About Salem Academy and College
Salem Academy and College is the oldest continuously operating educational institution for girls and women in the country. Since 1772, the institution has engaged in transformational change to innovate women’s education. Founded with the mission of making education accessible to all, Salem has a rich 253-year-old history and a long-standing track record of educating students who are prepared to make a bold impact locally, nationally and globally through liberal arts education.
Salem Academy is a boarding and day college preparatory school with focus on interdisciplinary learning using STEAM, wellness and leadership. Salem College is the nation’s only liberal arts college exclusively dedicated to developing the next generation of health leaders. Salem College has more than 40 full-time faculty and over 150 staff members who support approximately 500 students including full-time undergraduates, part-time students and graduate students. In 2023, Salem received a second $5M anonymous philanthropic gift equaling its largest in history focused on enabling our health leadership transformation. Our graduates are committed to making the world a better, healthier and more equitable place.
Niche lists Salem Academy as the No. 1 boarding school in North Carolina; No. 5 college prep high school in North Carolina as well as the No. 1 college prep school in the Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem, NC area. Salem Academy has students from more than 10 states and 5 countries. Over 85% of the faculty and staff have a master’s degree or higher. Courses are taught at the college prep, honors, AP and dual enrollment levels. The unique partnership and shared campus with Salem College allows for collaboration with college faculty/staff on curriculum ideas, club activities and more.
Recognized by the U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly, and the New York Times Magazine as a top liberal arts college in the nation, Salem College continues to lead among liberal arts colleges in social mobility and economic diversity. In 2023, U.S. News & World Report ranked Salem College #2 among all national liberal arts colleges in America as a top performer for social mobility. Salem performed as one of the best liberal arts colleges with the highest percentage of Pell-eligible students graduating in four years. Out of 286 colleges in the country, the New York Times Magazine ranked Salem College as #2 for economic diversity – enrolling more economically disadvantaged students than its peers. This ranking is a reflection of Salem’s commitment to making education accessible and affordable for all students. In another 2023 national ranking, Washington Monthly ranked Salem College as #4 in the nation for Pell-eligible graduation rate, #8 in the country for earning performance, #14 best bang for your buck college in the southeast, and #24 best liberal arts college in the U.S.
Salem Academy and College is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a vibrant college town known as the “City of Arts and Innovation”. Winston-Salem is a lively academic community, home to six institutions of higher education and more than 26,000 students. Winston Salem has a collaborative and engaged academic community with strong private and public schools, excellent healthcare systems, and affordable housing. The Winston-Salem area also offers a rich variety of cultural opportunities and has a vibrant art and restaurant scene. Within a few hours of campus are mountains for skiing, camping, or hiking; rivers for whitewater rafting; and the beautiful ports and beaches of North and South Carolina.
Position Summary
The communications coordinator is responsible for the day-to-day communications initiatives at Salem Academy and College. The coordinator will work closely with the Director of Marketing and Communications to write and edit content for Salem Academy and College, promote institutional events to internal and external audiences, develop external messaging, produce web stories, create marketing and advertising campaigns, and develop media relations plans to distribute information and news stories to the media. This is a highly collaborative role that supports key institutional priorities including Academy and College admissions programs and student recruitment, institutional fundraising efforts, student retention, and presidential communications.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
- Outline and write the content for the annual Salem Academy and College annual report
- Promote institutional events to key stakeholders, the local community, and the public through advertising campaigns, community calendar events, web stories, and news releases
- Write regular web stories for the Salem Academy and Salem College websites to promote key institutional news stories
- Establish and maintain relationships with local, regional, state, and national media representatives
- Write and distribute news releases and media advisories to media representatives to share news stories and secure coverage of institutional events
- Work closely with campus departments to write campus-wide announcements, alumnae newsletters, fundraising marketing materials, admissions materials, and presidential communications
- Prepare and maintain annual branded key messages for Salem Academy and College, Salem Academy, and Salem College
- Plan, develop, and implement regular marketing and advertising campaigns in collaboration with other team members and campus colleagues across departments
- Utilize Asana to manage projects and Constant Contact to distribute communications information
- Capture photography and videography as needed of Salem Academy and College events to be used for various marketing materials
- Assist in crisis communications efforts as needed
