Swim launches webinar series aimed at cutting higher ed buzzwords

Swim Digital Group is rolling out a prerecorded webinar series for higher education communicators who want to replace vague, overused language with clearer, more specific messaging. The series is meant to help colleges and universities better explain their work to students, employees and campus leaders.

Why it matters: - Higher education institutions often sound interchangeable when they rely on the same buzzwords across marketing and communications. - Clearer language can help prospective students, employees and campus leaders understand what makes an institution different. - The series targets a practical problem: generic messaging can obscure the real work happening on campus and make it harder for audiences to connect.

What happened: - Swim Digital Group launched The Debuzzwording of Higher Ed, a prerecorded webinar series focused on overused language in higher education. - The series examines why common phrases have become so widespread in college and university communications. - Swim said the sessions are designed for higher education professionals who want to replace generic language with writing that is clearer and more specific. - The webinar series is available on demand through Swim’s YouTube channel.

The details: - Trimeka Benjamin, CEO of Swim Digital Group, said words such as "synergistic," "innovative" and "world-class" often appear across institutions but rarely help audiences understand what makes one school different. - Swim said the observation came from working with colleges and universities on enrollment, communications and institutional operations. - The company said its strongest messaging work starts with describing the work, the people and what students actually experience. - Each session will focus on a different area of higher education, including why certain phrases became so common and how practitioners can replace them with language that better supports their goals. - The series is meant to show how the same approach can be used across websites, student-facing collateral, enrollment communications, marketing campaigns, leadership messaging and everyday campus communications. - Benjamin said the goal is not to sound different for its own sake, but to say what institutions mean. - Swim said the series reflects its broader view that better communication starts with understanding what is happening inside an institution, not borrowing language that could fit any industry.

Between the lines: - The launch suggests a broader push in higher ed communications toward specificity, plain language and audience-focused messaging. - Swim is positioning itself as a partner that translates campus work into language that feels more authentic and actionable. - The emphasis on “debuzzwording” also signals frustration with sector-wide messaging habits that may have become a barrier to clarity rather than a branding advantage.

What's next: - Swim said the webinar series will continue with additional sessions on different higher education topics. - Higher education professionals can watch the series on demand and look for upcoming installments through Swim’s YouTube channel. - Swim also directs audiences to its website for more information about the company’s work.

The bottom line: - Swim is betting that higher ed communicators can better connect with audiences by dropping buzzwords and describing the real experience of institutional work.