INTRODUCTION
The world of
education at this time is facing the tough challenges in maintaining existence, superiority, quality, and expanding the market in a
fairly tight competitive. The future problems are very complex even sometimes
unpredictable in knowledge and technology. Now we facing the unpredictable era
called VUCA era (the era of Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity).
Volatility is to describe rapid change, Uncertainty is the uncertainty of the
future, Complexity is a dynamic and interdependent environmental factor, and
Ambiguity is unusual and out of expectation state, and one state is interconnected
with each other (Puspitasari & Darwin, 2021).
Traditional
strategies in winning the competition can no longer simply rely on the
advantages of technology, products, or prices. These factors are very easily
emulated by competitors or even by new entrants. The best way is that
institutions must be able to create a competitive advantage and quickly learn
and be flexible in the face of every change. All components must strive to
continuously find solutions to all problems that arise. Boldly create new
disruptions or develop existing innovations (Charles Darwin, 2020). Education should be oriented towards the improvement,
strengthening, and refinement of all
human
potential. In addition the boundaries between work, learning, and social
activities for knowledge workers have blurred in today's digital world, making
switching between activities easier than ever (Romero, 2015). That is,
education is not limited to space and time.
Educational institutions
or schools are formal social institutions where the educational process occurs.
The school is an organization. Each social institution or social organization
has its structure, function, leadership (Vestheim, 2018).
Overall a social organization can only function if it answers the needs
expected by the community (Tilaar, 2005). Thus, education must create sustainable excellence
and seek solutions and breakthroughs to increase selling value and
competitiveness. The need is how to create a rapid response to any changes in
customer needs and future uncertainties. In the face of any changes,
educational institutions usually face obstacles in terms of resources,
especially technology and human resources. Besides targeting quantity but on
the other hand, does not ignore the quality aspect. As (Mayes, Natividad, & Spector, 2015), revealed
that the Chinese has started to respond to the development of globalization
towards education. China designed a new curriculum to develop creativity and
independence in thinking for students.
In daily
life education is a topic of conversation that never ends. There is always an
effort to improve in every problem. Some succeed, but not a few fail in trying to solve the problem of education, especially
higher education, it takes efforts that can design and improve both the
learning system and the curriculum. especially from the initial thought or
perception of the meaning and meaning of education itself. Even if it is necessary
to implement education reform because education reform itself according to
Hellen Connell is not only an event but is a process, which has a context with
a history of the past and a part of the flow of future development, to succeed
in education reformers must recognize the context in which the reform was
placed or tried (Connell, 1998).
Education is
a pillar of the nation's standing; Through education, the nation will be able
to maintain dignity. In Law 20/2003 on The National Education System, Article
3, stated that "National education serves to develop the ability and form
the character and civilization of a dignified nation to educate the life of the
nation, aiming to develop the potential of learners to become human beings who
believe and fear to Almighty God, noble, healthy, knowledgeable, capable,
creative, independent, and become democratic and responsible citizens. When
referring to the function of education, then the implementation of education in
this country, in general, is far from a good predicate. We can see there are
still many students who learn every day just to pursue the value, the
hedonistic lifestyle of the students must also be handled well because it is
the college that creates the mentality of the nation's next generation.
Therefore,
the management of the education development system must be designed and
implemented in an integrated manner and directed at improving access to
services as wide as possible for the community, with priority on quality,
effectiveness, and efficiency. Moreover, todays employers are looking for
students with the necessary information and abilities to be effective and
productive in the job (Silvia & Beatriz, 2012).
Management must create a conducive climate and environment and deregulate rules
that can be an obstacle, therefore every layer of management is expected to be
quick in decision making based on their information and proximity to customers
and it should be based on customer needs. The implementation of the duties,
functions, and responsibilities of higher education institutions requires
interaction with the public as clients and partners so that universities need
to make internal improvements, among others through improved communication
between the academic community to produce efficiency and effectiveness of
higher education management (Ruslan, 2017).
However,
although it is considered effective in disseminating information using social
media and the internet and educational institutions also need prudence and
always pay attention to the development and condition of the institution (Lei & Zhou, 2012).
Do not let the information submitted is not by the expectations of the
audience. Let's take, for example, many of us see a high-level website
displaying all the infrastructure and complete facilities through the media,
but that reality is as a puller, or not under reality. Based on the problems
contained in the background of the research above, the writer raised the title
of this research �Public Relations Management of Universities in Yasni
Institute of Islamic Religion Muara Bungo�.
