College and University Public Relations

University Relations

The principal place where the public relations work of an educational institution is completed is in what is commonly called university relations. One of the major components of public relations is a university news service whose job it is to publicize the information that originates from the campus. University relations officials do this by responding to calls from media who need information, as well as fielding inquiries from the general public. This information takes the form of news releases and feature stories about significant events in a university's existence such as hiring a new president, common and regular occurrences like commencement ceremonies, as well as to publicize the newsworthy research efforts of faculty members.

As part of its news service, many universities also produce news calls—prepackaged news stories disseminated throughout a state or region that then are accessed by broadcasters. The benefit here is that radio stations get ready-made stories at little or no cost while universities generate publicity and institutional recognition. In addition to external efforts, university relations also seeks to communicate with internal publics through newsletters and other media. The chief spokesperson for the university is housed within a university relations department.

A second area of work in university relations is that of special events management. An educational institution is overwhelmed with special events—which can include major grant announcements, technology transfers, new building dedications, orientations, homecoming events, campus races, as well as major events like Centennial celebrations.

A third area of effort is graphic arts and Web design. Such work usually includes the control of the presentation of the institution's name and logo, project planning, design and layout assistance for the many places across campus that need brochures and other promotional materials, and a great deal of photography, whether documentary, news related, or an updating of the school's photo files. In addition, with the advent of information technology, the development of college and university Web pages normally falls under the purview of university relations.

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