The University of South Florida Student Ambassadors, two dozen students chosen by the alumni association, serve as the association's emissary to everyone from fellow students and top administrators to prospective donors and media. Student, campus, and community relations are discussed. (MLW)

Institutions of higher education have become involved in contracting out staff services to affect budget reductions or to improve quality of service. The experiences of Portland State University in contracting out all custodial services are reported, including a checklist for contracting out analysis. (MLW)

The serious lack of language proficiency among many educational administrators and supervisors should be countered by their becoming aware of their linguistic habits and by taking such steps as developing writing workshops for administrators and staff. (MJL)

Two views of the marketing of education are presented. Pelletier supports marketing, saying it can put educators in touch with new trends and new constituencies and with changing demands of the marketplace. McNamara argues that colleges and universities should be seen, judged, and attended on their academic merits and educational attributes, not…

Relates the experiences and efforts of a two-year college faculty to promote the value of literary study. (HOD)

When asbestos is discovered in a school, close the school and call the Environmental Protection Agency, then designate one administrator as a spokesperson for the media. It is important not only to manage the problem but to deal well with the public and the press, too. (MD)

Three school recognition and award programs are described and contrasted: the Ford Program, the Secretary of Education's Program, and the For Character Program in Chicago. The general implications of the award approach as an incentive system for innovation are considered. (BW)

In this physical geography field course, college students plan and develop interpretive guides that explain the physical environment of a field site. This approach has two advantages: students develop geographical skills to a level approaching professional expertise and distributing the brochures increases public awareness of the value of…

Provides specific examples of how students can apply business communication principles by fulfilling contracts with local businesses. Includes a sample direct mail advertising letter, and a successful student revision. (HTH)

Series of articles offers teaching tips and techniques for such journalism topics as newswriting, public relations, news sources, and news ethics. (HOD)

Two Canadian art educators carry on a fictional exchange of letters that address a very common set of problems: "Why do art educators have to educate the public to the value of art while a similar kind of public consciousness raising is not necessary for, say, math or reading educators?" (RM)

The history of the partnership between the Atlanta schools and their community is presented as a guide for other school systems. One of the most valuable lessons to learn from it is keeping lines of communication open and clearly assessing strengths and weaknesses at every stage of development. (MD)

Suggests guidelines for college administrators who deal with the media. Discusses social responsibility theory and presents suggestions for student affairs personnel in planning for crisis communication. Stresses the need for accurate, honest information which doesn't compromise the institution legally. (JAC)

This article describes the unfavorable conditions and the innovative tactics used in a well-planned, successful referendum campaign for one school district's capital improvement bond issue. (MJL)

This Backgrounder Brief is an executive summary of "Telling the Technology Story: PR Strategies for School Leaders," a component of the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) Essential Leadership Skills Series. Public relations is a critical component of a district's successful technology implementation--and it involves communicating on an…