Elizabethtown College’s Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC) was recently named as a winner of two Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Pennsylvania (AICUP) Comm Awards. The 2025 awards recognized member institutions that effectively conveyed higher education’s value across three categories: Best Opinion, Best Story, and Best Social Media pieces.
The department was awarded Distinguished Communicator in the Best Original Story category for the Etown News article, “Elizabethtown College Momentum Program Continues Success of Positively Impacting First-Generation College Students.” The story, published in July 2024 showcased the Momentum program’s positive impact on first-generation and Pell Grant-eligible students at the College during the 2023-24 academic year.
Momentum provides one-on-one support to ease the college transition process, creating a space where students can find support, celebrate their successes, and cultivate a sense of belonging at Etown.
Etown was also recognized as a Distinguished Communicator in the Best Social Media Post category for the Sept. 26 Instagram Reel that offered a recap of the College’s Charter Day celebration.
The special event brought the campus community together to commemorate Etown’s 125th Anniversary and honor the day the College was officially chartered by the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas in 1899. Blue Jays gathered in the Academic Quad to enjoy food, live music, giveaways, yard games, and an inflatable obstacle course while also having the opportunity to view the original charter document.
About AICUP
Established in 1995, AICUP is the only statewide organization that exclusively serves the interests of independent, nonprofit higher education within the Commonwealth and exists to complement and support the work of campus leaders.