This paper examines the strategic role of Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) – and its components - in the management of private universities in Nigeria. The authors argue that most private universities in Nigeria have not properly integrated reputation management in their public relations and IMC plans and suggests that this oversight is a major threat in the quest of the management of the universities to be self-sustaining, because, according to them, when the IMC is properly deployed, it is an effectively revenue-generating instrument, directly or indirectly. The authors recommend the RABOSTIC Model for effective reputation management of private universities in Nigeria.