Weekly newsletter connects students to news and opportunities on campus
Staying informed and connected is an essential aspect of any successful college experience. With that concept in mind, the Student Life department at Dakota County Technical College (DCTC) created the Blue Knights Bulletin, a comprehensive source for information about upcoming events and activities, important college announcements, links to scholarship opportunities, and more.
Early version e-bulletin mobile
Student Life started sending a bi-weekly student activity calendar via email in 2012. The title, Blue Knights Bulletin, was added in 2017.
“These early communications were not super-well designed, very text heavy, and did not allow for edits after they were sent,” said Anna Voight, MA, the college’s associate director of student life and Neurodiverse ERG chair. “The decision was made to redesign the bulletin in 2023.”
Thanks to the vision and expertise of Ashley Sarne, a DCTC alumna, the entire bulletin received a full design upgrade and was launched in the fall of 2023. Designed to be a one-stop destination for campus news, the Blue Knights Bulletin is delivered weekly to the college community via email and an online blog as well as in print.
“That wouldn’t have happened without Ashley,” Anna said. “She was a student employee at the time and had been providing feedback about the existing bulletin, suggesting ideas on how to improve it. She had a lot of interest in the project and needed an internship. I worked through the approval process to hire her as an intern and also got approval from the college’s Strategic Marketing and Communications department to have her work on the project with support from Scott Glime, the department’s web content manager and new media specialist.”
Anna added that Ashley received feedback from the Student Senate and student club advisors. Everyone on the bulletin team continues to get feedback from the student body as well as from employees involved in campus programming to make sure the Blue Knights Bulletin is always meeting the needs of students.
More about the Blue Knights Bulletin…
Blue Knights Bulletin versions: print, crm email, online blog
The idea for the Blue Knights Bulletin was born from an aspiration to increase the visibility of college resources by adding a new element to campus communications. DCTC provides numerous opportunities for students to be engaged on campus, including student support resources, student clubs and organizations, Student Life activities, and a variety of academic, cultural, informational, volunteer, and athletic events. However, many students were not finding an easy way to be more aware of everything happening at the college.
The solution? A centralized, simple-to-access platform designed with the student experience in mind.
The creative force behind the bulletin’s design upgrade, Ashley Sarne, graduated from DCTC in 2023 with an A.A.S. in Software Development. Ashley’s passion for user experience/user interface (UX/UI) design inspired her to take on the project with the goal to enhance how the college communicates with its students. Leveraging her background in software development, she infused the Blue Knights Bulletin with a seamless user experience, ensuring the content was not just informative, but also visually engaging.
“The purpose of the Blue Knights Bulletin is simple,” Ashley said. “The bulletin helps ensure that students and the broader college community have a clear and easy way to stay informed about everything happening on campus. Events, resources, career opportunities, and scholarships often go unnoticed due to lack of promotion. The bulletin bridges that gap, offering students a dynamic and user-friendly way to engage with what’s going on at DCTC.”
Web Content Manager Scott Glime played a significant role in the project, coding WordPress backend functionalities, making certain that Ashley’s designs came to life with precision and efficiency.
“Ashley had some great ideas for user-interface elements,” Scott said. “I added some custom Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) styles so she could use those elements more easily anywhere in the WordPress site. She also designed the look of the embedded calendar so it would be user-friendly and meet brand guidelines.”
Recently, Bonita Stepaniak, a DCTC student, joined the Blue Knights Bulletin team. A Digital Marketing Specialist major earning two certificates, Sales Specialist and Small Business Entrepreneur, Bonita is also completing a communications coordinator internship at the college. Scheduled to graduate in 2026, she is a Phi Theta Kappa member with a 4.0 GPA. She is contributing a fresh perspective to the goal of continually evolving the bulletin’s look and user interface.
“As a marketing communications coordinator, I’m committed to making the Blue Knights Bulletin an innovative and engaging hub of information for students and faculty,” Bonita said. “I’m excited to collaborate with Anna and Ashley on the ongoing development of the bulletin by creating strategic content that enhances its design and functionality, building upon the strong foundation established by Ashley, ensuring it meets the evolving needs of the DCTC community.”
Anna Voight supervised the project, handling logistics, managing deadlines, and verifying that vital information was not just included in the bulletin, but also timely and accurate. Anna’s leadership and attention to detail were critical in keeping the project organized and on track.
“Ashley did such great work with the re-design of the student bulletin last year!” Anna said. “She took into account student feedback on communication methods and how they like to receive information about campus events and announcements while incorporating UX design best practices. Ashley did a great job setting up the system for creating the bulletin in a way that makes it easy to train new student employees to assist with the weekly tasks for the communication.”
Anna added that involving student employees in this work gives them hands-on experience applying the skills they learn in the classroom to a real-world project they can personally see impacting the campus community.
“Ashley and Bonita have made a great team this academic year managing the communication plan for the bulletin!” she said. “I’m delighted with the final product, and we regularly receive positive feedback from students and employees at other colleges who visit our campus and see the design.”
Blue Knights Bulletin gallery
The process: Idea to execution
Blue Knights Bulletin (print)
Creating the Blue Knights Bulletin required a structured approach, combining both design and functionality. What follows is a peek at the process:
Applying UX/UI principles
The bulletin is a blend of aesthetics and usability. Ashley Sarne applied core UX/UI principles to ensure the layout is intuitive. Before and after screenshots of the redesign show a significant transformation—where the earlier version was cluttered, the new one offers a clean, visually appealing experience that encourages engagement.
Types of bulletins
The Blue Knights Bulletin is designed in three formats to reach different audiences, a WordPress blog, a printed bulletin, and a CRM email version. This helps ensure accessibility no matter how students prefer to stay informed.
Distribution
After finalizing the design, the next challenge was deciding on the best way to send out the bulletin. A weekly schedule was chosen to keep students up to date without overwhelming them. Printed versions are also strategically placed in high-traffic areas around campus, such as restroom cubicles.
The impact: More students engaged
The Blue Knights Bulletin has already proven to be a success. One of the most effective strategies has been adding printed versions to restroom cubicles. This unexpected location has increased the number of students attending events and engaging with campus resources. The bulletin is sent out weekly so that the team could provide the most up-to-date information.
Another noteworthy achievement? Another college, Minnesota State Community and Technical College, saw value in this initiative and has incorporated a similar bulletin design for their own communication efforts.
While the Blue Knights Bulletin is already making waves, the bulletin team is committed to keeping it fresh and up-to-date. Moving forward, the team aims to accomplish the following:
- Prioritize accessibility, making sure students of all abilities can easily access the bulletin
- Continuously update the bulletin with the latest campus news, events, and opportunities
- Open the door to suggestions and feedback from the student body to make the bulletin even better
Ashley Sarne
Learn more about the tech and design journey that produced the Blue Knights Bulletin by connecting with Ashley Sarne on LinkedIn. She is an incredible resource for anyone interested in UX/UI design and bridging the gap between tech and communication design.
Bonita Stepaniak
Learn more about effective digital marketing and communication strategies that engage audiences by connecting with Bonita Stepaniak on LinkedIn. As a digital marketing specialist, content creator, and marketing communications coordinator, she is passionate about creating impactful content that resonates with target audiences.
Learn more about the Blue Knights Bulletin by contacting:
Anna Voight, MA
Associate Director of Student Life
Neurodiverse ERG Chair
Campus Vote Coordinator
anna.voight@dctc.edu
651-423-8649
