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Establishing Positive Public Relations
Updated June 21, 2005
Written by Jim Hanson and Abby St. Lawrence for
the CEDA Cost Committee
Your input and comments are much appreciated. Write to hansonjb@whitman.edu
1.
WORK
WITH YOUR SCHOOL'S FINANCE DEPARTMENTS
Know the fee
allocation and other relevant financial procedures of your college. Refer to
your development office for specific information about your institution.
Build up good relations so the people who are handling money speak positively
of you.
2.
NETWORK
WITH YOUR SCHOOL'S ADMINISTRATORS
Get to know your
Principal, Vice Principal, the academic division heads and administration
officials--whoever is in charge. Attend staff functions in order to establish
working relations with those who have power over fee allocations, donations,
and development.
3.
KEEP
IN TOUCH WITH YOUR ALUMNI
Keep your own
debate/speech alumni informed of the activities of the team and department.
This information to alumni really helps when it comes to fund raising because
alumni are much more likely to give when they know where their money is
going.
4.
PR
AND PROMOTE YOUR TEAM
Be sure to submit
major team accomplishments throughout the year to any college publications
that go out to alumni, parents, staff, faculty, etc. Also, try to get
beginning-of-the-year and year-end summaries to such publications to pique
interest about the team within the college community.
5.
KEEP
GOOD BUDGET RECORDS
Keep careful
records of your own team's budget in order to have adequate documentation to
submit to budgetary committees. Such documentation makes fund disbursement
easier for the committee and makes your chances of getting adequate funding
greater.
6.
LOOK
INTO ENDOWING YOUR PROGRAM
Do your own research
on how to apply for endowments (See the Cost Committee Endowment Sheet). When
you know the details of those processes, you'll have a better shot of getting
something going on an endowment.
7.
KEEP
YOUR TEAM VISIBLE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY.
Host open houses
for incoming students, consider an intramural debate tournament, put on
public debate and speaking performances, keep other faculty, staff, and
administration abreast of the team's performance. Make sure your students
pre-arrange absences with their professors.
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