When it comes to producing dazzling graphics, Farmingdale State College is truly among the GOATs.

The College received an excellence award in August for its in-house digital FSC Dashboard graphics from the University & College Designers Association (UCDA). Competition judges evaluated 775 print and digital entries, and presented 151 awards, including 13 Gold Awards, 27 Silver Awards, and 111 Awards of Excellence. Winning entries will be part of the 2022 Design Awards Show in October at the annual UCDA Design Conference in Santa Ana Pueblo, New Mexico. 

“I’m thrilled,” said Ru Jurow, associate creative director of the College’s Marketing & Communications Department, who created the designs. "Our shop may be small but we can still compete with the larger national colleges and universities and take the design to the next level."

Danielle DiMuro, associate director of integrated communications for the Office of Marketing & Communications, writes, edits, and coordinates the integrated marketing campaigns in which these award-winning graphics are used. "Our team is always seeking innovative ways to communicate with our campus community," DiMuro said. "I am proud of the evolution of the level of strategy and creativity that the myFSC dashboard has achieved."  

FSC ranked alongside larger colleges and universities including Brown University, the University of Notre Dame, Boston University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "To place among these reputable colleges and universities is a testament to our team," noted Jurow.

The myFSC Dashboard graphics target different audiences; the award-winners were in three categories: one group aimed at students to promote the criminal justice program; one for faculty and staff related to veterans, nurses, and donating; and another group also aimed at students, announcing events on campus.

“I’m pleased, because this speaks to how the FSC Dashboard differs from others,” Jurow said. "myFSC is eye-catching and functional."

myFSC consistently gets the second highest number of page views among all the FSC sites, just behind the homepage. Between Aug. 1 and Aug. 29, it collected almost 124,000 page views.

"Recognition from The University & College Designers Association is the gold standard for our industry, honoring the best work done by education communication professionals from all around the country," said Matthew Colson, vice president of development and communications for FSC. "We are extremely proud of the MarComm Team to have received one, reminding us of the great talent we have on our staff and their passion for telling Farmingdale's compelling story as a leading institution in applied learning with outcomes that serve as an engine of opportunity for the students of Long Island and beyond." 

The UCDA Design Awards recognize the best of the exceptional design and creative work done by communication professionals to promote educational institutions, including secondary, vocational, or higher education, and supports the exchange of ideas and information relating to the unique role of these creatives, according to the organization.