Good school libraries influence student achievement and there are studies from 15 states to prove it. Several reports provide evidence that access to a good school library has positive correlation to reading scores. Higher test scores have also been linked to the presence of quality libraries in schools. Professional librarians are an essential…

The television trucks and newspaper reporters, like locusts, swarmed last week into Blacksburg, Virginia, where Virginia Tech is located. The university's administrators and especially its public-relations staff members are steeling themselves for what will be a long and intense feeding frenzy. For the men and women who speak for colleges, being…

Enrollment management is a major component within the organizational structure of most four-year universities today. However, this is not necessarily the case with community colleges. With the continual decrease in public funding and increased competition with private colleges and universities, public community colleges are now being forced to…

This article presents an interview with Gary Olson on the changing contexts of the humanities in this modern world. He emphasizes that the humanities are absolutely essential when it comes to the very real-world problems. He explains that what he is saying not just applies to terrorism and economic crisis; the humanities equip everyone to deal…

In this article, the author identifies 10 key principles for managing a technology department. These are: (1) Have a Vision; (2) Make a Plan; (3) Create a scheme of work; (4) Document; (5) Build a Team; (6) Balance a Budget; (7) Learn from others; (8) Train your Teachers; (9) Delegate!; and (10) Tell the world.

No matter the medium--magazines, newspapers, or TV--institutional leaders need to hit the right tone and convey specific talking points to their audience. A media-savvy leader doesn't just provide accurate information; he or she can help change the tenor of a discussion and build support for crucial institutional initiatives. No university is an…

In the past few years, the online world has changed. It seems everyone is suddenly on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, and anyone who can string words together--and a few who can't--seem to have glommed onto blogs, spouting opinions into the cyberworld with abandon. Prospective students, parents, and alumni not only read…

For years, the University of California, Los Angeles, has been a rare holdout. As other colleges, universities, and independent schools rushed to create their own private online social networks, the UCLA Alumni Association stood on the sidelines. This fall, UCLA will join the game, launching its own online community. According to Ralph Amos,…

The fall of 2008 was a bleak time for college and university leaders. While there was little doubt that state funding would be down for the foreseeable future and general agreement that endowments would take a long while to recover, no consensus existed about the potential impact of the financial crisis on college and university development…

This research set out to explore the attitudes of school, academic and public librarians towards marketing libraries. The main question that was examined is whether personality characteristics such as empowerment, extroversion and resistance to change influence librarians' attitudes towards the marketing of libraries. One hundred and fifty-six…

The purpose of this paper is to examine public engagement as a branding and public relations strategy at colleges and universities. Specifically, this paper posits the idea that engagement efforts require a focused and, if possible, centralized approach on the part of colleges and universities. Successful branding and marketing of engagement…

There are unique aspects of the student-athlete collegiate experience that create substantial challenges for student-athletes' academic success. Athletic culture, extreme time demands on student-athletes, and the often uneasy marriage between athletics and academics in the university setting all contribute to the difficulties that many…

Viewbooks are an important medium by which institutions of higher learning entice students to matriculate. Indeed, an entire industry exists to aid institutions in the design and production of these publications and college and university admissions and public relations professionals spend a significant amount of time and money fashioning…

Article discusses the implications of school volunteer programs in terms of public relations. (GB)

The former public relations director of the Los Angeles Public Library urges all public libraries to establish a good public relations office. (NH)