This
research will provide information in order to answer the problems that occur in
managing the relationship between universities and the community. The results
of the research can be used as a reference or reference when determining the
university management strategy. In addition, the researcher personally hopes to
be able to enrich the theories of higher education management in relation to
managing and fostering relationships with the community.
METHOD
In this
research, the researcher uses a qualitative research method with a case study
at college of IAI Yusni Muara Bungo (Sugiyono, 2019). To find out the
practice on campus, researcher also used data analysis, both primary and
supporting data. Researchers will look at implementing public relations as an
effort to improve the image of campuses in the community. The procedures in
this study will be divided into three stages. That is, pre-field, field, and
post-field. According to Ferdinand (Muhammad Darwin & Umam, 2020), research
is not said to be scientific if obtaining it is subjective and cannot make room
for public debate to develop the objectivity of research data. So to present scientific and objective research, the
examination of trustworthiness (trustworthiness) data in this study is
conducted with four criteria. Each is a degree of (1) credibility, (2)
transferability, (3) dependability, and (4) confirmability. To increase the
degree of trust in the acquisition data, it is done by techniques: (1)
extension of participation, (2) perseverance of observation, (3) triangulation,
(4) peer examination, (5) referential adequacy, and (6) other data checks. In
qualitative research, data collection is conducted in natural settings, primary
data sources, and more data collection techniques on participating
observations, in-depth interviews, and documentation. This data analysis
technique uses descriptive methods of analysis, namely drawing the actual state
without any engineering and manipulation of data, after obtaining planning.
�RESULTS
AND DISCUSSION
The researcher examines further about the program
and management of the relationship between universities and the community, both
internal (campus) and external (public at large). From the researcher's perspective,
the relations management of university-community at the campus of IAI YASNI
Muara Bungo is basically almost the same as other universities. In public
relations theory, the management of university-community relations requires a
plan or concept and program, then it is carried out continuously in order to
build strong reciprocal relationships, the goal is to establish communication
between universities and the community.
The Institute of Islamic Religion Yasni is one of
the private higher education institutions in Bungo Regency which should be an
option for prospective students to pursue higher education with the provision
of religious knowledge, general knowledge and Islamic-based technology. The IAI
which is under the auspices of the Nurul Iman Foundation based on the wishes
and needs of the community for a quality and independent Islamic higher
education institution.
In order to build a young generation that has
quality, character, and piety, IAI formulates strategies for managing and
marketing education for the community so that the image of the university that
is built is maintained; therefore good planning,
organizing, implementing, and controlling are needed to achieve a desired goal.
1.
Public Relation
Planning
According to
the Head of Public Relations IAI, planning is the initial foundation that is
needed in the implementation of a program, including public relations programs,
because without planning, the performance of an organizational field will not
run well and directed. Planning is part of the function of managing the
relationship of universities with the community. Public relation planners in
building an image in IAI include what you want to achieve, how to achieve it,
how long it takes, how many people are needed, what areas are involved either
directly or indirectly, and how much it costs.
At
this stage the IAI Public Relation field divides into three stages of
fieldwork:
1.
Short-term planning, short-term planning
begins in the first week when the field of public relations formulates.
2.
Medium-term planning, this is done every month
3.
Long-term planning, long-term planning is
carried out every four years which in every one year always evaluates the
achievement of the planned objectives. Similarly, monthly planning is also
carried out as such, because it will facilitate evaluation.
For more details, we can see the planning flow
in the table below.
Table 1
Planning
Flow
|
Category
|
Activities
|
|
Planning Steps
|
1. Createa development team
2. Comprehensive needs analysis such as: budget,
teamwork, tools, time, place andothers.
3. Program deliberation and analysis
studies
4. Implementationof the program of activities
|
|
Develop an Activity Program
|
1. Short-term Planning
Program
2. Medium-termplanning
3. Long-termplanning
|
2.
Public Relation Organizing
Organizing is the division of tasks to people involved
in public relations programs. This organizing function aims to determine who
will carry out the task in accordance with management principles. Organizing
includes the division of duties to each party, forming a part of delegating, establishing
authority and responsibility, communication systems, and coordinating the work
of each member.
3.
