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Early adopters of the All-In Mmembership explain their rationale for inclusion of all campus storytellers
Two months into a new membership model that is inclusive, expansive and fiscally responsive, Tennessee associate athletics director for communications Tom Satkowiak and North Central College sports information director Clark Teuscher were two of the earliest leaders to not only renew dues for 2022-23 but also add a significant amount of new members in different roles who work toward promoting their school’s brand.
by Laurie Bollig – College Sports Communicators, Director of Membership Engagement @lauriebollig
Tennessee’s membership climbed from 12 members in 2021-22 to 20 members this year and includes three members of its creative staff and two student interns. The school paid the exact same rate for its membership this year as last year — $1,200.
North Central’s membership climbed from five members in 2021-22 to 25 members this year and includes full-time members of their sports information staff, nine student assistants, the campus communications director, a student-led radio broadcasting team and two professors in the school’s sport management program. The $350 All-In fee was paid for by the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. North Central spent $575 last year.
Satkowiak and Teuscher explain their reasons for embracing the change to allow for unlimited members from across all communications disciplines and departments.
Your school’s membership roster made a significant jump with the introduction of unlimited memberships for the year. What went into your decision to include more than just traditional athletics communicators in your membership for this year? Did you have discussions with leaders in your athletic department or did you talk to the potential new members to gauge their interest?
Satkowiak: CSC sent an email early in July that mentioned membership was expanding to include storytelling staff members beyond the traditional SID types. That same day, I sent a lengthy email to everyone under our Athletic Communications umbrella — as well as some senior admins — explaining this transformational time and encouraging them to consider membership. The All-In pricing certainly left no room for limiting access based upon budgetary concerns, which was fantastic. I was thrilled by the number of designers, videographers and administrators who quickly embraced the concept and said, “Sign me up!”
Teuscher: When the news about the All-In Membership was announced, I made a list of the different departments we work with on a regular basis and contacted the department heads to see what value CSC membership might hold for their areas. Many of them indicated interest and were particularly motivated by the access to the professional development/job seeking content. Our student radio broadcasters, sport management faculty and the college's communication leadership have all opted in for membership this year.
Why was it important for you to include other storytellers in the department (e.g., the creative staff, students) in your membership?
Satkowiak: As I explained in that initial email to colleagues, the programming and resources traditionally offered through CSC to SIDs has value in terms of professional development and the evolution of best practices. My hope is that this transformational phase within the organization will lead to similar programming and resources for other storytellers, creatives and communicators. I think it’s important that graphic designers, social media strategists, videographers and others are no longer “orphaned” in the NACDA/NACMA/CoSIDA/[insert other acronyms here] space. Beyond the knowledge those groups can share with one other, we also need to recognize how much old-school members can learn from these groups. My hope is that this is a “rising tide lifts all boats” moment for the organization.
Teuscher: Having our communication leadership included was a natural for me. Athletics figures heavily into our overall marketing, and our collaboration on major events has been essential in maximizing our reach and engagement.
How do you communicate the benefits of being a CSC member to students?
Satkowiak: Here at Tennessee, we did include student workers — and that may be my favorite element of the new membership criteria. Our student interns are an extremely important part of our various departments’ productivity and efficiency. Having access to everything the association offers will only help to nurture our students’ passion for the profession. Exposure to the jobs board also will enable them to have a better understanding of the various opportunities that exist and the skills/experience required to compete for those positions. I expect that we’ll add even more student members once our current crop of interns returns to campus for fall classes.
Teuscher: Our whole returning student staff opted in for membership. We have had a pretty good record launching our students into the industry and our graduate assistants always go to the convention (when it's in person) in between the first and second year. CSC and its professional development content are known quantities so they didn't need to be sold too much.
How do you intend for your staff to take advantage of membership?
Satkowiak: Certainly, I’d like for them to participate in the Academic All-District/All-America process. Those are very meaningful awards, and Tennessee has a rich history of honorees across all sports. Ultimately, the level of engagement of each of our members is up to them. I don’t want to place mandates or expectations on anyone’s membership, but I do hope that our staff utilizes the resources and benefits that apply to their day-to-day workflow.
Teuscher: We're still working on that part but we'll be sending regular reminders to the group about new content to be aware of and connecting regularly with the different groups to find the best way to use the resources for the benefit of our students.
What can CSC do to be inclusive of our new members — i.e., specialized programming, targeted emails, more recognition for creative work done?
Satkowiak: I’ll offer an emphatic “yes” to each of the examples listed there. To put it simply, create a sense of community for those new members. Giving them early opportunities/reasons to engage should help with retention for those who are brand new.
Teuscher: Programming with the student in mind will be important, as well as some possible management help for veterans regarding how to staff, train, mentor and develop student staff. We have the ability to create the exact kind of professionals we need in the industry this way.
How can the organization help onboard your staff members who are new to College Sports Communicators?
Satkowiak: Communicate with them. Send emails highlighting resources and programming that pertains to their area of specialization. We need to drive home the fact that the organization is relevant to more than just SIDs.
Teuscher: An efficient and encompassing orientation to the Resource Library and other information resources to ensure people know where to go with specific questions.
Is there anything else you would like to add about your choice for the All-In membership?
Satkowiak: I appreciate the willingness of leadership to reimagine the entire organization. No doubt there was a ton of work and heavy lifting to arrive at the point of transformative change. That level of shakeup is rarely easy, so kudos to everyone who played a role in this evolution.
Teuscher: Everybody I spoke to on our campus about this was really excited. I've been a vocal proponent of CSC's Continuing Education content since I was helping to produce it and so much of it has value beyond athletics.
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