Making the Case

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

Vol. 4, No. 1
October 2002

Presidents’ Edition

Welcome to the first issue of Communications Resources in 2002-03. This is CIC’s periodic kit of tools and ideas to help you tell your institution’s story. Your public relations director has received a similar mailing.

The following issue has valuable presidential views on three key topics you often encounter: the availability of incentive plans for paying for a private education; the mistaken concept of students as “customers”; and a white paper that dispels the misleading perceptions surrounding college affordability. We also include an op-ed piece by an association officer that addresses the controversial college ranking guides.

Three speeches are included as examples that challenge, inspire, comfort, and convince. They reflect principles of communicating lively points effectively to a largely student audience.

Finally, two brief sets of guidelines may help you work outside more productively when the news media calls, and inside when you team up with your campus PR director. Enjoy.

RECONSIDERING “CUSTOMERS,” CLARIFYING BENEFITS,
PAYING THE COSTS, AND TAKING ON THE RANKINGS

We include herein three presentations that explain the costs, benefits, and incentive plans associated with affording a liberal arts education. First, Leslie H. Garner presents a white paper on college affordability to the friends of Cornell College (IA). He goes into Cornell’s details, but his methodology will resonate with independent presidents elsewhere. Next, College Misericordia President Michael A. MacDowell directs his
op-ed summary of tuition and fees incentive plans toward students and parents in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. MacDowell published his summary in a neighboring Pennsylvania newspaper. Southwestern College (KS) President Richard Merriman explains to incoming students at freshman convocation why students cannot be considered merely “customers.”

Finally, an op-ed piece by Daniel Levin, vice president for publications and editor of Trusteeship Magazine for the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges, takes on the college ranking guides and assessment process. The piece appeared in the September 22 edition of the Washington Post.

INSPIRING GRADUATES AND INCOMING FRESHMEN

Along with President Merriman’s convocation address (mentioned above), two other notable campus addresses were delivered to incoming students at fall convocation and to outgoing graduates in last spring’s commencement ceremonies.

These two addresses made succinct, salient points in memorable ways. You may also wish to consider the thoughts of Claudia Sullivan, professor of theatre and communication at Schreiner University (TX), and those of John Sullivan, philosophy professor and commencement speaker at Elon University (NC). They have provided excellent examples of talks that are lively, entertaining, and insightful.

By the way, Elon’s Sullivan has good reason to have delivered a superb commencement speech. Both the Wall Street Journal and NBC’s “Today” show took notice because he’s waited 22 years to deliver his talk. For over two decades he was the institution’s never-called-upon back-up commencement speaker. Finally this past June, he was rushed into service after a last-minute cancellation. Would that all of us, like John Sullivan, get 22 years to prepare our remarks.

IMPROVING THE PR DIRECTOR-PRESIDENT TEAMWORK

Every president deserves a PR director who knows how to anticipate the chief executive officer’s needs. The PR director also deserves a president who knows how to respond appropriately when the news media calls directly to the president’s office.

We include two brief guides on these partnerships. Communications consultant and CIC Senior Advisor Keith Moore presents “15 Unbreakable Rules for Working with the President,” a piece presented at his conference for campus PR directors. These tips are directed to your PR officer, and a copy has been sent along with the PR officer’s copy of Communications Resources. Finally, for handling those sensitive, unexpected reporters’ phone calls, Dobisky Associates explains some valuable pointers in “So You’ve Got a Reporter on the Phone.” Both lists illustrate methods that will improve campus public relations. You may want to review each point on the lists with your PR director to assess whether you’re both on the same page.

Until the next issue, much success in telling your institution’s story.

WANT TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR WRITING?

Several presidents and PR directors have suggested articles for Communications Resources, and several presidents have asked us to consider some of their writings 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 us for inclusion in the next edition. We’re especially looking for articles about values, and the return on investment that CIC colleges provide to student. For more information or to talk about your materials, contact CIC Communications Director Laura Wilcox at (202) 466-7230; e-mail: lwilcox@cic.nche.edu.

Vol. 4, No. 1
October 2002

Public Relations Directors’ Edition

Welcome to the first issue of Communications Resources in 2002-03. This is CIC’s periodic kit of tools and ideas to help you tell your institution’s story. Your president has received a similar mailing. This issue features ways to help you interact with the news media in promoting your college or university.

CRAFTING AND PITCHING MEDIA NEWS AND FEATURES

When is it more effective with the media to broadcast announcements of your news or to target a release to a single outlet? When should you publicize a home phone number for your expert? Should you include attachments with e-mails? Dick Jones Communications answers these and other questions in “Tips on Pitching and Promoting Your Experts (and the President) to Journalists.” This one-page advisory is included.

Are you interested in conceiving more compelling story ideas? Buff Lindau, the long-time PR director of Saint Michael’s College (VT), provides suggestions in a helpful outline titled, “Crafting Media Pitches.”

Looking for tips on achieving greater media coverage in your shop? Try Mary Dolheimer’s guidelines, “Media Relations in a Small Shop.” She’s director of media relations at Gettysburg College (PA). Read her advice carefully and pay close attention to her instructive list of Internet services and sources.

In addition, Infocom Group’s Media Relations Insider is usually interesting, but the May 2002 issue had a particularly worthy article titled, “12 Steps to Better E-mail Pitching: Ask Your Account Execs to Review This Checklist Before Hitting ‘Send’.” The article is aimed at groups that regularly abuse e-mail pitching to journalists. Since more CIC colleges and universities are engaged in frequent e-mail pitching, we include the piece here for your review. The piece is reprinted from Infocom’s newsletter, Bulldog Reporter’s Media Relations Insider, What’s New and What’s Working to Increase Your Media Coverage (Copyright 2002, Infocom Group). For a no-obligation trial subscription to this monthly newsletter, phone toll-free: 1-800-959-1059.

IMPROVING THE PRESIDENT/PR DIRECTOR TEAMWORK

Finally, we are including in both the PR Directors’ and the Presidents’ issue of Communications Resources two brief, but helpful, guides. Presidents deserve PR directors who know how to work effectively with chief executive officers, and the PR director deserves a president who knows how to respond appropriately when the news media calls the president’s office directly.

We enclose two sets of guidelines that will improve this teamwork. CIC Senior Advisor Keith Moore presents “15 Unbreakable Rules for Working with the President.” This list of tips explains ways of advancing your president. For handling a reporter’s unsolicited calls, Dobisky Associates has produced a list of pointers in “So, You’ve Got a Reporter on the Phone.” Both lists illustrate methods that will improve campus public relations. You may want to review the lists and confer with your president to assess whether you’re both on the same page.

TAKING ON THE RANKINGS GUIDES

Enjoy. Next time we’ll look at other essential marketing activities that are helpful in telling your institution’s story.

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK….

What do you think about Communications Resources? How can we improve it to serve your needs? Let us know. Contact editor Laura Wilcox, director of communications, at (202) 466-7230; e-mail lwilcox@cic.nche.edu.

CIC PR LISTSERV

If you’re not on CIC’s “listserv” discussion group for public relations directors and their staff and would like to join, send your e-mail address to Maxine Morris at mmorris@cic.nche.edu, and we’ll add your name. There’s no charge for this service. Participation is restricted to PR practitioners from CIC member institutions. CIC also sponsors listservs for presidents, chief academic officers, business officers, and lead staff in student affairs, advancement, and IT. See CIC’s website or newsletter for details.