How Hofstra University Centralized Marketing Operations with Hive

The Challenge

When Hofstra University restructured its Marketing and Communications division, the team faced a unique opportunity: no legacy systems and full freedom to build their ideal workflows from scratch. But with a growing volume of requests — from event support to digital signage — and no formal project management platform in place, the need for structure and visibility became urgent.

VP of Marketing and Communications Terry Coniglio brought in Joanne Augustin, a trusted Hive Partner and consultant, to help implement a system that would streamline intake, improve cross-functional collaboration, and elevate the team as a strategic function within the university.

“We had no tool — just email and Teams. Hive, with Joanne’s help, gave us the chance to build a system that works how we think, not the other way around.” – Terry Coniglio

Why Hive

With Joanne leading implementation, the team chose Hive for its flexibility, automation, and robust review features. Together, they built a centralized system to manage both cyclical university work (like Commencement and fundraising campaigns) and ad hoc requests from departments across campus.

Key elements of Hofstra’s Hive setup include:

• Hive Forms for request intake (flyers, web updates, press releases, event support)

• Hive Automate to assign work, apply templates, and standardize timelines

• Proofing and Approvals to centralize feedback and version control

• A parent-child project structure to keep work organized by team function and initiative

“Hive Automate sealed the deal for me,” Joanne shared. “We could automatically generate action cards, assign stakeholders, and reduce the time spent setting up repeat work.”

Built for Both Structure and Scale

Joanne worked with the team to embed Hive Forms directly on Hofstra’s internal request pages, allowing campus partners to easily submit new work. For recurring projects like Commencement and the annual Gala, Project Manager Armani Harper uses customizable templates to kick off timelines and assign cross-functional collaborators.

“For the Gala, I used a base template Joanne built and tailored it to that year’s priorities,” Armani said. “It helped me move fast without starting from scratch.”

The result is a system that not only saves time — but also gives the division strategic insight across all projects, helping them align campaigns with institutional goals.

Results

– Centralized project intake and visibility across all workstreams
– Faster turnaround times and fewer errors through automation
– Streamlined reviews and approvals with built-in proofing
– A strong foundation that positions the team as a high-performing, strategic partner

What Other Universities Can Learn

Hofstra’s success shows how higher-ed marketing teams can evolve from reactive to proactive by pairing a flexible platform like Hive with the right implementation partner. The combination of strategic planning and hands-on Hive expertise helped Hofstra build a system that works across events, digital, and print—at any scale.

“With Hive and Joanne’s support, we were able to build something that supports both our day-to-day operations and our long-term strategy.” – Terry Coniglio