These are among the questions posed by a new public education effort being undertaken by the University of California system to better inform Californians about the many diverse ways UC contributes to their lives and to the life of California. The effort, funded by private endowment funds, is being launched this week on the Web, on radio and through other information outlets.
"The educational quality of the University of California is widely recognized. But the broader societal benefits of UC, and its active presence in communities beyond the boundaries of its campuses, are not as well known or understood," said Katherine N. Lapp, UC executive vice president for business operations, who currently oversees the university's external relations.
"An important responsibility of any public institution is fostering understanding of what the public receives in return for its investment in that institution -- and that is what we seek to do with this new project. We hope it will begin to give the people of our state a better understanding of how the work of UC contributes to the lives of every Californian, every day."
UC enrolls more than 220,000 students each year, providing an important path for opportunity and social mobility for students from all corners of California. But the public contributions of UC go far beyond, touching the lives of literally all Californians in some way -- whether through UC's health care programs, its agricultural and nutrition programs, its presence in the K-12 schools, or its research innovations in fields ranging from transportation to alternative energy.
The public education effort, in development since last fall, uses a fact-based approach that focuses on conveying simple points about the university's contributions to California. UC will use its own Web sites and other communications vehicles to carry these messages, but to reach broader audiences, it will use external media as well. Elements of the effort will include:
• Web advertising on California newspaper sites and other news Web sites;
• Radio spots on National Public Radio stations in major California markets;
• A Web site, www.universityofcalifornia.edu/ucthewayforward, with an informational video about the public contributions of UC and examples of additional ways in which the university's work benefits California; and
• Placements in a variety of other print and electronic communications vehicles operated by the university.
The effort will be most accessible in major California media markets, including Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, San Diego and Fresno, though the Web component will reach out to many consumers of California news who live outside those immediate areas.
The university is using $700,000 in private endowment funds for the project, which does not involve any state funds or student fee funds. This amount, though modest by most contemporary marketing standards, will allow information about the university's contributions to California to be conveyed to a much wider audience than the university traditionally has been able to reach.
For creative development of the effort, UC contracted with Citizen, a San Francisco-based marketing firm that specializes in serving public-interest organizations. The partnership with Citizen was the product of a competitive Request for Proposals process.
For more information, visit www.universityofcalifornia.edu. The Web site for the project will be expanded and enhanced in the coming weeks, and users can sign up on the site for updates. Creative samples from the project can be obtained from the UC communications office.