An example of how communication aims and objectives relate to overall strategic aims

Stage 1 One of AUC’s overall strategic aims is to achieve full university status.

Stage 2 One of the criteria for achieving university status is having 4000 students (AUC currently has 3000 students). The UK Government caps the number of European Union (EU) undergraduate students AUC can recruit, so the viceprincipals recognise that one of the things AUC needs to do to become a university is to recruit more postgraduate and overseas students. So the communication director considers how communication can help achieve this and sets a communication aim of increasing enquiries from suitable overseas and postgraduate students (note that the aim here is not to recruit more students – that is not achievable by public relations alone, as enrolling a student depends on many factors outside the control of the public relations department, so the aim is focused only on what communication can achieve).

Stage 3 The public relations team recognises that the website is an important communication channel and sets an objective geared towards ensuring that at least 90 per cent of postgraduate and overseas students considering applying to AUC are able easily to access information that is useful and pertinent to them via the website.