College & University Public Relations and Associated Professionals

Whether you’re new to higher ed communications or a seasoned professional, the opportunities that CUPRAP provides to learn and grow are worth every penny. But, over the course of my 19 years as a CUPRAP member, what I have always been most grateful for are the relationships that I’ve established with colleagues at other colleges and universities. To have access to a community of people who do what you do, who are generous with their professional counsel, who will listen to your ideas and commiserate with you over shared challenges – that is truly priceless.

I have been a member of CUPRAP for more than 13 years. The networking, camaraderie, and professional knowledge sharing, as well as the all-important validation that you are following our industry’s best practices, are great reasons for joining. Communications and marketing of higher education matters, and CUPRAP is an outstanding resource for newbies and veterans of this important work.

CUPRAP is an exceptional organization and my involvement has been incredibly rewarding. Attending CUPRAP conferences has connected me with creative, engaged colleagues at other schools and universities and contributed to my own professional development. The Villanova School of Business was honored to host a successful CUPRAP workshop last fall.

“I attended my first CUPRAP spring conference just 10 days after starting my first position in higher education. I hadn’t even left my job in publishing yet, and I received an email from my future boss that said: “You have to go to this.” I haven’t missed one since and I have encouraged all of my staff to attend. The power of this organization isn’t just the programming; it’s the people. It’s the commiseration over shared pain points, the validation that you’re on the right track, and the sometimes enlightening realization of what the right track even looks like. In a field where university communicators are so outnumbered by our faculty colleagues, the CUPPIE awards also serve a noble purpose in recognizing work that sometimes goes unnoticed (or under-appreciated) by those on the other side of the academic isle. I am so grateful that I was forced to go to that first conference. I assure you, the rest have been by choice.”