How Murray State University Stayed on Track to Deliver a Winning Centennial Celebration

The Anniversary Forum is a live virtual event that brings together those in the early stage of planning with experienced peers who have executed exemplary anniversaries.

Dr. Tina Bernot, Ex. Dir. of Development, 100th Anniversary lead at Murray State University, recently joined us at The Anniversary Forum to discuss her role in planning the Murray State Centennial celebration. Learn how she and her team were able to keep it all on track while also navigating challenges related to the pandemic.

Assembling the Centennial Celebration Planning Committee

Murray State University began having discussions around how to plan a centennial celebration about seven years in advance. But challenges related to the pandemic forced them to scale back their plans and keep the core planning team within their university community.

When assembling a centennial celebration planning committee, Murray State University took a strategic approach by including a small, cross-functional team made up of key faculty and staff:

  • President of the University
  • Executive Secretary of the Board of Regents
  • University Advancement Director Team (Development, Branding, Marketing and
  • Communications, Alumni Relations)
  • Director of Governmental and External Relations
  • University Libraries – Dean and other Designated Staff
  • Director of Donor Engagement and Communications (Development)
  • Development Coordinator (Development – Special Events)

The idea was to include a mix of strategic visionaries and doers. It was also very important to have long timers with institutional knowledge.

Showcasing Traditions

Murray State understood that it was cost-effective and time efficient to overlay the anniversary theme onto year-round institutional events, programs and other initiatives. They wanted to make everything about the Centennial.

“We referred to it as ‘Centennializing’ and those included events, programs…everything. Labeling it in this way is a great way to let everyone know its our Centennial and amplifies our message.“
Dr. Tina Bernot

They looked at the awards that are given out each year and selected recipients that made sense for a centennial year. That meant looking at legacy families as well as special government officials.

Sharing and making note of interesting stories would also be a big part of how they planned and talked about the centennial. So about five to seven years before the Centennial, Murray State had to make sure that their branding, marketing, alumni relations, and office development teams were on the same page and communicating well.

Engaging the Community

Looking for university centennial celebration ideas to engage the community, Murray State capitalized on the simultaneous milestones happening in their local area to foster stronger relationships and shared celebrations.

The same year as Murray State’s 100th anniversary celebration, it was the 200th anniversary of the founding of their county and the 150th anniversary of their local school district. So as the community was doing its own celebrations throughout the year, Murray State decided to partner on one event around July 4th.

“We used the organization as a conduit to bring groups together and celebrate, magnifying the impact of our centennial by being good stewards of our community.”
– Dr. Tina Bernot

Murray State knew they wouldn’t have made it to their Centennial year without the backing of local and regional governments, partners, and agencies. They saw this anniversary as an opportunity to strengthen those relationships and generate additional support by joining forces with the community around them.

Securing and designating a budget

Identifying sources of funding and the timing of that is also important. Murray State looked at internal partners and collaborations. With a small annual budget of $150 million, they needed to identify other sources of funding.

“You can’t do everything. You can’t buy everything. You must figure out what will reach the most constituents. That would be my advice.”
– Dr. Tina Bernot

Murray State was able to pull all of this off with $80,000 designated specifically for the Centennial. They raised some money to the tune of about $30,000 and then reallocated about $20,000 of the area’s budgets for additional support. They also helped to back feed their budget by developing collectibles, gifts, and commemorative items for sale.

Communicating and promoting the anniversary

Murray State University began planning their 100th anniversary celebration seven years in advance. If you’re looking for guidance on how to plan a university’s 100th anniversary celebration, here’s a strategic approach based on their experience.:

As part of the Centennial brand identity, they designed a new logo highlighting 100 years of service from 1922 to 2022.

Light pole banners were mounted throughout the campus to build awareness.

To commemorate the Centennial, they distributed special editions of the alumni magazine.

The Centennial inspired a redesign of their website.

The core of any effective communication strategy is meeting your audience where they are. As Aristotle wisely put it:

‘Tell them what you’re going to say, say it, and then remind them of what you’ve said.’

Anniversary celebrations can lead to amazing outcomes

Since its centennial celebration, Murray State University has achieved record-breaking enrollment, the highest in its history. The university has also earned national recognition and leveraged this momentum to advance key initiatives, including the establishment of a Veterinary School of Medicine.

“We are well on our way to $68.9 million toward our $100 million goal. So going very well there. Absolutely wonderful results for us. Was worth every minute. It was such a special year and people are still talking about it today.”4
– Dr. Tina Bernot

One key factor behind Murray State’s successful 100th anniversary celebration was their early planning, starting as far as seven years in advance. When planning your company milestone celebration, keep in mind that it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Curious about all the exciting details of the Murray State Centennial? Visit the Anniversary University exclusive video library to watch the full presentation and explore many more insightful videos!