New way of promoting student achievements launched

06/29/2021

On June 18, SUNY Cortland’s Communications Office kicked off a new initiative intended to highlight our students’ accomplishments in their social media circles, hometown media outlets, high schools and with their relevant elected officials.

Using the Merit Pages platform, on that day personalized news releases were created for all 802 students who earned a place on the President’s Honor Roll for the fall 2020 semester.

The easily shared stories were emailed directly to them, to 379 high school guidance offices, to 536 news outlets across 16 states stretching from Vermont to Hawaii, and to 268 elected officials representing the students’ hometowns.

The students proceeded to share the personalized achievement through social media, resulting in 838 posts. Several posted it on their LinkedIn accounts as part of their professional profile.

Given the launch’s success, the office will begin to promoter other achievements, with the next one scheduled for later this week. Faculty and staff with ideas for sharing student stories through Merit Pages should contact the Communications Office.

Unless students ask to be excluded, they are automatically enrolled. To be excluded, please send an email message to Communications Director Frederic Pierce at Frederic.pierce@cortland.edu.

In addition to personalized achievement promotion, the university this fall will give every participating student a profile on SUNY Cortland’s website that will be automatically updated to reflect accomplishments publicized through Merit. Students will be able to personalize these profiles and add additional information and accomplishments. By the end of their Cortland careers, these profiles will serve as solid foundations for professional profiles on LinkedIn, Handshake or other career platforms.

Examples of how Merit works at other institutions are available below: