Political acumen has become survival skill for school leaders. By staying abreast of developing social issues and anticipating local action, school executives can orchestrate community effort, take lead, and develop plan featuring broad citizen involvement. Advice is provided for playing new game and becoming less isolationist. Sidebars show how…

Pepperdine University's (California) 1980s fund-raising campaign was designed to raise overall institutional visibility, establish an image of quality education, improve institutional image in the business community, increase fund-raising momentum, and raise significant money for immediate capital needs. Theme, staffing, and advertising were key…

An informal survey of professional job listings in college marketing suggests that community colleges and small colleges are the first to embrace marketing. Advertisements for institutions in the northeastern states are most common. The most prevalent organizational structure for marketing, however, does not correspond to the most effective model…

A question-and-answer style column offering academic advising in a campus newspaper is described, sample questions and responses are presented, and recommendations are offered on aspects of editing, layout, writing, and communication with the publication staff. The approach makes advising information attractive and easily available to the campus…

Interviews with five college presidents and their chief public relations officers concerning their professional relationships and approaches to program administration are summarized. Comments focus on the importance of trust, adaptability, communication, shared roles in policymaking, staying informed, and use of strategic thinking in effective…

At George Mason University (Virginia), a consulting firm designed a program to train university administrators to deal with the media effectively. On-camera simulations, followed up with practice sessions in the university's telecommunications department, were an effective method of preparing for difficult media questions. (MSE)

Applies risk management models to child care administration. These models have been used by corporations to plan for crisis management. The formation of a crisis management policy and procedure is described, and features of effective communication during crises are outlined. (GLR)

Volunteer fund raisers for colleges bring enthusiasm, perspective, motivation, and influence to the task of soliciting gifts. They stretch staff time, fill out the fund-raising team, and cost little. Careful definition of responsibilities, recruitment, training, and monitoring and rewards for good work are essential to getting the best results.…

A positive public relations campaign specific to special education can stimulate teacher cooperation and principal support, improve community perceptions of special education students, and increase hiring of special education students by local businesses. A monthly calendar of suggested activities and guidelines for starting a public relations…

Explores time, distance, focus, and excellence within the context of art and arts education policy and the relationships among them. Raises several questions for policy makers related to attracting/keeping arts teachers, helping students learn the unique lessons of art, and maintaining necessary policy positions in a dynamic environment. (CMK)

Response of colleges and universities to surveys from publishers of college guides and popular newsstand magazines is discussed, and considerations in developing a standard survey response are explored. These include the advantages and limitations of standardized information formats, how much of the information reaches prospective students, how…

Discusses emerging organizational structures of academic libraries and identifies core competencies for academic reference librarians, including a flexible attitude and approach toward technology, a high tolerance for rapid technological change, creativity, curiosity, communication skills, public relations savvy, and the ability to relate…

New school board members must learn to acknowledge the job's difficulty, avoid micromanaging the superintendent, carve out personal time, avoid adverse publicity, field parental lawsuit threats, prioritize communication, attend national conventions, avoid seeking special favors, beware one-size reform packages, and realize their expendability.…

This article examines the language games played by superintendents as they work with school boards and community activists to craft school policy. We begin by examining the role of language in problem definition and the agenda-setting process. We then examine how political culture and the media affect problem definition. We argue that school…

Schools are facing major problems today that are only marginally addressed by most reform initiatives or by standards-based federal and state legislation. New and different strategies are required if schools are to adequately serve their students and communities. This article demonstrates that service-learning is one dynamic way to promote school…