Public Relations Office (P.R.O)

Public Relations Office (P.R.O)

PROFILE AND ACTIVITIES OF INFORMATION, PUBLICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT, PLATEAU STATE UNIVERSITY, BOKKOS

The Public Relations unit of Plateau State University, Bokkos like that of any University is headed by a Public Relations Officer (PRO) and is domicile in the office of the Vice Chancellor.

The unit has the following sub-divisions; Information, Publications and Public Relations which also combines with Protocol duties.

The unit has a total staff strength of (7) seven. The Head of the Unit Mr. John K. Agam, a Chief Executive Officer (Information) who is on contract. Four of the staff are designated Administrative Officers, the entry point of graduates as contained in the staff conditions of service. These officers provide administrative support to the unit in addition to serving their primary functions in the Public Relations unit. There are also two Executive Officers (Information) in the unit who handle the Video and Still camera coverage of functions within and around the University in addition to other ad-hoc responsibilities that may be assigned them from time to time.

The unit also has a Secretary whose role is to oversee secretarial duties, type all documents, stories, features and memos.

FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT

The Public Relations unit performs certain significant and wide range of functions and activities and other ad-hoc responsibilities on behalf of the University. These include:-

1. Initiating and implementing public relations strategies for the University to enable the institution maintain cordial relations with its publics both internal and external, and in pursuing the organizations corporate objectives of engendering University/Community relations
2. Writing, editing and publishing information on events within and around the University and other news and publicity based activities for relevant stakeholders including the ALUMNI in its in-house Journal, PLASU Newsletter.  
3. Uploading the PLASU Newsletter, press releases, pictures of important events and propagating admission process and procedures, matriculation, convocation and academic activities on the internal social media platforms and on the University website in collaboration with the ICT Unit.
4. Liaising with important dignitaries on visits to the University and arranging Principal Officers (The Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Registrar, Bursar and Librarian) visits to other Universities, organizations, and Government establishments in addition to establishing good rapport and ties with the host community and internal relations with Faculties, staff and students of the University and other sister institutions.
5. Solicits for collaboration with individuals, groups and communities by maintaining good community relations for the purpose of creating mutual and sustainable understanding for the good of the university and for the purpose of assisting the University management address the needs of the staff and students.
6. Cultivates and sustains good relations with all internal Labour trade unions to enhance institutional harmony and mitigate areas of potential conflicts.
7. Arranges and ushers visitors on courtesy visits to the University.
8. Organizes Press Conferences, interviews and talk shows with media houses, i.e, radio and television and the print media on the orders of the Vice Chancellor who is the Chief Executive Officer of the University.
9. Keeps accurate and up-to-date data bank on all the milestone events in the University.
10. Reviews and keeps newspaper cuttings of stories published on the University, other Universities and organizations responsible for making policies on education such as National Universities Commission (NUC), NEEDs assessment, Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) etc.
11. Drafts University’s advertisement on the directives of the Vice Chancellor and selects or proposes newspapers, magazines and online media in which such advertisements or publicity materials are to be published.
12. Produces radio / television messages and voicing of the advertisements for airing or broadcast in the media of Mass Communication.
13. Coordinates arrangements for corporate and official functions such as convocation, matriculation, inaugural lectures, Distinguished Guest Lectures, staff social events, tours, receptions for dignitaries, welcome and send-off  ceremonies etc.
14. Monitors public opinions and acceptability of the University and its activities and policies by its publics/society.

TRAININGS/CONFERENCES

Plateau State University, Bokkos takes good advantage of the opportunity provided to Universities by Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) for staff of tertiary institutions and has sent many of its staff on various conferences across the country.

Four (4) staff of Public Relations Unit benefited from the TETFund conferences on themes that are relevant to their duties and responsibilities in the unit.

Below is the table showing the names of the beneficiaries and the themes of the conferences attended within the period under review.

ACHIEVEMENTS OF UNIT

1. Periodic publication of the University’s bulletin.
2. Periodic publication of the University’s calendar.
3. Created and sustained cordial relationship with media outfits and media practitioners.
4. Created in-house Facebook and Whatsapp accounts for the purpose of disseminating information on the happenings within and around the University.
5. Coordinates arrangements for corporate and official functions such as convocation, matriculation, inaugural lectures, Distinguished Guest Lectures, staff party, tours, receptions for dignitaries, welcome and send-off  ceremonies etc.
6. Monitors public opinions and acceptability of the University and its activities by its publics.
7. Draft and placed advertisements/announcements in Newspapers, Magazines, Radio, Television stations and social media.
8. Publicize the activities of the University to the outside world through the media outfits.
9. Receives and ushers visitors on courtesy calls and other official engagements to the institution.
10. Arranges visits by the Vice Chancellor to Government House, State House of Assembly, TETFund, NUC, JAMB,NEEDs assessment, sister institutions and other places of interest.
11. Organizes Press Conferences, interview with media houses, radio and television talk shows.
12. Keeps accurate and up-to-date data bank on all the milestone events in the University.
13. Reviews and keeps newspaper cuttings of stories published on the University,   other Universities and education related institutions.
14. Maintains mutual relationship between the University and host community through University Community Relations.