Two books on private donor decision-making are reviewed: "Decision Making in Foundations: A Case Study" by A. Hope Williams and "Factors Accounting for Variations in Levels of Private Giving to Higher Education in the United States" by Sally Spaid Drachman. (MSE)

Issues management in college public relations involves identifying issues and trends early, debating alternative responses, deciding on the best approach, and designing and carrying out an action plan. Experience at the University of Minnesota with the issue of animal rights has shown the method can be very useful. (MSE)

Steps and strategies to help senior development officers analyze activities, delegate duties, and concentrate on the central concerns of their job are provided. A distinction is made between activity urgency and importance. The techniques of selectively ignoring certain office cues and focusing on differential advantage in selecting activities are…

Six college advancement professionals respond to a hypothetical case of across-the-board cuts in nonacademic departments by telling how they would make budgeting choices. The strategies used include involving senior advancement managers as a team, cultivating consensus, preserving priority projects, sharing responsibility among departments,…

Offers principles for resolving ethical dilemmas in college alumni relations, based on a theory of decision-making using four ethical dilemma paradigms (truth vs. loyalty, individual vs. community, justice vs. mercy, short-term vs. long-term). Practitioners are urged to use quiet moments to reflect on and discuss ethical issues among the staff.…

Tough editoral decisions made by college editors and their consequences are described. (MLW)

Three dissertations are discussed: "An Analysis of the Institutional Image of a Private University ..." (James William Klenke); "Factors that Affect a Student's Decision to Enroll at Francis Marion College" (Joseph Edward Heyward); and "An Analysis of College Choice Influence ....Freshmen at a Large Southeastern Urban…

Fifty alumni association administrators offer tips on how they save money or make their programs more cost effective in a variety of administrative areas including event programing, staffing, postal services, support of chapters, looking for new sources of revenue, fees for services, publications, planning ahead, and sharing resources. (MSE)

In an era when sophisticated campus marketing calls for sensitive public relations strategies, more institutions are turning to advisory groups. Most of these groups are made up of alumni or parents who know the institutions and have experience in public relations or communications. (MLW)

Planning must revolve around objectives related to students, faculty, money, and political support. When it is understood that all of the institution's advancement activity should help produce these four things, planning is easy. (MLW)

Planning is the process of setting direction, priorities, and guidelines. A CASE survey of public relations professionals is described that notes the use of staff retreats and brainstorming sessions, among other techniques and strategies, that help professionals plan. (MLW)

Choosing a consultant to help with a computer system will have more impact on an office than any other decision made during the year. The major advantage of hiring computer consultants is that they bring in-depth expertise to the organization. Some basic rules for choosing a computer consultant are provided. (MLW)

The University of Akron's department of development designed a screening instrument to help them in the hiring process. The instrument involves: evaluating the job description, writing down the attributes needed, rating the attributes' importance, advertising the position, conducting the interviews, and using the instrument to evaluate the…

Maintaining a quality college alumni program on a small budget requires careful analysis of services and may involve painful decisions. This process should begin with a broad, strategic review of mission, programming, audiences, and services. Finding other funding sources and increasing cost-consciousness can also help keep some activities funded.…

Advice on how to find the best software for institutional needs is presented. Purchasing prewritten software, acquiring custom-written software, and improving ready-made software are discussed. Questions to ask before buying software are provided. (MLW)