College and University General Interest Magazines

2010 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards
Judges Report

College and University General Interest Magazines - (Circulations of 29,999 or Fewer)

Gold Award:
Drew Magazine, Drew University

Silver Awards:
Kenyon Alumni Bulletin, Kenyon College
Carleton College Voice, Carleton College

Bronze Awards:
Pomona College Magazine, Pomona College
Portland Magazine, University of Portland

A total of 59 schools were represented in this category, ranging from graduate institutions to small, liberal arts colleges and major research universities. Overall, the quality of the entries was uneven, with a dozen or so magazines standing out from a field of publications too often characterized by uninspired story choices and a self-congratulatory tone.

The judges were unanimous in their praise of the gold medalist, Drew. They were smitten with Drew's winning blend of whimsy and gravity, visual panache and quality writing. "I loved this magazine as soon as I opened it, and the more I dug into it, the better it got," commented one judge. "I do believe that God is in the details and this magazine does all the small things well. Even the president's messages are smart, funny, topical, and free of the pomposity that often goes with the office."

The table of contents-well written, well designed, easy to navigate-signals readers that they're in for a treat. Judges loved the use of marginalia in the front of the book, and the use of illustration was "perfect throughout."

Drew has succeeded at producing a readable, approachable magazine. Judges singled out features such as the "Around the Drewniverse" map and the rock ‘n' roll memories retrospective as engaging, fun examples that give Drew readers a great sense of the university's culture and spirit. And the effect extends beyond alumni. As one judge noted, "The magazine made me think I'll have my daughter look at Drew when she gets to high school."

Carleton's Voice, which won a silver medal, was lauded as inviting, well designed and intelligently produced. Though tightly focused on Carleton, Voice by no means feels insular. The magazine is ready to tackle big stories, such as the piece on the future of libraries, which was thoughtful, well reported and meaningful for a readership that is highly engaged with topical issues. But what makes Voice stand out is how well it presents shorter material. Readers today, even those in a university setting, tend to be grazers and Voice offers a tantalizing smorgasbord.

Said one judge, "Carleton's Voice perfectly matches the college. The magazine is inviting and pleasing. The edit is grazeable and when necessary more in depth. And the design takes some innovative turns. This is a well-balanced, well-designed magazine." Judges especially liked the two-page "Place Setting" feature that depicted a campus office or room and its eclectic contents.

Also winning silver, Kenyon is beautifully designed and showcases the college elegantly. The stories, photography, and design work seamlessly to create a readable, warm magazine. Judges drooled over the two-page "Seasons" photographs in each issue and enjoyed the magazine's sense of humor, exemplified by the "world records" and "myth debunking" stories, which were both clever and fun to read.

Noting the blending of the "Kindling" headline and the art on the opening spread for that piece, judges were knocked out by Kenyon's ability to make art and edit work together.

Bronze-winning Pomona uses its stunning gatefold opener to start the publication with a splash. Its charms are abundant. "I admire the smart confidence of any magazine that leads its Letters section off with a negative one as Pomona did," said one judge. "Any editor would feel good at the end of the day about having pieces by [New York Times editor] Bill Keller and [Chicago Tribune columnist] Mary Schmich in the same issue. I have read way more than is healthy about baseball but I've NEVER seen a feature on a baseball card scribe; a home run for Pomona."

The best description of Portland came in this comment: "One-stop shopping for the luminous personal essay." Or, put another way, "beautifully written, thoughtful first-person essays on a variety of well-chosen topics¬¬-an engrossing read." While appreciative of the peerless writing and sonorous voice of this magazine, one judge remarked that the design is so subdued that "you really have to want to read it." Then again, it's hard to imagine not wanting more once you have experienced its luxuriant attention to craft.

College and University General Interest Magazine - Circulations of 30,000-74,999

This may have had something to do with the limited time available for judging, but there was a consensus that design has outpaced editorial a bit overall. Of the dozen or so among the 40-plus entries that stood out in the judges' initial discussions, it was more often on the basis of their images than their words. In particular, an impressive amount of outstanding photography appeared among these entries, but too often paired with pedestrian text.

One of the judges praised the "generally high quality of design. People are taking risks, and often succeeding." In other cases, results are more mixed. "Some editors are running too many chart pieces, leading to the occasional jumbled spread." And the feature well, squeezed by such "charticles," expanding departments, and photos splashed over spreads, can feel like neglected space.

