This chapter presents the perspective of a provost on public intellectuals in higher education. It provides practical guidance through a series of questions faculty members might ask themselves about their role and approach to public intellectualism, including how to translate academic scholarship into a legible message for the general public and…

Free speech is fast becoming a hot-button issue at colleges across the country, with campus protests often mirroring those of the public-at-large on issues such as racism or tackling institution-specific matters such as college governance. On the surface, the issue of campus free speech may seem like a purely legal concern, yet in reality,…

This dissertation charts that growth of the profession of fundraising at American colleges and universities. Fundraising has been central to college and university operations from the beginning of American higher education; the fundraising professional, however, is a 20th century phenomenon. From their first campaigns to erect a building or…

In 2011 and 2012, two Australian university vice chancellors flagged spending cuts at their institutions to overcome financial problems. In both cases, union and staff opposition led to public protests, intense media scrutiny, delays and retreats. This article compares the two cases to see what lessons may be drawn for university leaders faced…

"Earned media" is exactly what one thinks it is. The people who do the necessary work to earn coverage of their issue or battle are the ones who will get their story out to the public. Earning media coverage involves giving careful attention to the mechanics of reaching out to news outlets. Most people can learn the mechanics through…

Institutions of higher education are facing a number of challenges as they compete in the new global economy. Many of these institutions face increasing internal and external challenges, all of which involve additional expenses at a time when resources are diminishing. With growing financial uncertainties caused by fluctuating financial markets…

Sometimes it is not just the subject of scientific research that is important, but rather the "how" and "why" behind it. Communicators need to meet with the researchers and ask them to explain not only the results, but also the process--to describe not just what occurred in the laboratory, but what it means for the person right…

As the market for online communications evolves, it's hard to blame college administrators for feeling a bit deluged. Gone are the days of traditional media, where communications professionals relied on newspapers and print and radio advertising to recruit students and tell their stories. With more students embracing technology today--particularly…

An organization's well-developed strategic plan and reputation can crumble in minutes if it mishandles key communications, particularly during crises. Today's leaders need to appreciate the value of professional public relations and how it helps organizational effectiveness by building strategic relationships, maintaining a favorable reputation,…

Alumni relations professionals need a method of measuring alumni engagement, including giving, that goes beyond counting event attendees and the number of Twitter followers. Social media are changing the way things have been done within the alumni relations profession, but that does not mean that people throw out everything they have done in the…

It's hard to underestimate how crucial the board is in setting an institution's direction. In the United States, the boards of public and private institutions have wildly divergent characteristics. Boards at public institutions are typically smaller than those at private institutions. Board members of public institutions are usually appointed by a…

At the end of 2010, for the first time ever, smartphones outsold PCs. Mobile device adoption rates continue to rise rapidly around the world. A recent forecast by Cisco found that global mobile data traffic more than doubled last year, and by the end of 2012, the number of mobile devices in use will outnumber the world's population. In the United…

To many honors administrators, fundraising is alien and frightening. This monograph is directed primarily to honors deans and directors, who have widely varying experience with fundraising. It may also be useful reading for those staff members, faculty, and development officers who have some responsibility for honors fundraising. It focuses on…

Like anything else, there are good fundraising campaign Web sites and bad fundraising campaign Web sites. The author took a closer look at fundraising campaign sites to see if her intuitive judgments about these could be translated into a logical, research-supported set of best practices. She set up a study that gauged the ease of use and…

Welcome to the Generational Wars--a workplace skirmish over everything from ties and pantyhose to flex time and Facebook. For the first time in American history, three generations are now working desk-to-desk. And each brings wildly varying views on work and life into the office. The battle lines have been drawn. On one side are the Baby Boomers,…