Different types of donors may respond better to different types of approaches. Models built for four major donor groups (alumni, nonalumni individuals, business organizations) are described. (MLW)

Matching the celebrity graduate to the celebration calls for careful coordination of styles, schedules, and expectations. In producing a star-studded extravaganza using alumni, make sure the campus has the right resources. Often the celebrity will take the initiative in shaping the nature of their commitment. (MLW)

President Richard M. Cyert of Carnegie Mellon University set establishing national visibility as a university-wide goal six years ago. The public relations office developed a hard-driving program centered on national media coverage. This program is described. (MLW)

Although nearly all the world's cultures value philanthropy, few have a recent history of giving to education. If colleges and universities make the effort to motivate their international constituents today, these alumni, families, and friends can have a significant impact on the institution's future. The first step is for institutions to examine…

A study of 291 freshmen from "invisible" colleges and 239 from 6 prestigious colleges and universities and their parents investigated how the 2 sets of families with obvious different college preferences had made their choice. Geography, parental influence and approval, the "second choice" concept, and institutional…

Although higher education institutions dislike rankings published in the mass media, they like the attention the rankings create and prefer to be included rather than excluded. Common criticisms of the methodology include emphasis on inappropriate criteria, unfair comparison of private and public institutions, faulty assumptions, inaccurate data,…

Describes the way in which Wilfrid Laurier University (Ontario), an institution that had worked hard to improve its programs and reputation, addressed a disappointing ranking in a national news magazine. In cooperation with other educators, administrators, and institutional researchers, the university undertook a successful project to have the…