One judge called for "more substantive features based on faculty research into controversial subjects," while another lamented the way editors "squandered good opportunities for longer, more engaging features" by running a thin interview or a "250-word squib" in a list-based feature on an alumnus/a or faculty member ripe for greater coverage. Another no-no: over-reliance on reprints-in particular, from other magazines. Finally, seeking out a variety of subjects, lengths, tones of voice-the "something for everyone" approach-remains a reliable way to grab and hold reader interest.

Gold Award: Minnesota - University of Minnesota Alumni Association
Minnesota took the top award on the basis of its well-thought out and substantive editorial content, especially its strong and varied story selection and willingness to engage with major issues in a way that relates to the institution. The judges pointed in particular to a story about a University of Minnesota-led investigation into deaths from lung disease among taconite miners in the state and a story and interview with a professor whose research focuses on weaknesses in reporting about health care. A piece focusing on a university horticulturalist whose work counters "dangerous and ridiculous gardening myths" was also cited.

While the magazine is easy to navigate and manages to find space for an impressive amount and variety of content, the judges agreed that Minnesota's design does not serve that content well-though some were more vehement about this than others. "I hate the covers!" one judge declared. Others pointed to overuse of grids and shaded boxes, heavy type, weak photography, and other graphic elements that were seen as old-fashioned, as well as simply lacking in visual appeal. Still, "this is the one I want to go back and read," added the cover-hating judge.

Silver Award: Denison Magazine, Denison University
Denison is a solid performer all-around, but the magazine's visual appeal is its main calling card. The submitted issues do an especially good job of showcasing the magazine's excellence at developing premises for stories that offer graphic potential-and then delivering on it. In one standout case, the not terribly original concept of a summer-reading list-asking students, faculty, and staff for suggestions-was greatly enlivened by terrific, inventive photography; rich colors; and a very eye-catching layout. On the other hand, some judges felt that the more straightforward narratives and overall story selection did not match the imaginative level of the design. But Denison had its staunch defenders, and the panel had a difficult time choosing between it and Minnesota for top honors.

Bronze Awards: NC State Alumni Magazine, North Carolina State Alumni Association and the College of Charleston Magazine, College of Charleston
In the case of NC State, the judges wanted first to recognize the magazine's reporting on the resignation of the university's chancellor and two other top officials following a hiring and salary scandal involving the wife of the state's governor. Other standout pieces included one on a historic fire on campus and another on the childrearing theories of an alumna, based in part on her experiences raising four traumatized children of her own. Less impressive: Putting a story reprinted from the NY Times Magazine profiling White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs on the cover.
The College of Charleston Magazine won the judges over with its strong visuals-clean layout, striking photography-and varied story selection, though some judges felt the articles were a bit "fluffy."

Colleges and University General Interest Magazines - Circulations of 75,000 or More

The 2010 pool of contestants in this category reflects how far alumni magazines have come in terms of overall quality. Arguably, all 41 entries achieved their stated objectives, and many did so with prime style and quality. In fact, even after our initial, careful review, when we removed those that wouldn't stand up in final rounds, we still had nearly half of the entire group on the table.

The hardest part for our panel of alumni magazine veterans was the knowledge that every one of the entries represented not just someone's day job, but their life's blood. We know how hard our colleagues work to create experiences (not just magazines) that serve both their readers and their institutions. We know the skill and energy and resilience that this job requires. And we know how many forces can stack up against us, and how hard it can be to hit a homerun with every page, story, or issue.

We gave considerable weight to the quality of writing and design, of course, and to the content of the CASE entry forms, especially with regard to resources and objectives. (It's important to note that the goals of superior magazines commonly targeted intellectual and cultural service to the reader, as opposed to goals that emphasize "informing readers of" or "building pride in" or "connecting them to the college." In other words, the best magazines were those that successfully extend the mission of their institutions, not just report on them.) We added our own questions: Who feels genuine? Who is giving us a PR spin? Who presents a distinct visual and editorial personality? Who tells us engaging, memorable stories? Who enlightens us with knowledge or understanding that we can apply to our own lives? Who is giving us something we didn't expect? Who is challenging us? And who does it with meaningful, imaginative, and effective visual style?

Within the top four, we awarded two gold medals to Cambridge Alumni Magazine and California Magazine because both, in very distinct ways, are supremely smart and visually engaging, and they both pull us closer to the institutions and inform us about our world. Moreover, they sought to do something different, and they succeeded. Taking the silver and bronze, respectively, Tufts Magazine and NDSU offered great competition, each in their own way, and much like the rest the short list. With that said, all are to be praised for what they do for their readers, their institutions, and our profession.

