Reference no: EM132291532
Below is an example of a possible real scenario that could play out on any university or college campus. Read the description and answer the questions that follow. This is for a Public Relations class.
The Tuition Increase
The top administrators of your college or university have just summoned you to their conference room. They want your expertise in public relations because they’re about to announce a 15 percent increase in tuition, scheduled to begin next academic year. The increase, they say, will fund four crucial programs:
A small day-care center will be started for the children of nontraditional students.
A 3 percent increase above the already scheduled salary increase for professors will bring their salaries to the level of their peers at other universities. Staff members such as librarians, however, won’t receive a comparable raise.
There will be 25 new annual scholarships for women athletes.
Students from Latin America, a group that is underrepresented on campus, will also receive 25 new annual scholarships.
The administrators confess that they’re deeply concerned that a powerful outcry might force them to cancel the increase, which they believe is the only way to fund the four crucial needs. Thus, they have several questions for you. Given your current state of knowledge of your actual college or university, write up answers to following questions:
1. What internal publics could influence the success of the proposed tuition increase?
(Identify the internal publics key to the proposal’s success.)
2. What external publics, if any, could influence the fate of the proposed tuition increase?
(Identify the external publics influential to outcome of the proposal.)
3. Which of those publics could exert the most influence? Which would exert the least?
(Which publics might exert the most influence/most active and why? The least/passive? and why?)
4. What would be the opinion of each public about the proposed tuition increase?
5. Who are the opinion leaders for each public? (Who are the decision makers for each?)
6. CHOOSE ONE OF THE MOST INFLUENTIAL PUBLICS. NAME IT: __________________________________. What are THREE talking points/key messages the administration could use to reach the public you’ve identified here?