BY ANDREA TORTORA
The Cincinnati Enquirer
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS -- Northern Kentucky University is the region's largest college and the 11th-largest employer, but the campus can barely be seen from the road.
To put the school on the map and advertise events, a new sign -- complete with a scrolling electronic message board -- is being installed at the campus' main entrance.
It's literally a sign of the school's changing image.
"We feel like we have a lot to offer here, and this is another way of hopefully attracting people to our campus," said Jane Meier, director of intercollegiate athletics. The sign "will have some limitations, but not having it has been a limitation."
A sign that's nearly as old as the 30-year-old college itself -- a simple block with just the university's name -- is now at the entrance to Nunn Drive, no taller than the average sedan.
The new sign will be significantly taller and more visible. It should be in place by Sept. 17.
"It will really give visibility to the entire campus," Ms. Meier said. "If there's no sign up in front of a business, you don't have a business."
The electronic board will be used to advertise athletic, theater, cultural and academic events and schedules.
President James Votruba said the new label is part of the continuing effort to make NKU a marquee university.
"One of the messages we heard over and over again from the public was that we needed to be more visible and that we needed to do a better job of telling the community what we do," Dr. Votruba said.
And with nearly 40,000 cars passing Nunn Drive each day, a more prominent sign makes sense, he said. "It's a great, cost-effective way to let people know what's happening at their university. It's a way we can tell our story."
