A public relations officer in an educational institution has many important responsibilities, including maintaining positive relationships between the institution and the surrounding community, students, faculty, staff, and alumni. They help advertise the institution to expand its applicant pool, organize large events to publicize achievements and brand recognition, and create and uphold a favorable image through press releases and social media strategies. Having a public relations officer is essential for effective management of a school's reputation and marketing of its programs and accomplishments.

1. Skills of Public relation Officer
 Who is Public relation Officer
Someone whose job is to supply information about a company or organization in a
way that makes people have a good opinion of it.
He/She should have different skills or qualities to maintain relations with other
organizations.
 Qualities and Skill Sets of a PRO
 Professional approach
 Networking skills
 Interpersonal skills
 Written and oral communication skills
 Analytical skills
 Emotional intelligence
 Innovating and troubleshooting skills
 Organization and management skills
 Leadership qualities
 Creativity
 Storytelling traits
 Curiosity
 Knowledge of current affairs
 Result oriented
 Self-disciplined
 Tech-savvy
 Competitive
 Constructive thinker
As Alan Harrington has rightly quoted, “Public relations specialists make flower
arrangements of the facts, placing them so that the wilted and less attractive petals
are hidden by sturdy blooms.”

2. Example:
Skills of Educational institution Officer
In the educational sector, just like other organizations, public relations officers are
required. Forthe sake of day to day activities and smooth running of the institutions,
public relations officer ought to be there in each institution. The officer performs
different important roles to aid in the smooth progress of the institution.
The officers’ duty mainly aims at managing the public perception of the institution.
He/ she creates a favorable image of an institution through doing the following:
 Maintaining community relations
Public relations officer has the duty of creating good relationship between the
institution and the community around. This mainly aims at maintaining harmony and
peace with the neighborhood. The officer has to up hold the image of the institution
or maintain it and promote understanding and favorable relation with the public at
large.
 Improving internal relations
Internal public relations are the activities done within the institution to maintain good
rapport and smoothen communication. The officer does the following:
 Improves sense of cohesion among employees
 Circulate adequate task related information
 Provide positive information regarding an organizational ability to provide
challenging and meaningful tasks.
 Give clear communication about organizers intentions
 Gives out faculty or staff handbook and faculty meeting awareness.
 He also gives out faculty luncheons and new releases.
 Positive relations with the alumni
Nowadays, an institute maintains special alumni relations and ties. They have
relations cell through which they keep in constant contact with their students who
have passed out and are doing marvelous in the industry. This is done mainly for the
purpose of better brand name to ensure decent placements to the upcoming batches
through their contact. Also, alumni play crucial role as they have their own interests
in their Alma matter.

3.  Expanding the number of applicants in an institution
In educational institution, the public relation officer has the duty of advertising the
institution in order to increase the number of applicants hence growing of the
institution. The officer does this through use of social media sites, blogs, and podcast
among others. He/she can also advertise on radios and television and help in making
the institution better known hence expanding its population as it will attract more
applicants.
 Educational public assistance
Educational public relations officers also assist students and work with the parents
and various groups with the institution to improve the progress of the school. The
officer distributes newsletters containing information about campus events, built and
maintains ties with the alumni, lecturers, staff and students.
 Crisis management
Just like any other organization, the education institutes also have their ups and downs
which they need to coverup. This is doneby the public relations officer through crisis
management hence maintaining good image of the institution.
 Helping the institution to become better known
Higher education institutions are becoming increasingly aggressive in their marketing
activities to convey an image that is favorable and all in all aspects beneficial to the
public, prospective students, employers’ funders among others. It is therefore the
responsibility of the public relations officer in that institution to advertise positively
and make the institution known worldwide.
 Organizing large scale events and holding public meetings
The public relations department in the institutions holds large scale meetings with
different positive objectives. During the meetings, achievements of the institutions
are made clear to the public. For example, nowadays institutions believe in trend of
branding and therefore the public relations officer takes the responsibility ofdesigning
logos that conveys the mission and vision ofthe institutions. This attracts the public’s
hence making the institution widely known. These events may include: cultural
events, donation drives, meetings, launches, fashion shows, sport events etc.
 Creating and maintaining positive image
Public relations officer plays a crucial role in maintaining positive image of the
institution. The officer does this through: press conferences regarding any new
developments in the institution, press release concerning the activities, branding of

4. the institutes, maintaining contacts with the people who benefits the institution in any
way, for example: the media people and the alumni.
 Advertise the institutions
People usually trust public relation agency more than the advertising agency as they
know the latter has been paid to glorify a client. The role of a public relations officer
therefore includes highlighting the positive about the institution, including the
background of the institute, courses offered, achievements of the students and the
faculty.
 Building marketing strategies
Public relations officers in higher educational sectors have also taken advantage of
social media for the sake of marketing. Having customers on social media public
relation has now become part of an integrated marketing program.
 Conclusion
There is need for all public relation officers in educational institutions for they will
help in smoothening progress of the school, good relation, advertising the institution
as well as managing reputations.
Therefore, public relations officer’s ought to be regarded as a pre-requisite for the
effective functioning of educational institutions.