A communications career in higher education spans many disciplines and skill areas. As a practitioner, you must combine elements of marketing, journalism, public relations, advertising, broadcasting and government relations. Add to this a mastery of changing technology, a deep-rooted understanding of the foundations of educational philosophy and a clear vision of your institution’s goals – both today and tomorrow – and you have the qualities that make a career in higher education communications so dynamic and rewarding.

While no institution is identical to yours, there are issues and challenges that communicators in an array of higher education settings have in common. The Tennessee College Public Relations Association exists to explore these commonalities. Formed in 1975, TCPRA is an alliance of communicators who represent the colleges and universities, public and private, two-year technical schools, technology centers and community colleges that together define higher education in Tennessee.