Colleges need to pay more attention to presenting their distinctive character to prospective financial supporters. A framework comprising eight dimensions representing a wide range of human ideals is discussed. The dimensions are: moral, intellectual, egalitarian, spiritual, socio-political, humane, personal development, and tradition. (MLW)

All organizations have certain characteristics that make them unique. Corporate culture is defined as "a cohesion of values, myths, heroes, and symbols that comes to mean a great deal to the people who work in an organization." Culture as an internal management tool is discussed. (MLW)

Describes a transition process at Susquehanna University designed to help its new president adjust to the institution. Discusses the transition committee's efforts, including formation of a schedule for the new president, sharing of institutional information, and planning various meetings with important constituencies. Includes sidebars on useful…

Strategic planning for Centre College consists of two basic analyses: assessing the environment and discovering institutional identity. A strategic planning committee's job consists of several steps: articulating the institution's identity, analyzing strengths and weaknesses, setting goals, analyzing how strategies are working, and producing a…

Controversies and divisive issues on college campuses require swift action from public relations personnel. Although the issues may change, the basic coping strategy focuses on preserving a sense of community both on campus and among alumni, friends, and supporters. When polarization occurs it can be used as a source of communication and…

Advice is offered for making college alumni reunions fun and memorable, illustrated with anecdotes from various institutions. Suggestions include exciting opening activities, focusing on the particular habits or characteristics of a class, appealing to a variety of tastes, emphasizing class identity, savoring favorite campus traditions, and…

Based on experience with the 1994 earthquake, staff members of California State University at Northridge offer advice on coping with the aftermath of a crisis. Suggestions focus on early information dissemination both on and off campus, follow-up communication, finding things to celebrate, and remaining flexible and psychologically prepared for…

Change or the prospect of change can bring new life to an institution. In education's competitive marketplace, planned change (as opposed to change in response to a crisis) is both inevitable and necessary. Ways to sail smoothly through name changes, mergers, etc. are discussed. (MLW)

Strategic planning defines the university's mission, scans the environment and identifies challenges and opportunities for the university, assesses institution's strengths and weaknesses, sets priorities, and outlines strategies for achieving goals. Strategic planning at the University of Miami is discussed. (MLW)

The goal of institutional history should be to "place the institution in the context of American collegiate and cultural history." Two types of institutional histories exist: scholarly ones and public relations accounts. Guidelines for writing a history include begin at the beginning, decide on institutional image, etc. (MLW)

The simplest form of institutional identity program is a wordmark--a typographic treatment of the institution's name--and a set of guidelines for presenting the wordmark on all communications. A more detailed program might include a logo, standards for the placement of information on the paper, family of typefaces, etc. (MLW)

Increasingly, colleges and universities are establishing retirement communities on or near campus to attract active and generous alumni. The communities provide opportunities for continuing education and intergenerational contact. The working relationships between institutions and retirement communities are varied. Suggestions are made for…

The chasm between crisis management theory and practice has been the downfall of many an institution. Senior professionals in corporate and institutional public relations were asked about their strategies for convincing top management to release information during a crisis. (MLW)

Successful techniques for administering alumni associations are described, including a live mascot (University of Redlands, California, bulldog), ethical/social focus reflecting institutional mission (University of Notre Dame, Illinois), humorous gifts for board members resulting in high attendance and participation (University of Idaho), and…

Eight high-profile college administrators offer recommendations for successful public relations administration, including being proactive, getting connected on campus and in the community, knowing how to talk to the media, being a good listener, crafting the key messages, knowing the chief administrator, seeing the big picture, and hiring…