Solutions to common problems of college and university alumni boards and their meeting effectiveness are offered. Recommended are developing diversity in board membership, setting goals, making service meaningful, trying for turnover, balancing the work burden, planning for dignified departures, and fostering member involvement. (DB)

The best-prepared college crisis managers go beyond planning and networking to compiling information on what the campus does to avoid and cope with problems, including (1) keeping lists of key campus individuals and establishing rapid access to media; (2) cultivating campus connections; (3) gathering information on contingencies; and (4)…

Five ethical dilemmas in college and university advancement are outlined, and responses of professionals to each are cited. Dilemmas include renaming a building, originally named for a generous donor, in honor of another donor funding renovation; paying for copying of sensitive documents; use of designated donations; handling of a donation made in…

Suggestions are offered by fund-raising professionals on the following topics: choosing the best night for phonathons; effective teasers for envelopes; type of reply envelopes used; use of precalling postcards; letter length; return rate for mail solicitations; return rate for phonathons; and avoiding common mistakes in mail requests, phonathons,…

Eight steps to help manage time are discussed: analyze time, identify time problems, self-assessment, set goals and priorities, develop action plans, carry out plans, face time problems, and analyze each day. Telephone tricks and ways to manage meetings are described. (MLW)

Guidelines for college publications professionals seeking to improve their productivity include these: set priorities; consider the consequences of each project; spend minimal time on trivial tasks; focus on your goal; identify the slowest task, which may limit a project's effectiveness; make appointments; avoid taking work home; and schedule…

Anecdotes of college and university public relations problems and experiences illustrate 10 principles in managing campus controversy. Issues discussed include promptness of dissemination, accuracy of information, deciding how much of the story needs to be told, establishing a relationship of trust with the media, educating faculty about media…

Advice for stretching the capacity of the small college public relations office includes planning well; using strategy; searching out creative ideas; choosing quality over quantity in press releases; using student and volunteer workers; developing strong media relations; accepting advice; and anticipating problems. (MSE)

Suggestions for college development officers for improving efficiency in researching potential donors include networking with parents, alumni, faculty, trustees, and even the college president; using class notes, local and national business publications, and computer databases; and using personal organizational ability, imagination, and…

College and university development officers are encouraged to adjust their expectations of volunteers to the current reality of graduates' schedules and commitments. Five barriers to volunteering (economic, time and distance, language and cultural, environmental, and competitive) are identified, and techniques for overcoming them are offered. (MSE)

Nine campus public relations professionals offer solutions and strategies to address three campus communication dilemmas: (1) display of a controversial student photograph; (2) a state budget scare; and (3) a rape on campus. (MSE)

Five case studies illustrate the value of strategic communications in school and college public relations (PR). Central issues include public scrutiny of a controversial faculty hiring policy; internal communication during retrenchment; a local education/job fair; animal rights activism; and winning public approval for a long-range campus plan.…