Courses for students interested in PR

[cross-posted from Dr. V's teaching blog, PRinciples]

As we head into advising and registration for Spring 2009, I promised my Clemson students I would put together a list of courses useful for those interested in public relations.

This list will evolve as I discover courses,

so please feel free to suggest additional ones in the comments section.

As far as COMM courses go, the 3 PR courses are:

• COMM 355 Principles of Public Relations – covers basic principles & theories
• COMM 356 Stakeholder Communication – covers techniques for communicating with various stakeholder groups
• COMM 456 Strategic Communication for Social Change – covers strategic campaigns

Many other courses in COMM are relevant and useful to PR, but since your academic advisors can help you with those, I won’t list them here, except to urge you to learn your research methods! Surveys, statistics, focus groups, interviews, case studies, ethnographic observation and rhetorical criticism (so you know how to critique outputs of PR) are VERY useful. In our department, the methods courses are COMM 310, 311, and 306.

I’ll group other useful courses by topic:

WRITING COURSES:
journalism writing, feature writing, business writing, technical writing, editing:

The following ENGL courses look interesting: ENGL 231, 265, 304, 314, 316, 332, 333, 334, 335

RELATED AREAS:
marketing, advertising, graphic design & graphic communication courses

MKTG 301, 302, 423, 426, 427, 429, 434, 443

AP EC 351

MANAGEMENT & BUSINESS:
courses to help you understand how business works, how managers think.

MGT 201, 400, 411*, 415, 423

INTERNATIONAL/GLOBAL
any courses that help you understand globalization, international and intercultural issues in business, culture and/or society

CULTURE, SOCIETY, ART
any courses that help you understand the collective mindsets (cultures) of one ore more societies, as influenced by art, history, media, popular culture, etc. These can be courses in Art History, History, Women’s Studies, Communication Studies, etc.

PSYCHOLOGY
any courses that help you understand attitude change, decision making, and social pressure (social psychology)

PSYCH 201, 320, 330*, 333, 352, 355, 368, 369, 370, 454, 459, 462, 482

SOCIOLOGY
SOC 201, 350, 351

[update Oct. 29] If you’re going to take LS (Leisure Skills) classes, consider golf. Why? Because if you want to be in the “boys’ club,” hang out with top executives and increase your opportunities to network with them… you should be able to play golf with them! No, this is not a joke…

Executive Board Meeting Oct 23

       I.            Meeting on Tuesday, October (EB Board show up at 6:30)

a.       McAdams RM 119 (near Redfern)

b.      Benefits of being a member of PRSSA

                                                              i.      Come up with major benefits

c.       Membership rewards programs – Caitlin

d.      Upcoming meetings and events- Meg

                                                              i.      November 19^th Wed. Brackett 213

1.      PR Portfolios – Brett Turner

a.       Bring your portfolios and resumes

                                                            ii.      January Abby Blaylock – online networking

                                                          iii.      Ideas of other topics?

e.       How to get involved

                                                              i.      Fundraising – Sally

                                                            ii.      Communication studies job fair

                                                          iii.      Meditation workshop

f.       Communication with PRSSA

                                                              i.      Blog

1.      How to sign up for the RSS feed

                                                            ii.      Twitter

    II.            Membership Loyalty Program

 III.            Membership

a.       Email from national PRSSA for dues?

 IV.            Fundraising Bake Sale

a.       Tuesday November 11^th

b.      10am – 3pm

c.       Sign-up sheets – bring to meeting

How to Make the Best of PRSSA

Minutes of the second Clemson PRSSA meeting taken live during the meeting are available here.

You may participate remotely and ask questions using the chat feature in the live blogging tool, which opens in a new window once you click the above link.

Also, check out pictures from the second PRSSA meeting!

Advice for young PRos

Via Dr. Karen Russell’s Teaching PR blog, here are three blog posts full of excellent career advice for recent graduates and young PR pros (PRos):

• Advice for graduating college students – everything from how to dress to how to manage your online image
• Can you handle the truth? 10 career tips no one tells you – employers’ (negative) perceptions about Gen. NEXT and how to work around them
• 7 personal branding tips for college graduates – how to manage your personal brand, aka image
• Phone pitch tips for young PR pros – very useful advice about pitching to journalists on the phone

Clemson PRSSA Pictures from first meeting

Click on the picture, and check out pictures from the first PRSSA Clemson Chapter meeting!  Look at this Website for more pictures in the future.