Public Relation
Actuating
Action is very
necessary for the implementation of fieldwork programs, especially public relations, this
is done so that the team or members who have been appointed can move and
perform the tasks that have been set, then the goals to be achieved can be
carried out effectively and efficiently. Mobilization of field members should
be carried out continuously. Example: making an advertisement or announcement
intended to the public either through print or electronic media then mobilize
members to maximize the dissemination of such information such as the
installation of banners, banners, posters, the dissemination of brochures,
making news in online media, such as web, blogs, and other social media such as
Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, email and others. so that the information that
wants to be conveyed reaches the public (Cabyova, 2017).
The Director
of IAI also said that for the implementation of public relations programs
to be realized properly, correctly, and quality, a joint understanding between
the various elements of the organizers involved in the implementation and
management is required. Therefore, the program must be organized systematically
and then disseminated to all academic communities and society.
4.
�Public Relation Controlling
The author
observes the supervision activities directly conducted by the IAI Public
Relations field. In building the image of the college and in the framework of
the implementation of public relations programs supervision on the performance
of members continues to be carried out. For example, when there are criticisms
and suggestions submitted by the community, that the promotion of campus should
be done with the right target to the community. As conveyed by the parents of
prospective students from Bungo Dani Subdistrict, that they get information
about student registration only from neighbors, then they ask directly to the
campus. The suggestion by the public relations field was immediately responded
to, evaluated, and acted upon.
In the
interview of the co-author of information and public relations publication IAI
explained that supervision of a work program is very important so that we can
conduct evaluation and control, supervision not only sees the results that have
been and will be achieved but the point of the pressure of supervision is more
to the ongoing process. This is what we do so that the public relations program
is delivered to the goals and objectives.
5.
Public Relation
Strategy
�In the development of imagery, especially the
target issue of public relations activities focus more on the external
environment, which is the external public environment here that is a public
environment that is outside the organization or institutions that must be given
information to be able to foster good relations between institutions and their
communities.
� Brand or brand is an important part of
educational institutions because the brand will give an image to the
institution, the brand has strong potential if it has a clear meaning and
philosophical and purpose. In the explanation of the Director of IAI when
interviewed by the author, branding IAI is to be an Islamic campus and uphold
religious values oriented to the faith and taqwa and berakhlakul karimah. This
is in line with my vision and mission as the head of this college.
The position of the
institution can target certain segmentation (targets) by the targeted
objectives, this will make it easier to measure internal capabilities and show
the purpose and direction of the institution itself in front of the community
by first paying attention to the initial conditions and explaining how
important it is to build the image of the campus in the eyes of the internal
community and its externals.
IAI also fosters
several villages in medium- and long-term work programs, because universities
must comply and uphold the tri daarma of universities, namely, education,
research, and community service. Because the community is a laboratory of the
world of education, from the community and will return to the community later
when the student has completed his studies.
A college institution
must have an advantage, this advantage becomes a differentiator between other
universities. This advantage will make it easier to provide information and
identity to the audience or in other words put the position of this institution
in the community. The author sees that its goal of becoming an Islamic
university in the future is not only as empty rhetoric or writing on paper, but
so far IAI has shown evidence that they can develop themselves from high school
to institute. In line with this vision and mission, IAI has high hopes to
become a locomotive of quality, advanced and independent Islamic higher
education in Bungo Regency.
It is needed to
provide positive value to educational institutions, this image is also a
response from IAI stakeholders who have felt the benefits of the establishment
of this college. Based on the results of the author's interview with the public
about the image of IAI on Wednesday, August 21, 2019, that one of the reasons
people make IAI an option for college is that it has been proven to be able to
produce qualified and Islamic scholars. According to them many of the IAI
graduates who have graduated, returned to their respective regions then became
ustadz and filled the studies in various Mosques and Ta'lim Assembly, this is
certainly felt directly by the community and also a strong motivation for
parents of prospective students to put their daughter's son into IAI.
6.
Research Findings
From the findings of
the researchers that the development of imaging in IAI Yasni Muara Bungo is
entirely based on management principles both in terms of planning, organizing,
implementation, and control. This planning is divided into three stages,
namely: short-term planning, medium-term
planning, long-term planning. According to Therefore in (Hafizah, Nur & Sabri, 2012), to ensure a
successful project, the project manager must not only have the technical skills
such as planning, scheduling, budget preparation, monitoring, and control of
project management processes but must also have the skills to manage human, who
is responsible motivate and develop employees to the success of the project (Garrido-Lopez,
Hillon, Cagle, & Wright, 2018).
