EDITORIAL: Challenging times

THE Communication and Marketing Department, like all departments in UCT, faces a challenging year ahead. Our small team of communication professionals is committed to marketing and building the UCT brand effectively.

After careful planning and due to enormous budget constraints, we decided to focus the institutional marketing drive during 2002 around the media and UCT's planned new website.

2001 was an outstanding year for UCT in terms of media coverage. As a direct outflow of the Strategic Communication and Marketing Commitments signed with three faculties during 2001, we were able to double the amount of column centimetres of media coverage for 2000 -- coverage valued at R16.9-million.

During 2001, the Communication Department co-ordinated 40 functions which catered to some 14 200 guests. Around 4 552 visitors from various institutions around the world were hosted at our institution.

We have recently appointed a new web manager for UCT. Ms Joey Haasbroek has just completed an evaluation phase of our current website. The second phase of design and information architecture is currently in process.

This year started on a productive note for the Department when we signed Strategic Communication and Marketing Commitments (SCMC) with all six faculties as well as the Development Office. These agreements between the Communication and Marketing Department and the faculties allow a representative working group within each faculty to consider strategic communication and marketing initiatives to be undertaken in the faculties. I believe these commitments with faculties will allow us to streamline all communication and marketing initiatives across the institution.

We look forward to a very productive 2002 and wish you all the best.

Gerda Kruger
Executive Director of Communication and Marketing

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