Keizer Police Department Partners with Corban University Students for Full Media Revamp
When a voicemail from the Keizer Police Department (KPD) appeared on Corban professor Naomi Yanike’s phone, she admits her first thought was related to potential speeding tickets, not a partnership that would come to define her students’ experience.
For Yanike, the director of the media arts program at Corban University, it was a connection she did not expect. The same could be said for KPD, who attended Corban’s Career Day last fall at the invitation of Dr. Sandee Flint. They anticipated hosting a few mock interviews, meeting students, and returning to headquarters. At the event, officers noticed Corban students filming, interviewing, and producing content for campus media. Their professionalism made an immediate impression, and an unexpected partnership began, one that would soon place Corban media arts students at the center of a complete media refresh for the department.
Soon after Career Day, KPD reached out with a request for help modernizing their recruitment materials, photos, videos, and overall visual identity. “It became clear very quickly that this was a serious client who could have hired any number of professional firms,” Yanike said. “They weren’t looking for a small student project. They wanted to go all in.”
The officers at KPD were attracted to the same qualities and characteristics they look for in police force recruitment, actively displayed in Corban’s busy media arts students—communication and character.
Students stepped into real production roles—filming officer interviews, gathering B-roll, producing short-form videos, and redesigning the look of KPD’s recruitment presence at community events. Their work will appear on banners, printed materials, social media, and in digital campaigns. “Being involved in a real-world, hands-on project was exciting because I had the chance to create with my classmates but also to partner with and benefit the community,” media arts major Sean Jackson said. “I learned the importance of planning and communication. We had to triple-check everything: weather, lighting, cameras. Planning was key, and we delivered.”
With hours of footage, interviews, and branded materials produced, the project has become a showcase of the hands-on experiences Corban students gain in the media arts program. Yanike has plenty of future plans to assemble content showcasing and featuring students at work, demonstrating the professional-level opportunities the program provides. “This partnership shows students exactly what they’re capable of,” Yanike said. “They’re doing work that matters, and they’re doing it with excellence.”
