Marketing Update

Our thanks one last time to the University of Maryland's George Cathcart and Terry Flannery, who joined our on-line integrated marketing discussion last week. Recall that the Chronicle of Higher Education featured Maryland's impressive marketing effort in their cover story -- the first such recognition from that esteemed (don't laugh now) publication.

But all is not well in Maryland: Maryland legislative leaders have scheduled statewide hearings on the "rapidly rising cost of tuition at public colleges and universities." And students are getting in on the act. See:

• Washington Post

Same song, different locale: The same budget woes persist in many states. Check out the problems in Florida:

• Atlanta Journal Constitution

And now for New Jersey . See (is there an echo in here?):

• Newark Star-Ledger

Our bottom line continues to be: integrated marketing can be a valuable tool to try and reverse the declines in state funding. If that fails, marketing should be used to find more stable, permanent funding streams such as private support, alumni involvement and new tuition dollars.

Campus Crises in the News

Red Sox loss pales in comparison to Boston University controversy: Boston University, in a gargantuan reversal that has baffled many, hired, then recanted their presidential offer to former NASA leader Daniel S. Goldin. In this era of budget crises, BU's less than deft dismissal of its new president cost the institution a reported $1.8 million. The embarrassing series of events could have long-term ramifications. See the New York Times and Washington Post's stories before the final decision October 31, then the fallout in the Boston Globe:

• New York Times
New York Times Washington Post Boston Globe Boston Globe

At the University of Washington, at least they're only after the AD: A spring, summer and fall of discontent have cast a pall over athletics at the University of Washington.

• Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Pilfering music from the Web strikes hard at Virginia Military Institute: Ripping off tunes from Aerosmith and the Rolling Stones -- paragons of morality and decency, of course -- is now construed an honor code violation at the esteemed military college.

• Richmond Times Dispatch

Psychological problems blanket today's college students. A litany of student suicides in recent months has brought depression and deep anxiety to the forefront on some campuses:

• Time magazine

Computer hacks and identity theft: More on this problem is sure to rise in the future:

• East Carolinian

Last but not least: South Dakota ranks last in the United States on per-capita spending for research, but that state's Board of Regents is fighting the good fight for more funding:

• Press and Dakotan

Prof's tenure sunk at Naval Academy: A U.S. Naval Academy history professor had his tenure deep-sixed after committing acts of "gross carelessness" in his book about the atomic bomb.

• Washington Post

Pell Grant formula runs amok: The value of the vaunted Pell Grant has dropped precipitously. See the explanation at:

• New York Times