Ways in which college alumni officers are using emerging technology to enhance regional programming and distance communication are described, including World Wide Web sites, electronic mail, and satellite and video technologies. Suggestions are made for getting started: defining goals, doing research, offering inexpensive connections, and…

Offers advice, in the form of a letter, to an aspiring teacher about the benefits of being a yearbook advisor. Reviews some of the basic skills needed to be an advisor, such as writing, photography and design skills, computer skills, budgetary and advertising skills, and public relations skills. (TB)

College and university initiatives to recruit students through the Internet are described. Issues discussed include the kind and quality of information made available, different means of accessing it, and responding to user requests. Techniques for publishing on the World Wide Web and reaching the appropriate Internet audience are offered. (MSE)

Techniques for college and university administrators and alumni to use in garnering support for or against state legislation include: gathering diverse experts; selecting a defense and/or offense; remaining flexible; flooding legislative offices with communications; meeting with local newspaper editors and legislators; distributing fact sheets to…

Six college and university alumni and development professionals comment on problems and potential of computer software for program administration. They look at current problems with software, discuss capabilities they would like to have, and make predictions for the future of software abilities, hardware uses, sales, and other issues. (MSE)

A directory lists computer software vendors offering software useful in administering college alumni and development programs. Listings include client/server system vendors and minicomputer and mainframe system vendors. Each listing contains the vendor name and address, contact person, software title(s), cost, hardware requirements, and client…

Thirty school administrators attended board meetings throughout eastern Pennsylvania and found an astounding variety in the quality of the meetings. Common-sense recommendations include paying attention to the stage, following a script, keeping the cast in mind, and handling the press properly. (MLF)

Offers guidance to childcare directors on handling public and parent relations during crisis situations (e.g., an outbreak of chicken pox, a child's death, or teacher's dismissal for reasons that cannot be disclosed). Recommends keen observation, risk management, and good planning. Offers suggestions for handling the situation before, during, and…

Describes a procedure for evaluating public relations campaigns called the control construct evaluation procedure. Describes its use in measuring two countywide information campaigns in a large metropolitan area. Notes that it is easy to design, can be conducted inexpensively with few resources, and is understood and accepted by management. (SR)

Tips for editing effective college publications include developing a mission statement and using it for selecting appropriate articles; evaluating progress; regular correspondence with key constituencies; studying other periodicals; getting ideas from readers; inviting guest editorials; reading all institutional publications; reviewing back…

Reports on an investigation of economic impact studies conducted at 26 California community college districts and the studies' use. Indicates that sizable reported economic impacts, including a median for income generation of $32 million. Impact studies were presented to the public in various venues by the district chancellor/president. (DMM)

Increasingly, colleges are using new technologies, often expensive, to improve fund-raising capacity among small-scale donors. Techniques include computerized screening of prospective donors based on personal information, automatic dialing and phone-bank worker training, and sophisticated direct-mail tactics. Concern about privacy and loss of the…

The experiences of University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (Pennsylvania) with opportunistic marketing are outlined. Opportunistic marketing takes advantage of reactive decision making within the administration by repeatedly creating marketing situations that force decisions, then eliciting acknowledgment that the marketing efforts worked. Special…

Traces the history of consortia of community colleges and universities. Identifies the problems facing community colleges in the 1990s. Describes several cooperative endeavors already underway that illustrate the effectiveness of consortia in raising community and national awareness of the importance of community colleges in U.S. educational…

Describes three projects that won 1994 John Cotton Dana Public Relations Awards. The projects used less than $150 of the library budget, had no full-time public relations staff, and relied on volunteers. Guidelines for entering the 1995 awards contest and a list of all 12 winners from 1994 are given in sidebar articles. (KRN)