Friday, August 20, 2010

Saint Augustine’s Dianne Suber Urges News Media Confidence by Black Colleges

Saint Augustine’s Dianne Suber Urges News Media Confidence by Black Colleges: “Sometimes you’re going to get burned. No question about that.”

That’s how Dr. Dianne B. Suber, president of Saint Augustine’s College, describes her risk-vs.-reward approach to dealing with local and national media.

But Suber says public relations is as important to a college as any other campus initiative, and her Raleigh, N.C.-based historically Black college has positive national television exposure to prove it.

In June, the college was featured in a three-part series called “Beyond the Dream” on the Fox News channel, which reaches more than 90 million households, according to Nielsen TV Ratings data.

Since Suber arrived at Saint Augustine’s 10 years ago, she has developed a reputation as a driven leader. She instituted reforms at a school beset with financial woes, low enrollment, scant alumni support and poor faculty and staff morale when she joined.