And as for the rest of our "short list," we'd like to give special mention to the magazines from Stanford, Notre Dame, Duke, University of Dayton, and Case Western Reserve. They certainly gave us a lot to think about, as well as some really cool reading.

Gold Award: California Magazine, UC-Berkeley
California Magazine also represents a new venture for its editorial staff and its institution. Moving from a bi-monthly to a quarterly format, the editors took up the ambitious goal of building each issue around a broad, relevant theme. (Speaking from experience, our panel knows this is not easy.) The inherent mission is to report on "Berkeley's unique and lasting impact on American culture and the University's continuing role in shaping the future." In the two issues submitted, the California staff doesn't just meet this pitch; they knock it out of the park. In one issue, they take on circumstances of their evolving university and masterfully turn it into a lens on education, the State of California, and society in general. In the other, they raise questions, and deliver many answers, regarding our culture of consumption (blending a tender kiss on the cheek with a forceful punch in the gut). The style, substance, and sheer professionalism of the writing and editorial planning is matched by imaginative art direction that doesn't just "dress up" the contents-it delivers them with meaningful interpretation. Whether in the depths of its engaging, thoroughly reported feature stories, or in the many treat-riddled layers of its departments, California Magazine offers readers bountiful rewards for the time they spend with it. And the total package is one that, in our opinion, rivals some of the best magazines found on the newsstand today.

Gold Award: CAM (Cambridge Alumni Magazine), University of Cambridge
With the launch of a new format in 2009, CAM's editors intended to move their publication "into the ranks of world-class magazines." And they succeeded, according to the unanimous agreement among our panel. CAM gathers the mystique of an 800-year-old university and its range of colleges, dresses it with elegant and modern design, beautiful photography, smart, relevant, and accessible journalism, and an editorial voice that makes you feel like you're visiting with a dear old friend. The key purpose of the redesign, was to "sustain a warm and strong relationship with all alumni," and we presume that it succeeds. But we believe the secret to that success is the way the editors set out to "expose, explain and contextualise the big, world-changing ideas being generated from within the University." Feature contents do their part, citing the unanswerable physical mysteries of the universe, the value of moral philosophy, revolutionary treatments of mental disorders, what Neapolitan passion for ice cream reveals about 18th century culture, and much more. The surrounding departments enhance and broaden the spectrum, ranging from the deeply personal and nostalgic ("History of a Friendship," "My Room, Your Room") to the historic ("Secret Cambridge") to the current and sometimes contentious ("Take Three," "Debate"). As one judge commented, "CAM grabs my attention in so many places; it genuinely makes me want to read it." And the bonus: after your brain fires are stoked by the first 50 pages, you can take on the crossword puzzle at the end of each issue.

Silver Award: Tufts Magazine, Tufts University
Much like the two Gold winners, Tufts isn't produced just for the Tufts graduate (although it offers plenty of well-produced university and alumni news). Rather, it's for "the intellectually curious reader, regardless of alma mater," and Tufts contains healthy shares of scholarly and societal insight, personal accounts, humor, and the occasional fresh fiction. The magazine's strengths center heavily on its editorial qualities-from the selection of the content, to its packaging via imaginative section titles, headlines, and deks, to its consistently superb writing (both in short and long form) which may be the magazine's greatest strength. Our panel particularly appreciated the way faculty contributions are gathered and delivered in one-page portions that are at once informative and uncommonly digestible. (Any magazine editor who has had to edit an academic can appreciate the challenge). The typographical structure is accommodating and easy to navigate, but it's the quality of Tufts writing that wins this award.

Bronze Award: NDSU, North Dakota State University
NDSU is a stand-out among university magazines not just for its exquisite editorial and visual style, but for its calculated, innovative concept. The editors untether the biannual magazine from obligations such as campus news, alumni achievement, and the like by providing such content in a separate tabloid, and in so doing they allow NDSU to soar as a thinker's magazine. NDSU presents North Dakota State University in a scientific, cultural, social, literary, and artistic light that sets it apart from so many other land-grant institutions, but it also employs content that represents the ethos of the region.

Given this package, each individual piece of content is like a surprise gift: you're not sure what you'll get, but odds are you'll like it if you give it a chance.