An in-house media training program can help college faculty feel comfortable with taped and on-camera interviews. Everyone benefits: faculty gain valuable experience; the media and public obtain quick, concise, and clear information; and the campus gets good public relations. Effective programs are carefully designed, realistic, and include…

Properly designed and properly evaluated, entrepreneurial activities can have many kinds of positive financial and non-financial results for an alumni program. A service or product line that alumni can not get from any other source can benefit the budget and both internal and external goodwill. (MSE)

When crisis strikes, internal audiences at institutions of higher education need accurate information which depends on groundwork laid during good times. Key principles for emergency communication include predicting disasters by reading internal warning signs; preventing a potential crisis from growing; and preparing for smooth communications…

An estate planning seminar is a personal and cost-effective tool for alerting college constituents to a financial opportunity. Such seminars are not hard to coordinate, are a service to alumni and friends, and may bring long-term benefits to college and participants. Experiences at a number of colleges illustrate diverse approaches. (MSE)

Basic principles of designing a reunion gift program include beginning small, researching class prospects, gathering volunteers, determining the financial goal, communicating needs and intentions, organizing volunteers, advertising well, and making the donation at the reunion a major event. More ambitious plans can be tied into the program later.…

Alumni continuing education programs can be self-supporting, but they will not thrive unless faculty and administration appreciate their intrinsic value. Garnering ideas and support from the campus community can be invaluable. The alumni program director's goal is to show that continuing education is an extension of the institution's primary…

A planned giving officer is seen as an asset to college/university development for technical expertise, credibility, and connections. Attorneys, certified public accountants, bank trust officers, financial planners, investment advisers, life insurance agents, and real estate brokers may be qualified but probably also need training. (MSE)

It is proposed that an external audit of a college advancement program is analogous to a periodic physical examination that offers objectivity and expertise. Audits are appropriate at the time of administrative transitions, performance difficulties, and even periods of sustained success. Guidelines and expectations are discussed. (MSE)

When events or circumstances (war, conversion to coeducation, class size) have disrupted college class cohesiveness or alumni identification with a class or institution, creative planning can bring them back to campus. Segmentation into interest groups may also unite alumni with each other and the institution. (MSE)

College programs targeting parents as potential donors are discussed. Factors to be considered in program development, such as finding the right constituency, approaching them, program budgeting, and incorporating the program into others, are examined. Benefits of such programs are seen as substantial. (MSE)

This article proposes that a feasibility study should precede a major college fund-raising campaign. Issues to consider include what such a study can accomplish, what makes it credible, who should do it and when, how to determine who should be interviewed, time requirements, costs, consultant role, and expectations. (MSE)

The experiences of Emory University (Georgia) and other institutions with surveying faculty for opinions on the institution and its internal information systems suggest specific techniques for planning and carrying out a campus study and for using the results to improve organizational communication and climate. (MSE)

Ways in which college alumni officers are using emerging technology to enhance regional programming and distance communication are described, including World Wide Web sites, electronic mail, and satellite and video technologies. Suggestions are made for getting started: defining goals, doing research, offering inexpensive connections, and…

Parents can offer a college time, loyalty, and money. Leading roles currently played by parents in campus programs include recruiter, career counselor, political supporter, and fundraiser. Keeping track of parents, organizing and orienting them as volunteers, funding the programs, and assessing the efforts' effectiveness are important elements.…

Colleges and universities can use electronic services such as bulletin boards and electronic mail to both reach out to and keep in touch with alumni. Such services are already being used with some success. Many institutions will find that the technology is already in place on campus. (MSE)