By Kevin McCauley
Sarah Lawrence College, once considered the "preeminent progressive liberal arts college in the U.S.," is looking for a PR partner to "burnish the brand," according to an RFP.
Founded in 1926, the Bronxville, N.Y.-based school is the only U.S. institution to use the "donning" system developed at Oxford and Cambridge, where students designate a faculty advisor to design a program of study.
Noted SLC graduates include Vera Wang, fashion designer; Alice Walker, writer, and Rahm Emanuel, former Congressman and now President Obama's chief of staff.
SLC went co-ed in 1968 and was declared "college of the year" by Time in 2000. Awareness of the college has decline "precipitously" since the Time award, says the RFP.
Possible reasons are: 1) "the college neglected to communicate its strengths and achievements while peer institutions and others did so aggressively;" 2) the decision not to require SAT scores, and 3) the move not to participate in US News & World Report's liberal arts rankings.
The RFP admits that SLC's "strong reputational history is manifest only among academics, and to a lesser degree, a small set of guidance counselors whom it regularly calls on."
The general public "beyond the New York metro area and pockets of California" is "largely unaware of Sarah Lawrence." Another headache: a lot of people who have heard of SLC believe it's still a women's institution.
The college is looking for a national PR program and is also eager to attract student interest from Europe, Asia and Latin America to "capitalize on the growing international interest in liberal arts education. It wants to "establish president Karen Lawrence as "an authority of note on one or more specific liberal arts-related topics."
Currently, SLC's financial situation "suggests only a project-based relationship, but the intent of the communications dept. is to "move toward a longer-term relationship as quickly as possible."
Gerry Schorin is SLC's VP-communications & marketing. He can be reached at 914/395-2218.
View the RFP (DOC).
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