Meanwhile, in
organizing conducted by IAI Yasni provides information and division of tasks to
members of the public relations field about activities or agendas that will be
carried out thoroughly and systematically, by always controlling the activities
and stages carried out every day, so that the process runs under the Ganchart that has
been compiled.
The implementation of
public relations conducted by IAI Muara Bungo is directing, guiding, and
ensuring if there is an activity both in the collection of documentation and
information, news writing, and publication has been determined who is working
and before the activity is carried out in advance preparing the tools of
publication.
IAI Yasni Muara Bungo
in marketing universities does not necessarily make advertisements both in the
form of print media and online media, but first there are studies and analyses
so that something marketed reaches and reaches the community because today the
community has started to sort and choose universities not only see the physical
factors of universities but more to it, starting from the input of the process
and output and the role of the college in the community.
In addition to the way
that the author has mentioned above, the campus also markets universities
through media, both print media such as campus tabloids, newspapers, banners,
leaflets, pamphlets, and electronic media such as Websites, Facebook,
Instagram, and so on. This method utilizes technology as a forum for news or
advertising universities that can be read directly by the community.
Supervision conducted
by IAI is guiding and cooperating in conducting and implementing the planned
program so that its implementation goes according to plan. In the
implementation of managerial principles are always put forward to streamline
the achievement of goals. Public relations strategy in building the image of
IAI based on the findings of researchers that the public relations strategy is
required a controller in the implementation of activities, namely by using
three strategic steps, the presence of a brand, position, and
excellence or uniqueness of the campus, then can understand about what to
achieve, for example in providing an understanding of the image of IAI to the
public, first understand yourself with the situation by analyzing environmental
conditions, determine a target that will be achieved one of them by using a
good communication system between communicators and communion.
The image of IAI in
the Community in the findings of researchers and according to the conditions in
the field is good it can be seen from some indicators of achievement that the
author has explained above starting from what activities are carried out,
already under what is planned. IAI Yasni Muara Bungo which is a well-known
university in Bungo Regency with the status of Islamic Institute that has been
accredited "B" in BAN-PT, IAI Yasni Muara Bungo has proven its
quality and existence as an Islamic university that has given birth to
qualified graduates and has worked in various government and private
institutions. IAI Yasni Muara Bungo is also supported by lecturers and faculty
who are mostly educated S3 who are certainly very experienced, professional,
and competent in their fields, it was revealed by the Rector of IAI Yasni Muara
Bungo Muhammad Solihin, M.Pd.I.
Then the image of IAI
is good in public�s
perpectives, it
can be seen through the communication between IAI and its stakeholders, as well
as services in providing all the information needed by the community. Then
judging from the achievements of the campus and its academic achievements,
complete infrastructure, and cooperation/ MOU with various universities or
other educational institutions IAI also continues to increase. Alumni are also
one of the images of IAI in the community. This is where an image can be seen
in real terms by the whole community.
For the bungo
community, IAI which was originally named STAI Yasni is a religious-based college,
because it has given birth to many graduates who can be directly felt the
benefits of the community. Indirectly, this includes a strategy to market
universities appropriately to the community. The news that came out of the
mouth made the public interested to know more about this campus.
Although initially,
the presence of new universities in the region of Bungo district gave a
significant impact on the development of IAI Yasni, especially in attracting
prospective students to enter IAI Yasni Muara Bungo. With the number of new
universities that stand automatically, there is a fairly tight competition for
IAI Yasni to acquire students, but the management and marketing of a
well-managed campus are precisely IAI Yasni able to compete.
CONCLUSION
The
summary or the result of this research show the strategy applied by public
relations in building the image of the college must be professional management
of the public relations field, solid and consistent teamwork. If not managed
properly and professional public relations field only runs in place and does
not have a significant effect on the progress of the college.
In
building the image of the institution, the quality of human resources owned by
the institution is also very decisive in achieving these goals, because in its
implementation ahead of the field is an influential and decisive figure,
managing the implementation of work, and moving the resources.
In the process of creating a good image and can be
trusted and recognized by the public/community and realize the vision and
mission owned by the college, public relations must have a strategy. This
strategy is one of the alternatives used to achieve public relations goals.
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