University of Portland signs were placed in a variety of places, including on the campus of Gonzaga University.
By Caitlin Yilek, Staff Writer -- yilek12@up.edu
This fall, signs placed throughout the Northwest welcomed incoming freshmen to the University of Portland campus.
UP's marketing office reached out through the University's Facebook page asking alumni to help welcome new students to campus.
"It generated a lot of interaction from alums, and it was a fun way to reach out to the alum base," Joe Kuffner, Assistant Director of Media Relations, said.
Kuffner and Bridget Bimrose, Project Manager for Creative Marketing, who are both UP alumni, teamed up to get this welcome project rolling.
"The signs were made totally cheap. Part of their charm is their homemade quality," Kuffner said.
The alumni who wished to participate received blank signs in the mail with the words University of Portland plastered across the top.
"It was a way to amp up the welcome," Kuffner said. "and a great way for alums and community members to connect with the university."
Former UP students placed the signs along the roads leading to Portland, including I-5, I-84 and I-90. The signs were posted throughout Ore. in Ashland, Grants Pass, Eugene, Aloha, Oregon City, Tigard and Pendleton. Several Washington alums placed their welcome signs in Vancouver, Federal Way, Tacoma, Kennewick and Spokane — even on the Gonzaga campus. Alumni welcomed new students as far as Boise, Idaho.
UP alum Jill Socotch took special interest in these signs because of her time spent on The Bluff.
"I will forever have Purple Pride," Socotch said through e-mail. "Even though I'm not physically near campus, my time at UP gave me some of the best years of my life and will always have a big spot in my heart."
Local businesses and hotels also helped greet students to UP.
"Part of the reason we decided to amp up the welcome this year was not only for new students but also to get our name out in the community," Kuffner said.
The surrounding community had a huge response to the welcome signs.
"We even had members of the community commenting on our Facebook page about how great the signs were. This experience has really proven the power of the university's Facebook page," Kuffner said.
With such a great response from alumni and surrounding communities, the marketing office has already begun thinking about its plans to welcome students next year.
"In following years, we have hopes to spread hundreds of signs along the freeways, compared to the twenty signs this year," Kuffner said.
