Source: Wix
Public Relations (PR), by definition, is a management function of continuing and planned character to promote positive attitudes and behaviors of a business to gain attention, attention, and support from the publics (Israel, 2012, and Queensland Government, 2016).
PR practitioners in a company have to maximize PR tools available and PR activities to achieve the company’s goals.
PR in a university is responsible for enhancing the image and visibility of the university and ensuring that activities, achievement, awards, and regulations of the university is communicated appropriately to both internal and external publics. Hence, the internal publics are well appreciated and informed, while external publics will aware the existence and excellence of the university and end up with many new students enrollment. University PR can use various functions of media relations, publications, advertising, marketing, special events, and strategic PR planning to undertake the responsibilities. Here are some recommendations for PR in universities:
Internal Activities
1. PR as the facilitator between departments in university and students
PR has to have good cooperation with Academic, Finance, Student Affair, General Affair, and Library Department in fulfilling the students’ needs. PR can do research to know what needs or improvement expected by students toward university, also keep information updated from all departments in university to be spread among students. For instance, PR role in academic library is to satisfy the lecturers and students by cooperating with library management, professional colleagues, or external academic institution in providing materials to meet their educational, research, information, and recreational needs. Besides, PR should make the lecturers and students aware of the services and policies of the library. These help to make better contact between the library staff and internal publics (lecturers and students) and create a good image of the library which can lead to increase in the utilization of library resources and services.
2. Optimize available internal media to disseminate information
PR department in university can use various media like campus TV, campus radio, e-newsletter, email blast, internal magazine, information board, or social media to deliver all information about university so lecturers, staff, and students can aware of the information.
3. Special Event(s)
Publics like to be involved and engaged by university. The more engagement, the more comfort and loyalty expressed by lecturers, staff and students toward the university. PR can held simple yet fun event that involves the internal publics of university, such as university gathering and university birthday celebration collaborated with relevant students’ organizations. This will increase sense of kinship among lecturers, staff, and students toward the university.
4. University Privileges Card
PR can help or facilitate the needs of university’s internal publics by making privileges card in which they can get privileges from external tenants by using the card when having transaction (e.g. discount price for particular products or services). PR should make the list of targeted tenants which are relevant to the needs of internal publics of university and make strategic plan to approach the tenants (proposal, feedback system, and procedures of card utilization). Once the tenants agree to have partnership with the university and the membership card is ready to be launched, PR should do good socialization for internal publics.
External Activities
5. Media Relations
PR should strive to have partnership with various media as many as possible to generate university information such as achievement, promotions, programs, and issues. This may help Marketing Department to reduce advertising costs in promoting the university since PR can get free publicity in media partners’ platform(s). In addition, media relations can help university to build good image toward mass publics with its core values and characteristics.
6. Sponsorship and Partnership
Supporting a not-for-profit cause or communities’ event can help university to gain support, goodwill, and loyalty of communities. Partnership may involve an exchange of funds or in-kind benefits to grow the communities around university in return for benefits that promote the university reputation. In addition, sponsorship and partnership can become the good way to help publics identify the university brand with good practice and ethics.
7. Speaking Engagement
Speaking engagement can be done in two way: holding event at the university or speaking at events by university’s representatives. The events can be seminar and public lecture where people are likely to attend. Holding event with external publics as participants is the opportunity for university to promote directly since they can take a tour around the university building and assess the university based on their experience. Meanwhile, speaking at events with the university name or logo on the event listing or delivering a presentation is valuable promotional opportunity to maintain the university position as excellent university, build reputation, and build networking.
Notes: The recommendations above are general PR activities that can be done in university. Adjustment to university’s vision, mission, and goals is required to have successful results.