Describes the contingent media relations policy employed by Rockwell International, the prime contractor for the United States space shuttle program, following the January 28, 1986, destruction of the Challenger. Analyzes Rockwell's response through a theoretical model of crisis perception and Rockwell's policy in relation to the mass media. (MS)

Five strategies for recruiting and motivating college alumni club leaders are outlined, including focusing on collaboration among volunteers as much as on leader qualities, recruiting volunteers to support leaders, allowing key volunteers to make contributions that don't require much of their time, maintaining continuity of policy and practice,…

Seven simple ways for college fund-raisers to recognize donors successfully are outlined, illustrated with the experiences of colleges, universities, and other organizations. Institutions are urged to thank donors accurately, publicly, privately, frequently, appropriately, innovatively, and sincerely. (MSE)

How administrators communicate with stakeholders about alternative student-assessment methods can make or break their reform efforts. This article highlights innovative communication strategies used in Kentucky, San Diego, and other urban districts affiliated with the National Alliance for Restructuring Education. Sidebars offer strategies for…

Schools can harness the power of the media to tell communities about exciting things they are doing. This article presents five steps to getting good publicity: developing a media contact list, writing a press release, sending the press release to the media contacts, calling the media contacts, and being persistent. (SM)

Offers guidelines to assist chief student affairs officers and other student affairs personnel in dealing with media. Introduces general considerations in areas of institutional policy, institutional environment, media relationships, and personal issues then goes on to suggest ways to manage the immediate media situation, manage an issue from the…

Ideas for expanding vision-related rehabilitation services, possibly through the health care system, are addressed. Need areas include gaining support nationally and within states, professionalizing the vision-related rehabilitation field, using innovative health care practices, acquiring funding, and improving accountability. (SW)

Examines how particular characteristics of two companies' press releases, generated during a hostile takeover attempt, influenced the media's news decisions. Finds that press releases from Prime Computer were associated with newspaper articles that were longer, more favorable to its point of view, and contained the same lead message points as…

Finds that four models of fund raising, conceptualized from public relations theory, describe the typical ways fund raising is practiced. Shows that press agentry is predominately practiced today, although fund raisers tend to move toward the two-way symmetrical model when conducting major gifts programs as compared to annual giving programs. (SR)

This article presents an interview with Robert Deware, associate professor of organization behavior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, who offers advice on setting up and managing a university public relations office. It focuses on issues of office size, staffing, structure, and strategy. (MDM)

Guidelines for promoting gifted education programs are offered, including being judicious in promotion efforts, developing support among different role groups, and strengthening support within role groups (e.g., teachers, parents, students, administrators, community leaders, policymakers, and business leaders). A cyclic model of advocacy stages is…

Explains the National Issues Forums (NIF), a nonpartisan program of public-issue discussions designed to enable citizens to have a more effective voice in U.S. politics. The role of libraries in the NIF is discussed; resources the NIF provides are described; and public relations benefits to libraries that participate are considered. (LRW)

No matter what the local district offers in the area of school-community relations, the principal can make or break a school's public relations program. Principals can win teachers over by giving them time off for brief, unplanned breaks or for attending their own children's special events. Friendliness toward students, parents, and support staff…

Discusses methods of raising public awareness of school music performances. Argues that communication is the key to assuring public support. Presents a long-range plan for promoting events. Describes detailed procedures to follow both before and after the performance. Suggestions that effective promotion will benefit the school, the program, and…

Investigates the sets of values held by public relations employees in Saudi Arabia. Finds that the educational background of public relations practitioners and the number of public relations employees in an organization are both factors in predicting these values. Finds also that the direction these factors indicate is opposite from what U.S.…