are structured by key topic, making them easier to find. The migration of content into the new site will continue in 2018.

UQ Update

Affectionately known as ‘NewQ Update’, UQ Update has relaunched as a bulletin-board style website that is updated daily to keep staff informed about UQ news, events, development opportunities and deals. Since its inaugural edition on 22 April 2002, UQ Update has been UQ’s principal channel for regular staff communications, and was previously issued as a weekly e-newsletter that was delivered to UQ staff each Monday afternoon. The new version is simpler, easier to scan, and provides us with richer analytics so we can continue to improve the way staff communicate at UQ. Changes include a new form and much simpler submission requirements, which you can read about on FAQs page or the launch article. If you have any questions or feedback about the new format, contact update@uq.edu.au.

my.UQ

The new my.UQ for staff is a more personalised portal for information and services relevant to you, offering single sign-on, reducing how often my.UQ will ask you to log in; a new, mobile-friendly interface; and links to staff email, MyAurion, UniFI, and Learn.UQ.

Professional Services

The updated Professional Services site, which has been developed in tandem with the redesigned Current Staff site, now contains all Finance and Human Resources organisational unit information, including Professional Services team contacts, organisational structure and contacts, project updates and specialised content just for Finance and HR staff.

UQ Brisbane City, UQ’s new site at 293 Queen Street, is now open.

The site is based in a refurbished, heritage-listed building at the centre of Brisbane’s financial district, and is operated by the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law.

UQ Brisbane City provides state-of-the-art facilities and a dynamic and vibrant learning hub for students, alumni, industry and government to connect, create and collaborate. This unique space, spread over three floors (Level 6, Level 7 and the ground floor) is the base for UQ Business School Executive Education (relocated from CP1) and selected postgraduate business courses.

Important information for communications and marketing teams:
• The site is open now, as advertised in a recent UQ News release.
• 20 cents from every coffee sold at the site’s cafe, The Daily Coffee Co. run by Customs House, goes to support causes as part of UQ’s Not if, when campaign.
• UQ staff can book the site for functions and events by contacting the venue team.
• UQ staff can also book hot desks by contacting the Executive Education team. Please note hot desks are limited and desktops are not provided.
• More information will be coming soon, including images, standard text for Copybank, and marketing messages.

If you have any questions about UQ Brisbane City, please contact the BEL Faculty Senior Manager, Strategic Marketing and Communications, Melanie Bowles, on m.bowles1@uq.edu.au.

UQ’s OP Results Advice Night will be held on Monday 18 December, two days after the release of OPs.

This event is primarily aimed at school leavers who have questions about their tertiary study options after receiving their OP result. They can speak to UQ staff to obtain advice and inform their final QTAC preferences before the major offer round in January.

The campaign to promote the event launched on Monday 13 November, with advertising appearing in the local SEQ market across print, cinema, radio, social and digital.

Read more about the UQ OP Results Advice Night campaign, or contact marketing@uq.edu.au with any questions.

Occasionally, members of the OMC office play a game of Buzzword Bingo. It's a great game for boring meetings, but please don't play it in press releases.

Here are a list of words the team feel are overused and aim to avoid including in content or news stories:
• cutting-edge
• world-class
• icon / iconic
• 'war on __________'
• ground-breaking
• prestigious
• novel
• leverage
• synergy/synergise
• moving forward
• agile
• value-add

If you've got any suggestions you'd like to add to the Buzzword Bingo board, email them to communications@uq.edu.au.

According to The Global Language Monitor, 5400 new words are created each year, with roughly 1000 new words making it into print each year.

This year, Macquarie Dictionary announced ‘fake news’ as the word of the year as a result of the broad public influence this term holds. Macquarie also gave honourable mentions to a range of emerging terms, such as 'bubble soccer' and 'halal snack pack'.

Discover the new words that achieved dictionary-status in 2017 below.

• alt-right (adjective/noun): 1. extremely right-wing. 2. such a person. 3. the alt-right, the far-right political movement. [alt- alternative + right(wing)].

• enby (adjective/noun): 1. not identifying as male or female; non-binary. (plural enbies) 2. a non-binary person. [pronunciation of NB standing for non-binary].

• fatberg (noun): a congealed mass in a sewer system consisting of material that does not break down, as fat, sanitary items, etc., which has to be removed to unblock the system. [fat + (ice)berg].

• filter bubble (noun): an information environment which, because of the ability of search engines on the internet and technology on social media to build on the user's personal preferences, ultimately excludes all information that is not in accord with the user's opinions.

• greige (adjective): a warm grey, that is, grey with some brown in it. [blend of grey and beige].

• patient navigator (noun): an administrative support person who assists a patient to manage their illness and make the best use of the health system by coordinating healthcare teams and resource providers.

• plyscraper (noun): a skyscraper built using super-strong, engineered wood products which are as tough as steel or concrete. [ply(wood) +(sky)scraper].

• racebending (noun): the process of altering the ethnicity of a character in a book, film, etc., for a new version of it.

• rumbler alarm (noun): an alarm on a fire engine or other emergency vehicle which emits a low-frequency sound designed to alert people who are prevented from hearing an ordinary alarm by traffic noise, mobile phones with earplugs, etc. Also, rumbler siren.

• shoefiti (noun): Colloquial the practice of tossing shoes, joined by the laces, over power lines, high branches on trees, etc. [shoe + (graf)fiti].

• standing desk (noun): a desk which is raised to a height so that the person using it can stand, the desk being fixed at that height or being adjustable to the height required for sitting or standing.

• youlk (noun): a perennial apiaceous plant of WA, Platysacedeflexa, with a sweet-tasting yellow tuber; bush carrot; Ravensthorpe radish. [Australian Aboriginal; Nyungar].

Caroline Enright (née Bird) has joined the BEL Faculty Marketing and Communications team as Communications and Engagement Manager. She is responsible for managing the communications, media, publications, marketing and content for the TC Beirne School of Law and the Australian Institute for Business and Economics. Caroline has seven years’ industry experience and has previously worked in OMC, IMB and most recently at ICTE-UQ. Contact Caroline at c.enright@uq.edu.au or on 336 52596.

Casey Fung has joined the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) as Senior Communications and Information Officer. Casey joins CEED from OMC. As well as being a lecturer and course coordinator in digital media at UQ, he has undertaken research, writing and editing for various target audiences, contributed UQ multimedia content and previously worked as a journalist for the ABC and Network Ten Brisbane. Casey will be supporting CEED researchers across all Nodes in the development and production of print, media and social media content, showcasing CEED achievements and impact, and contributing to the ARC CEED 2017 Annual Report.
Contact Casey at ceed.comms@uq.edu.au.

New to UQ? Just moved to a new unit, or leaving us soon? Let us know for next edition.