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University of Hartford Creates Award-Winning Calendar with 25Live Publisher

The School Takes a Silver at the 35th Annual Educational Advertising Awards

University of Hartford

Hartford, Connecticut

Products

25Live® Class and Event Scheduling System

Why 25Live Publisher?

As a 25Live customer for 16 years, the University of Hartford was able to create the centralized calendar it needed simply by using the tools already included in the 25Live suite of scheduling and calendaring software.

University of Hartford logo

Educational Advertising Awards

The Educational Advertising Awards is the largest, oldest, and most respected educational advertising awards competition in the country. Sponsored by Higher Education Marketing Report, the 35th Annual EduAd Awards received over 2,350 entries from over one thousand colleges, universities and secondary schools from all fifty states and several foreign countries.

Judges for the Educational Advertising Awards consist of a national panel of higher education marketers, advertising creative directors, marketing and advertising professionals and the editorial board of Higher Education Marketing Report. Judges award Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Merit designations to those entrants whose programs and materials display exceptional quality, creativity and message effectiveness.

Creating the Calendar

When a massive redesign began on the university website in 2018, administrators turned a critical eye to their existing calendar systems.

“We used to be a very decentralized university, and a lot of our schools were using their own systems for scheduling,” says Leonard Bretton, Hartt Facilities Manager and 25Live Administrator. “Some used HTML pages to show events; some made their own Outlook calendars. At the time, we only had about three offices using 25Live and only five calendars from those offices. We really had to start thinking creatively about how we were going to bring everything together.”

Over the course of 15 months, Bretton worked with Craig Campbell, Director of University Web Communication, to overhaul the university website and online calendar. While Campbell and the Office of Marketing and Communication created a new, modern design for the site, Bretton brought 19 university offices and organizations into 25Live and used the Publisher tool to create readable and accessible online calendars.

“We needed a forward-facing calendar that was readable, accessible, and that wouldn’t duplicate events,” says Bretton. “Publisher gave us the tools to
do that.”

The Win

When the new website launched, administrators submitted it to the 35th annual EduAd Awards. The site was recognized in five categories, including a silver award for its online calendar.

“Getting this award and seeing what other schools did who placed even higher really let us feel validated that we’re going in the right direction,” says Campbell. “Is it perfect yet? No. But the backbone has been set up. We’re at a point where we’re able to make better decisions, and we know we have the tools to continue improving.”

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About the University of Hartford

University of Hartford campus
© Photo provided by University of Hartford
The university began as a commuter school during the post-World War II boom when returning soldiers were looking for an education financed by the G.I. Bill. When the need for a university became clear, three small schools in the area were merged together to form the University of Hartford. Classes were held in buildings spread across the city, including the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art and the Hartford YMCA.
Unlike most private New England colleges, the University of Hartford has never been just a liberal arts institution. From the outset, it has offered courses in electronics, engineering, technology, and education along with strong programs in music, the visual arts, and the arts and sciences. Today, the school has a total student population of nearly 7,000 and offers 97 undergraduate programs and 64 graduate-level degree programs. With its seven schools and colleges, the university is known for excellence in the visual and performing arts, engineering, and business.