Reasons are given for media myopia about higher education, and suggestions are made for improving news media perceptions: (1) using personalities to enhance the university's image; (2) establishing a program for making faculty expertise available to the media; (3) emphasizing solutions, not problems; and (4) taking risks. (MSE)

A managerial process for enhancing the image and public reputation of a higher education institution is outlined. It consists of five stages: market research; data analysis and market positioning; communication of results and recommendations to the administration; development of a global image program; and impact evaluation. (MSE)

Many higher education institutions have allowed market fragmentation by permitting their names to be used in many forms and many ways. Specific techniques can be used to discover the power and value of the institutional name, identify what it communicates, and learn how to use it to convey identity effectively. (MSE)

A process for assessing and changing a college or university image is outlined. Steps include image assessment through any of several methodologies; identification of current problems, threats, and opportunities; formulation of the desired image; communication of the image with the public; and implementation and corrective action when necessary.…

In this day of increased competition for students, educators need to know what makes their institution exceptional or how it is perceived as providing something of value that other institutions in the local area do not. Without this information, community colleges will find it difficult to thrive and adapt in the future. Efforts to determine the…

The use of a semantic differential measure to investigate the institutional image of Tufts University (Massachusetts), both internal and external, is reported. The study focused on (1) differences between the current and desired image, and (2) differences among alumni, current student, and other constituencies' views of the institution.…

The concepts of "image" and "image management" in higher education are relatively new outcomes of an overall debate about accountability. Competition for faculty, students, and resources demands that colleges and universities promote their faculty's good work. Public support and trust are critical to funding and understanding…

A discussion of institutional stature in higher education focuses on its development and determination and strategies for its enhancement. The central theme is that although colleges and universities are affected by trends in the external environment, they can plan, respond, act, and organize themselves to improve their stature. The report…

Development and application of the Educational Institution Image Instrument, designed to assess alumni perceptions of a higher education institution, is chronicled. Results showed it is a highly reliable scale containing five significant and interpretable subdimensions when applied to a random alumni sample. Implications for image measurement and…

Advice for colleges on how to identify, develop, and communicate a positive image for the institution is offered in this handbook. The use of market research techniques to measure image is discussed along with advice on how to improve an image so that it contributes to a unified marketing plan. The first objective is to create and communicate some…

This speech examines the image of the university as a powerful center of knowledge in the contexts of both the traditional university and the modern research university. The institution's role in thinking and research, personal growth, and social change are discussed, especially as these areas interrelate and can create an exciting intellectual…

Improving college stature is an ongoing and essential process needed to regain public support and trust. Administrators can elevate stature through specific techniques in innovative planning, resource allocation, outcomes assessment, and image management, and they can communicate better with the public. (MSE)

A study investigated the perceptions of human resource managers (n=243) concerning graduates from 9 area colleges, using 40 criteria to differentiate potential employees. The results support use of the methodology by colleges and universities to investigate factors contributing to institutional image within the business community. (MSE)

Developing an effective communications program is crucial for the survival of colleges, universities, and independent schools because they must be well understood and have broad public support. This guide to media relations compiles articles from "CASE Currents" into five sections: "The Basics of a News Service" (17 papers);…

The University of Redlands responded successfully to financial and administrative crisis by tapping institutional and community pride in the institution's stature, affirming a dual commitment to liberal education and career training, developing a new governance system, and reorganizing financial and program priorities. (MSE)