Although Ohio University's newly created division of University Advancement will focus on relations with the outside world, the division's head is focusing first on communication within.

Since last Monday, Leonard Raley, OU's vice president for development, has visited the departments that now fall under his auspices, including News Services and Periodicals, Development, Media Productions, Publications and Alumni.

By Sept. 27, Raley said he plans to hold a half-day session for department employees to get acquainted personally and professionally, he said.

Communication between the departments is one of the main reasons for their consolidation, Raley said. Networking OU's externally focused departments will allow the university to "speak with a more unified voice," he said.

Paul Ladwig, OU's director of media productions, said he thinks bringing the individual departments together under one umbrella will allow OU to cultivate a single focus when dealing with outside agencies.

In keeping with his tradition of weekly development staff meetings, Raley said he plans to hold weekly managerial meetings. The entire division will gather to discuss communication issues and strategies twice a month, he said.

Although department employees will meet on a regular basis, their locations and focuses will not change, Raley said.

"They definitely still have distinct roles and will be managed separately," he said.

Crompton Burton, associate vice president for university relations, said the consolidation has allowed other institutions to communicate more effectively and efficiently.

One way the division will improve external communication is by adding to the OU Web site, Raley said. OU's distance from urban areas makes the Internet an important means of communication.

"Because of our location, we feel that's one of the best tools we have to reach people on a regular basis," he said.

Burton will work to keep the site updated and possibly add features such as event reservations and university donations, Raley said.

Aside from improving OU's Web site, Raley said he hopes division departments will work together on projects and ideas not possible before the consolidation.

"I want to make sure that I harness that talent and raise the bar so that I can get people excited about what we can do that is not going on today," he said.