President\'s Report of 2010-2011 Effective

President's Report of 2010-2011

Effective information can be distributed in a number of ways, with the use of graphics being an incredibly effective one in this fast paced consumer world. There are so many ways to capture the attention of the reader; combining graphics with a streamlined textual lay out is a popular method. The President's Report for Santa Clara University for the year 2010-2011 definitely accomplishes its task of disseminating much needed information within a very carefully planned out and streamlined strategy.

In one of the very first few pages, the reader is introduced to a general summary of the strategic goals of Santa Clara University. This is typical in any sort of business related text, as many begin with some sort of executive summary or short introduction that outlines the major material in the text that is to follow. The President's Report for 2010-2011 does this as well. The Introduction begins with a question, "How should the University build on the past while changing itself to serve the world as it is -- and will be?" This question is a fundamental driver for changes in the strategic plan of the University and begins to form the foundation for the strategies outlined later in the text. It is interesting to see the introduction start off with a question, as that is not often a typical format for an executive summary. It engages the reader on a much deeper level, as the reader is forced to begin to think of the questions and possible ways to answer it. This begins to get their wheels turning before they even dive into the rest of the information that is in the text. As stated previously, this is often not used in introductions for this nature but serves a powerful purpose for the delivery of the summary of the University's strategy. It would be interesting to see this continue as a trend, as the tipping theory often states that rare phenomenon can often become more common with continued use in a popular context. This introduction then moves to a compelling visual picture of the summaries laid out in stunning detail. Each strategic priority is laid out in increasing vertical columns so that they are easily identified and differentiated from one another. This is an effective lay out, both in terms of content and use of graphic detail as well. There are five strategic priorities in all, including excellence in Jesuit education, engagement with Silicon Valley, global understanding and engagement, justice and sustainability, and finally academic community. The summaries provide a thorough, yet concise glimpse of the more in depth descriptions of the summaries to come. Each of the strategic priority is color coded and generates a great sense of unity throughout the rest of the report. Most importantly, the set up of the introduction provides a clear answer to the question posed at the beginning while still intriguing the reader just enough to want to continue reading.

Secondly, the report is also very good at another delivery, the introduction of real students who have thrived and who represent the strategic goals of the university as a whole. This information is delivered throughout the report, as there is a student or alumni that is highlighted within the description of almost every strategic goal. The first is a recent graduate, Charlotte Shannon. Shannon is used as an example of how Santa Clara's academic and social programs excel and provide great experience for students, but also a great impact on the community as well. She is used as an example to show just how many opportunities students at Santa Clara have in order to grow as an individual and to increase their capabilities for impacting the world around them. The delivery of this information is far from dry. Labeled as "Charlotte Shannon's Santa Clara Journey," there is a candid picture of her to make her more relatable to the readers. Then, a very visually stunning timeline is presented in order to track her journey and her success thanks in part to her work with Santa Clara University. This type of personal introductions is then repeated throughout the report, as the reader is introduced to people like Jake David, an alumni who has been making a huge impact in the Los Angeles County Medical Center. Each of these introductions is personal and highlights a very relatable and fun looking individual who has succeeded because of their work. Although Charlotte Shannon's is the largest and most visually stimulating, it was a good strategy to keep with the theme of this personal experience telling throughout the rest of the text.