Making the Case

Key Messages and Data • Making the Case Resources • Media Activity • Speeches and Addresses • Books and Reports •

APRIL 2000
Vol. 1, No. 4

PRESIDENT'S EDITION

Welcome to the fourth issue of Communications Resources, CIC’s periodic kit of tools and ideas to help you tell your institution’s story. This edition includes thoughtful articles, several links to data, and a list of questions to ask major donors. Here’s the rundown:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

In his essay "Liberal Education, Moral Education," Princeton University President Harold Shapiro argues eloquently that institutions of higher learning “have an obligation to be sure that important questions are being addressed honestly, thoughtfully, and with full respect for all people.” Universities, he contends “must try as hard as they can to exhibit, both by words and deed, an exemplary commitment to ethically informed principles, and to a set of values that enables them to meet their civic responsibilities.” Full text can be read at http://www.princeton.edu.

Included in the printed version of Communications Resources, the Ed Department publication Understanding Information Literacy, which talks to how well we are preparing our students and teachers for life and work in the information age, can also be read online at http://www.ed.gov/pubs/UnderLit/.

DATA

Comparative data. The Education Department continues to improve the search capacity of the IPEDS data on the Web site listed here. A relatively new tool, the IPEDS Peer Analysis System, enables users to generate reports on various variables comparing one institution to others in a peer group that the user can select. WEB LINK: http://nces.ed.gov/ipedspas/
Student attitudes. Last month, the USA Group Foundation published a new study, Are College Students Satisfied?, which was conducted by Noel-Levitz. The full text is available on their Web site.WEB LINK: http://www.usagroup.com/
foundation/satisfaction.htm
General statistics. The report Do You Know…The Good News About American Education? summarizes basic statistics about achievement, the curriculum, and the climate for students in K-12. Higher ed statistics focus on teacher education, enrollment trends, and completion data. Download the full text from the site listed here. WEB LINK: http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs

PRESIDENTIAL WRITING

In a column from his institution’s alumni magazine, Whitworth College President William Robinson comments on the pitches that colleges sometimes use in their capital campaigns.

82 QUESTIONS FOR MAJOR DONORS

DePauw’s advancement officer shares a long list of questions he uses in interviews with potential major donors.

—Steve Pelletier
Vice President for Communications

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK….

What do you think about Communications Resources? How can we improve it to best serve your needs? Let us know. Contact editor Steve Pelletier, CIC’s vice president for communications, at (202) 466-7230; e-mail spelletier@cic.nche.edu; fax (202) 466-7238.

WANT TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR WRITING?

Since our first edition, we’ve heard from many presidents and campus PR directors. Several have suggested future articles for Communications Resources, and several presidents have asked us to consider some of their writing for future issues. If you have a short speech, op-ed, report or other article that you think would be of interest to your colleague presidents in CIC, send them to Steve Pelletier at CIC. We’re especially looking for articles about values, the return on investment that CIC colleges provide to students, and the meaning of “independent” in independent higher education.

PAST ISSUES

All past issues of Communications Resources are posted in the “Projects” section of the CIC Web site, www.cic.edu.

CIC PRESIDENTS LISTSERV

If you’re not on CIC’s “listserv” discussion group for presidents and would like to join, send your e-mail address to Steve Pelletier and we’ll add you. There’s no charge for this service. Participation is restricted to sitting presidents of CIC member institutions. CIC also sponsors listservs for chief academic officers, business officers, and lead staff in student affairs, advancement, public relations, and IT. See CIC’s Web site or newsletter for details.

APRIL 2000
Vol. 1, No. 4

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR'S EDITION

Welcome to the fourth issue of Communications Resources, CIC’s periodic kit of tools and ideas to help you tell your institution’s story. Your president has received a similar mailing. This edition includes a thoughtful article, several links to data, and a checklist for reviewing your publications. Here’s the rundown:

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

DATA

Comparative data. The Education Department continues to improve the search capacity of the IPEDS data on the Web site listed here. A relatively new tool, the IPEDS Peer Analysis System, enables users to generate reports on various variables comparing one institution to others in a peer group that the user can select. WEB LINK: http://nces.ed.gov/ipedspas/
Student attitudes. Last month, the USA Group Foundation published a new study, Are College Students Satisfied?, which was conducted by Noel-Levitz. The full text is available on their Web site.WEB LINK: http://www.usagroup.com/
foundation/satisfaction.htm
General statistics. The report Do You Know…The Good News About American Education? summarizes basic statistics about achievement, the curriculum, and the climate for students in K-12. Higher ed statistics focus on teacher education, enrollment trends, and completion data. Download the full text from the site listed here. WEB LINK: http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs

PRESIDENTIAL WRITING

In a column from his institution’s alumni magazine, Whitworth College President William Robinson comments on the pitches that colleges sometimes use in their capital campaigns.

82 QUESTIONS FOR MAJOR DONORS

DePauw’s advancement officer shares a long list of questions he uses in interviews with potential major donors.

FOR PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTORS ONLY

Your institution’s president received the material above. For campus PR directors, we’re including this additional resource:

AUDITING YOUR PUBLICATIONS

A colleague of mine here in Washington has a pretty good basic checklist for thinking about the presentation of your institution’s publications. Take a minute to step back from your day-to-day pressures to think afresh about your publications.

—Steve Pelletier
Vice President for Communications

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK….

What do you think about Communications Resources? How can we improve it to best serve your needs? Contact editor Steve Pelletier, CIC’s vice president for communications, at (202) 466-7230; fax (202) 466-7238.

WANT TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR WRITING?

If you have a short speech, op-ed, report or other article that you would like to share, send them to Steve Pelletier at CIC. We’re especially looking for articles about values, the return on investment that CIC colleges provide to students, and the meaning of “independent” in independent higher education.

PAST ISSUES

All past issues of Communications Resources are posted in the “Projects” section of the CIC Web site, www.cic.edu.

CIC LISTSERV

If you’re not on CIC’s “listserv” discussion group for public relations directors and staff and would like to join, send your e-mail address to Steve Pelletier and we’ll add you. There’s no charge for this service. CIC also sponsors listservs for presidents, chief academic officers, business officers, and lead staff in student affairs, advancement, and IT. See CIC’s Web site or newsletter for details.

ARE WE ON YOUR MAILING LIST?

So that we can help you tell your institution’s story, we need to know what’s happening at your college or university. Please make sure that Steve Pelletier is on your list to receive press releases and your alumni magazine. Our mailing address is One Dupont Circle, Suite 320, Washington, D.C. 20036.