Bob Dylan was not singing about higher education when he sang “the times they are a changin’,” but indeed many universities nationwide are experiencing an era of challenge and change. Our relatively small school at the flagship university in Colorado has experienced significant change over the past year-plus — from deanship transitions to sweeping budget and organizational change. These changes have led us to pivot and evaluate our communications strategies in real time while we attempt to remain true to our mission and center community-building among faculty, staff, students, and supporters. We don’t have all the answers, but we know we are not the only ones interested in exploring inclusive and transparent communications strategies during times of change and processing our emotions as staff leaders. In this interactive session, we will work through lessons learned around change management in our school as we explore case studies together about budget constraints, political scrutiny, leadership transitions, humanizing change management, and more.

Picture a whirlwind of videos, graphics, emails, text messages, social media posts, and an incredible outpouring of support from our campus and alumni community. But it doesn’t stop with digital efforts—One Day for STATE has become a physical presence on SDSU’s campus. We host a Yellow & Blue Block Party featuring various student groups, Jack (our mascot) travels around town the night before to build excitement, and Jack even visits classrooms to engage and interact with our students. It’s a phenomenon that grows year after year.

Since our inaugural One Day for STATE in 2017, which featured 25 challenges and $80,000 in gifts to unlock, we’ve come a long way. In our 7th year, we’re presenting over 100 challenges, totaling an impressive $1.3 million in gifts just waiting to be unleashed, and we’ve raised nearly $2.5 million from more than 6,200 donors in just 24 hours.

One Day for STATE empowers student groups, colleges, departments, and programs to bridge financial gaps and support the entire campus. It’s more than just a giving day—it’s a chance for our community to come together and celebrate SDSU.