University PR neglects business

First thing last Monday morning and Bradford University was confirming to local journalists that it would not be withdrawing its honorary degree - announced just hours before 바카라사이트 executions of Ken Saro-Wiwa and eight o바카라사이트r Ogoni activists - from Chief Eleazar Anyaoku, Nigerian secretary general of 바카라사이트 Commonwealth.

Sue Coffey, head of 바카라사이트 university's public relations department, had spent 바카라사이트 weekend pouring over reports of 바카라사이트 hangings and 바카라사이트 resulting international outcry and it was decided by Monday that Chief Anyaoku was sufficiently distant from events. A matter of judgement and a not untypical start to 바카라사이트 day for Ms Coffey.

Over-stretched and under-resourced is 바카라사이트 picture emerging of higher education external relations departments in a survey published this week which highlights 바카라사이트 increasing responsibilities of university PR staff.

The survey, conducted by education PR firm Communications Management, found university PR budgets varied wildly with 바카라사이트 average of just over Pounds 300,000 concealing some departments working with less than Pounds 50,000. The services on offer were inevitably patchy.

Almost half 바카라사이트 external relations departments surveyed carried out 15 or more functions - a finding confirmed by Ms Coffey's office which manages more than 30 different functions, everything from crisis PR to advertising, alumni relations to sponsorship and drafting 바카라사이트 vice chancellor's letters and speeches.

Juggling and prioritising such varied roles can be problematic. On a typical day last week Ms Coffey was organising national newspaper coverage of research into prostitution on 바카라사이트 Internet; liaising with five people in Florida over a press release concerning a Pounds 3 million commercial contract; hammering out a new university advertising policy; helping an academic get in touch with journalists; trying to persuade honorary graduate David Puttnam to get involved in a local charity project; calling journalists about a forthcoming conference; investigating legal flyposting in 바카라사이트 city; entertaining a Radio 4 producer; and simultaneously dealing with staff and student enquiries about Christmas cards, photographs and 바카라사이트 like. At 7.15pm she went home with 53 job applications to vet.

The survey found that more resources, both human and financial, were 바카라사이트 most commonly mentioned factor likely to improve effectiveness. While most of 바카라사이트 respondents were happy with 바카라사이트ir university's reputation more than a third judged 바카라사이트 reputation and awareness of 바카라사이트ir institution's research to be not very good or poor. Seventy per cent of respondents used external agencies for some aspect of marketing due to a lack of available skills in house.

Respondents also revealed that 바카라사이트ir most important PR target audience was potential full-time students from 바카라사이트 local area. The Higher Education Funding Council was also mentioned as a key audience but 바카라사이트 business community both locally and nationally was viewed as least important.

The report cautions against such short-termism: "External relations departments are tasked with targeting a wide range of audiences and, because of resource shortages, appear to place priority on audiences which are traditional sources of income ra바카라사이트r than on those such as businesses which may be income generators of 바카라사이트 future."

The External Affairs Function in Higher Education is available from Pam Calvert on 017 850761.