New UI vice president wants openness, more outreach

IOWA CITY -- The University of Iowa needs more cohesion in its message to the public, and that's part of the job of  the UI'snew vice president for strategic communication, Tysen Kendig said today during a meeting with The Gazette's editorial board.

Promoting the right message to more people hopefully will eventually lead to increased enrollment and retention, and more members in the Alumni Association, for example, Kendig said.

It's also important to make a stronger case to the public about how the university is a strong economic engine, and to put more focus on important UI research contributions and its prowess in the arts and humanities, Kendig said. Those things "demonstrate the return on investment that public higher education is," he said.

Kendig said he believes in openness with the public and the media about university issues.  "The surest way to get yourself into trouble is to try and hide things," he said.

Kendig started as the UI's vice president for strategic communication last month. The former associate vice chancellor for university relations at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, he earns $200,000 at the UI.

UI officials have taken some heat about filling the administrative position despite a 10 percent state budget cut this year. But President Sally Mason has said the position is too important to the mission of the university, and that budget cuts cannot stop university officials from planning for the future. 

Kendig said his job is to establish communication plans and policies for the university and offer leadership and counsel on marketing, crisis management and outreach initiatives.