10.28.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Tuition and fees at public colleges rose 7.9% this fall to avg. $7,605. Privates colleges avg. $27,293.

At public four-year schools, average in-state tuition and fees this fall rose 7.9%, or $555 a year, to $7,605, according to the College Board‘s “Trends in College Pricing.” The average sticker price at private nonprofit colleges increased 4.5%, or $1,164, to $27,293.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/college/2010-10-28-college-tuition_N.htm

10.28.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Wolf Pack Gives Back! campaign extension

By most measures, this year’s employees’ charitable campaign, Wolfpack Gives Back, is a success. In just six weeks, we’ve raised the same amount of money and achieved the same level of participation as we did last year after eight weeks, collecting more than $526,000 from 32 percent of our employees.

But I don’t think any of us is satisfied with just matching last year’s numbers. I know I’m not.

The need is simply too great. For example, at the Food Bank of Central and Eastern North Carolina, demand for food is up more than 60 percent this year, an unprecedented increase.  The change that’s in your cup holder could provide a meal for a family of four.

We can help meet this need, and the needs of more than 1,000 other charities. (more…)

10.13.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Five things I look for in a Public Relations or Marketing professional

The folks at Yahoo Education created a list of the “most favorite” jobs and public relations comes in at No. 2.  Not sure how I feel about that, especially when you read the opening phrase; “If you love socializing.” When will they ever learn.

Read more at “Where have all the fun jobs gone?”

I can’t tell you how often a job candidate will start off by telling me “I’m good with people,” thinking that this will encourage me to move forward with a hire.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate people, but being good with people isn’t one of the top priorities on my list.

So I ask myself, what are the characteristics I pay attention to?  Here, in no particular order are Five things I look for in a public relations or marketing professional.

1. Writer/Story Teller.  Not just short 140 character paragraphs either.  You’ve got to understand the basics of news writing.  The Inverted Pyramid.  Take a class. Read a book.  You can learn to be a better writer.  And, after all, what is writing all about?  Telling stories and you’ve got to be a good story teller in this business if you want to survive:-)

2. Organized.  Ya think!  But you’d be surprised how many communications professionals are a mess when it comes to organization.  Just check out my desk if you don’t believe me.  But looks aren’t everything.  You’ve got to be able to prioritize and and structure your day, your client’s work, your organization’s work.  Multitasking might be a better word than organized.  An organized multi tasker is even better.

3. Fearless.  As Lady GaGa says, do different proud.  If you want to stand out; if you want your clients to stand out, you’ve got to stand out.  You’ve got to be different.  Being different is not easy.  You get pushed and pulled to conform all the time, but those practitioners who are able to look at things differently arrive at new and different solutions to the challenges they face.  They have the most success in marketing and public relations and their companies and clients are the most successful too. (more…)

10.06.10 | posted by Joe Hice |

Eulogy to my Mom

I’ve been out of touch the last few days, but am starting to get back into the swing of things. Spoke to a group of advancement professionals in Chicago earlier today and back in Raleigh now.

Because I don’t understand all the ins and outs of the advancement services world, speaking to the group was a little intimidating but I hope I challenged them to look at the world differently. To think differently. Ask them to reevaluate the way they do business, especially in the new environment that all of us in higher education are forced to deal with today.

That was hard, but saying goodbye to my mom was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I had to do that last Saturday.

How do you capture all those years of Love and emotions in just a couple of minutes. How do you say goodbye?

Thank you all for joining us today to celebrate the life of our mom, Mary Philomenia Blankley Hice. (May 15, 1926 – Sept. 29, 2010) Most of you knew her as Phill.

It’s a shame that it takes occasions like this to get us together, but we are all grateful to everyone here. Your support and caring means a great deal to Dad, me, Charlie and Janie, to the grand kids and everyone else who knew Mom. I know she’d be happy to see us all together, especially since she was not able to join in many family activities during the last years of her life due to the rheumatoid arthritis that was eating away at her.

She used to say a little prayer to help her during the tough times and I’d like to read that now.

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannon change. The courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.”

The thing everyone used to notice about Mom was her smile. She had the most beautiful one I’ve ever known, and no doubt it has been embedded in my mind since I was a baby and she first smiled down on me in the cradle. (more…)