How We Prioritize Projects

Because UCM supports work from across the University, we prioritize projects based on strategic alignment, audience impact, timing, available resources and connection to institutional priorities. Our goal is to provide the right level of support on the right work, while also giving campus partners clear guidance, tools and self-service resources for routine communications needs.

What Guides our Decisions

UCM evaluates requests with several factors in mind:

  • Alignment with the University’s mission, strategic framework and institutional priorities
  • Impact on recruitment, retention, student success or institutional reputation
  • Audience size, urgency and complexity
  • Visibility to external audiences including media, prospective students, families, alumni, potential donors, elected officials or community partners
  • Connection to executive priorities, major initiatives or crisis and issue communications
  • Required timeline and available lead time
  • Staff capacity and production requirements
  • Whether the work can be supported through existing templates, resources or guidance

Projects that support student success, recruitment, research, institutional reputation, executive priorities, crisis communications and major University initiatives typically receive priority.

Levels of UCM Support

Different requests require different levels of support. Depending on the scope, audience, timing and strategic need, UCM may support work through strategic partnership, guided support or self-service resources.

Strategic Partnership

Strategic partnership is reserved for projects with strong institutional alignment, broad audience impact, reputational importance or executive-level visibility.

These projects may involve multiple UCM functions, such as strategy, messaging, creative services, web, social media, media relations, internal communications, research or analytics.

Strategic partnership may be appropriate for:

  • Major University initiatives
  • Recruitment or enrollment priorities
  • Presidential or executive communications
  • Crisis or issue communications
  • High-visibility announcements
  • Campaigns with broad external or internal impact
  • Projects that affect the University’s reputation, visibility or public position
  • Communications that require coordinated messaging across several audiences or channels

Strategic partnership may include planning, consultation, message development, creative direction, content production, channel strategy, leadership review and cross-functional coordination.

Guided Support

Guided support is for projects that benefit from UCM expertise but may not require full production support. In these cases, UCM may provide recommendations, review, templates, editorial guidance, brand direction, accessibility guidance, web guidance or channel-specific advice so campus partners can move the work forward.

Guided support may be appropriate for:

  • Department-level communications
  • Website updates or content planning
  • Marketing strategy and campaign consultation
  • Brand or design review
  • Social media guidance
  • Internal communications planning
  • Accessibility or SEO/GEO recommendations
  • Message refinement
  • Use of existing templates or approved assets

Guided support helps campus partners communicate effectively while keeping UCM’s direct production capacity focused on the highest-priority work.

Self-Service Resources

Self-service resources are designed for common needs that campus partners can complete using approved tools, templates, instructions or existing guidance. Self-service may be the best fit when a request is routine, has a narrow audience, follows an established format or can be completed using existing resources.

Self-service resources include:

  • Downloadable Brand guidelines
  • Editorial style guidance
  • Logos and visual assets
  • DIY templates
  • Zoom backgrounds
  • Name badge orders
  • CMS on-demand trainings
  • Web writing guidance
  • Accessibility resources
  • Social media guidelines
  • Photography best practices
  • Approved photo libraries

Using self-service resources helps maintain consistency across Montclair communications while allowing routine work to move forward efficiently. Check out these common self-service tools, or visit the page for the service area you want to learn more about.

What Happens After You Submit a Request

When you submit a request through the appropriate service page, UCM reviews the information provided and determines the best next step.

Depending on the request, UCM may:

  • Accept the request for direct support
  • Ask for more information
  • Recommend a different service area or request path
  • Provide guidance, templates or self-service resources
  • Suggest a revised timeline or scope
  • Identify additional stakeholders or approvals needed
  • Determine that the request cannot be supported based on timing, capacity or strategic fit

Submitting a request does not automatically guarantee full production support. The level of support depends on the project’s alignment, urgency, complexity and available UCM capacity.

How to Help Us Support Your Request

The strongest requests include a clear purpose, audience, timeline and connection to University priorities. Before submitting a request, be sure to fill out the form accurately and completely.

Be prepared to share:

  • What you need
  • Why the work is needed
  • Who the audience is
  • When the work is needed
  • Whether there is a firm deadline
  • Whether leadership approval is required
  • What channels or formats may be needed
  • Any existing draft copy, assets, links or background materials
  • Whether the request is connected to a larger initiative, event, announcement or campaign

The more complete the information is, the easier it is for UCM to evaluate the request and determine the right level of support.

Lead Times

Lead time is important in our line of work. UCM encourages campus partners to reach out as early as possible, especially for work that requires strategy, writing, design, web updates, photography, video, media relations, social media planning or leadership review.

Requests with short turnaround times may be limited to guidance, existing templates or self-service resources. Larger or more complex projects may require additional planning time, coordination and review.

Where to Start

Start with the service area that best matches your need:

Each service page includes more detailed information about available support, request options and related resources.