JTC 351 Public Relations Practices
Assignment #7

Television PSAs and News Stories to Promote Enrollment and Financial Aid Applications at Central State University

• four public service announcements (:60, :30, :20 and :10), and
• two television news stories (:60, :30)

to announce a new undergraduate financial aid program at Central State University.

Read the situation below, and review the fact sheet/backgrounder provided.

The state where Central State is located has 23 TV stations, including 15 stations in the state's three major media markets, and seven stations scattered in five other television markets. (Assume that no verification of CSU's not-for-profit status is required by stations in the state.)

Central State University is facing a problem similar to other institutions of higher learning: Enrollment by minority students is lagging behind targets for affirmative action adopted by the school's governing board.

Central State is a land-grant institution serving a major western state with a population of 4.5 million people. The school has set a goal of having minorities represent 13.5% of its 25,000 students by the year 2012. Currently, minorities represent 11.5% of total enrollment. In order words, the university wants to grow its enrollment from 2,875 to 3,375 minority students--a increase of 17.3% (500 students) --in four years.

Here's a brief summary of the make-up of the school's minority enrollment:

Blacks -- 750
Hispanics -- 1,750
Native Americans -- 200
Asian Americans/Others -- 175

Experience from other institutions suggests that the largest concentrations of prospective black students can be found in urban high schools. Hispanics are dispersed more widely and attend high schools in urban, suburban and small-town communities. Native Americans in the past have been recruited primarily from tribal high schools and colleges located throughout the west.

Central State, like many other institutions, has a number of programs designed to support minority students once enrolled. The school has good student retention record. Dean of Students James Dugan says that the school has a variety of options to cover tuition and room and board for qualifying students.

Central States has a diversified curriculum that closely matches the programs at Colorado State. The facilities, student body, and community are also similar to those found in Fort Collins.

It is December 2008. The state legislature has just approved a special $18 million appropriation to provide financial aid to needy students attending Central State University. It is the only state institution to receive this appropriation. Funds will be available starting in August for Fall 2009 semester enrollments.

The Youth Opportunity Unlimited (YOU) financial aid program provides up to $6,000 per academic year to qualifying in-state residents who wish to attend CSU to pursue any major offered by the school. The funds can be used for tuition, room and board, books, and certain specified miscellaneous expenses. In comparison to most financial aid programs, the eligibility requirements are quite flexible. In general, students must

• Have a 2.5 grade point average in high school (based on 4.0 scale)
• Score 20 or better on the ACT test
• Come from a family with an annual household income of $40,000 or less.

The state legislature created a special problem in the way it drafted the legislation. In order to qualify, students must apply by no later than March 15 of the year in which they plan to enroll. Thus, CSU has only 2-l/2 months to promote applications for Fall 2009. Most of CSU's recruitment budget has been expended on regular promotional materials that already have been distributed. No special budget to promote the program is included in the legislation. So, in order to get the word out, CSU must rely primarily upon public media and interactive media (special Web sites) and other materials that can be produced quickly and inexpensively.

Based upon the $18 million provided, as many as 3,000 incoming freshman could benefit from the program--if they become informed and take action by contacting the University through its regular student recruitment/contact processes.

Four PSAs

Your completed package will consist of four television PSAs scripts, which all can be variations on the same theme but in different lengths. Review the discussion of word counts for varying lengths of scripts.

• Spots should be :60, :30, :20 and :10 in length, and scripts should each be typed on separate sheets that contain the contact information and instructions for stations on when the spots should air.
• Use a two-column format (see set-up instructions under "Tips for Completing Your Assignment")
• The video content should be listed in the left column and typed in upper- and lower-case. Simple descriptions of the visuals are sufficient; no storyboard is necessary. If someone's name is to be superimposed over the video, you need to indicate "Super: Name of Speaker" opposite the appropriate script. (A second line of the super should read "Central State U." or "Central State U. Official.")
• The narration should be typed in ALL CAPS in the right column.
• Each TV spot should end with a graphic (billboard or title slide) that tells viewers how to apply or obtain more information. The words for the closing title slide should be typed in the left column. A voice-over narration should present the same information orally, but the script vary somewhat from the actual title slide to highlight the most important information.

Two TV News Stories

You should also write two news stories -- a 60-second and a 30-second story -- to announce the program.

• Use the same two-column format as your PSA script.
• Treat these stories as readers, i.e. stories intended to be read on camera by a news anchor. (Because of costs, the university's PR director has determined that producing a one-time VNR is not economically feasible.)
• Stations should be encouraged to feature an over-the-shoulder (OTS) graphic. This might be a CSU logo or a photo of a campus scene. You can assume that stations have ready access to these materials or that they can be generated by the station's graphics department. (Alternatively, some stations might choose to use some "B-roll" from the PSAs or use file tape the stations already have about Central State.)

