MARKET FOCUS: EDUCATION PR - Campus counselors. PR departments at colleges and universities are struggling to gain adequate budgets - and respect - from their administrators. Ana Vargas reports

With bruising competition for new students, PR is more important than ever for colleges and universities. But it maintains a precarious position on campus. Administrators want good press but don’t want to seem too eager. Their ambivalence is reflected in the small PR budgets many such institutions allow. PR pros are being asked to do more - including getting into new areas like community relations, crisis management and, especially, recruitment - with less.