Tips for Completing Your Assignment

             CENTRAL STATE UNIVERSITY FACT SHEET

Address: 8888 Central State Circle, Central City 59995-0001.      
  Fax: (777) 599-8888.  Toll-free phone: (777)CEN-TRAL. 
  e-mail:recruitment@centralstate.edu.  WWW    site:              
  http://www.centralstate.edu
Founded 1889.  Originally State College of Mechanics and          
  Agriculture (SCOMA)
Students: 22,000.  Two-thirds are from in-state.  Others are from 
  Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, New Mexico, Montana and California. 
  12 other states and 15 other nations represented.
Faculty: 1,400 full-time, 200 adjuncts and part-time instructors. 
  80% have a Ph.D. Make-up: 88% Caucasian, 2% black, 2% Latino,
  2% Native American, 2% Asian American, 4% international. 76% male,
  24% female.
Entrance Requirements:  Generally students must be in the top 50%
  of their senior class.  Average high school GPA upon entrance:
  3.01.  Average American College Test (ACT) score: 25.  Minimum
  requirement: none, although few are accepted with a score below
  15, except under extraordinary circumstances.
Alumni: 204,000, successfully employed in a wide range of         
  disciplines, particularly in the West.  An active Alumni        
  Association is involved in fund-raising.
Athletics:  Central States competes in NCAA Division II men's     
  football, basketball, hockey, softball, water polo, swimming and
  golf.  Also women's Division II basketball, softball, swimming,
  gymnastics, and track and field.
Degrees Offered: bachelor's degrees in 46 disciplines, master's degrees 
  in 32 fields, doctorates in 16 fields primarily in the sciences..
Various cultural and social activities sponsored year-round.      
  Fifty-seven  student clubs and organizations related to         
  professions, hobbies, and other special interests.
Undergraduate Degrees:  Agricultural Studies, Agronomy,  American 
  Studies, Anatomy and Cell Biology, Anthropology, Aviation,      
  Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Biology, Business           
  Administration, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Chinese and Far 
  Eastern Studies, Civil Engineering, Communication,
  Communication Disorders, Computer Science, Criminal Justice,    
  Cytotechnology, Earth Science, Economics, Education (elementary 
  and secondary), English, Family and Consumer Sciences, Finance, 
  Fine Arts, Geography, Geology, Geological Engineering, Health and 
  Recreation, History, Human Resources Development, Industrial    
  Technology, Indian Studies, International Studies, Languages,   
  Linguistics, Management, Marketing, Mathematics, Mechanical     
  Engineering, Meteorological Sciences, Natural Science, Nursing, 
  Occupational Therapy, Pharmacology, Physical Science, Physical 
  Therapy, Physics, Political Science, Psychology, Social Work,  
  Sociology, Space Studies, Theatre Arts, Visual Arts, Women's   
  Studies.
Accredited by Western Association of Universities and Colleges.
Enrollment Services: Free university catalog, 800-number, web-site,
  high school visits (September-March), daily university tours    
  (leaving from University Enrollment Services office).
Tuition (full-time student):  $1,785 in-state resident, $3,850    
  out-of-state resident, per semester.  Plus $322 in student fees 
  per semester.  Additional lab fees in specific courses.
Housing:  Seven residence halls can accommodate 28% of student    
  body.  Includes 20- or 13-meals-per-week plans. Priority given to 
  freshmen and sophomore students. Special residence hall wings are 
  set aside for minority students.  Eight fraternities, nine      
  sororities.
Financial Aid: Scholarships available for qualifying students, but 
  application is required.   Also available:    
  student loans,  part-time campus employment, work-study.  Central 
  City also offers a wide range of part-time employment           
  opportunities.
Facilities:  Student Union offers wide range of educational and
  cultural activities.  Student Recreation Center include pool,
  gymnasium, tennis, racquetball and handball courts.  
Student Services:  Career Planning, Counseling, Disability Support 
  Services, International Center, Student Aid, Student Health,    
  Substance Abuse Center, University Learning Center (tutoring),  
  Veterans Services, Writing Center..  Separate offices serve needs 
  of African-American, Asian American, and Hispanic Students. 
Of special note:  Clarence Frost Auditorium features various      
  cultural performances and nationwide touring companies, Child   
  Care Center, Computer Center,  Central State Library (2.3 million 
  items), Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic.
CSU is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity institution/       
  employer.  
Student Completion Rates: 90% complete freshmen year, 82% complete
  sophomore year, 76% complete junior year, 72% graduate.  Losses
  are due to both drop-outs and transfers to other programs.