Second PRSSA Meeting

Are you wondering what PRSSA is all about and what the benefits of being a member are? Come to PRSSA’s October meeting…

What: Learn more about the brand new Clemson PRSSA chapter

When: October 28 at 7:00

Where: McAdams 119

Attire: Casual

Free for members; 2$ for everyone else

At the meeting we will be discussing:
·       Chapter organization: executive board and committees
·       Benefits of being a member of PRSSA
·       Membership rewards program
·       Upcoming meetings and events
·       How to get involved
·       Communication with PRSSA

Bring any questions & suggestions you have about PRSSA!

See you there!

A Day in the Life of a Public Relations Specialist

See this very interesting article about working in PR:

A Day In The Life Of A Public Relations Specialist

EB Minutes: October 1, 2008

I. Feedback from first meeting

a. Any changes for next meeting

b. Suggestions

i. Make sure everyone signs in

1. Tables in the room

ii. Bigger room (auditorium)

c. Results of the survey

i. Most interested in:

1. Portfolios

2. Networking

3. online

d. Thank-you notes

i. Meg

II. Individual Executive Board Goals

a. On Google Documents

b. State goals

III. Strategy for Blogging and Twittering

IV. October meeting 21^st or 28^th

a. Networking online

b. Possibly Abby Blaylock from UGA

c. Possibly a panel of virtual speakers

V. Membership loyalty plan

a. Reward member’s engagement

b. Award attendance and engagement

c. Receive a certificate per year

d. Outstanding engagement, leadership, or attendance

e. Gold, silver, or bronze star in one or more of these categories

f. You apply for them at the end of each semester or year

i. Electronic application form on blog

g. Publish criteria and procedures on the blog

h. Create a certificate or form

VI. Job Fair and Relaxation workshop – sponsored by PRSSA

a. Make committees

VII. Ideas about November/December meeting

a. Portfolio workshop – November 19^th

VIII. Bake Sale Fundraise

a. Nov. 10 & 11^th

b. Starting at 10:00am-3:00am

c. Sign-up sheet for shifts and baked goods

d. Get tiger stripe machine

EB Minutes: September 10, 2008

URGENT matters:

I. September 25 event

a. 5 confirmed speakers and their contact information

b. Meg Reid (event coordinator): bios, event description (will go on the website)

i. Parking passes

ii. Send directions to the speakers

c. Caroline: post event description on blog

d. Promote event (PR)

e. Visitor parking passes & meeting speakers

f. Sign-in sheet – Caitlin

g. Coverage of event: photos, blogging, twitter

i. Lauren – photos

ii. Twitter – live coverage of the meeting

iii. Caroline – Blog

h. Thank you notes

i. Meg

i. Set-up for the event

i. Room 313

ii. Executive members need to be at Daniel 313 at 6:45

II. Joining PRSSA

a. National fees are $60

b. Dues are due mid-October

c. Can turn in dues at the first meeting or in the mailbox in the Communications department (408 Strode Tower)

d. Need to fill out a form online

III. Membership drive (Caitlin)

a. E-mail blasts, presentations, handouts – include Sept. 25 event description

IV. National Conference: Oct. 24-28

a. Plan on it for next year

V. Tuesday the 16^th American Advertising Federation –Greenville Chapter

a. 6-8

b. Liberty Tap Room

c. Registration deadline is the 16^th

ADMINISTRATIVE matters:

· Sharing files on Google Docs

o Look for the email Dr. V

· Checking PRSSA mailbox

o Alyssa – check it once a week

· Blog authors

o Alyssa post minutes

o Meg

· Twitter account usage

o ClemsonPRSSA

o Password: pinkwhale

· Online Photo Storage system

o Flicker

o Zoomr.com

o Shutterfly.com

· Facebook group

o Send email to the group

STRATEGIC PLANNING:

Goals for the year:

Chapter Goals

· More members

o In comm. and others

o We should have a chapter of at least 75-100 members by election time

o Educate members and raise awareness with PRSSA

· Money

o Auction talent

o Donations?

o Get money for Student Government

· Create Routines where we know who is responsible for what

· Educate ourselves about PR

· Network with PRos

Each exec board member goals :

o Events & Committees

§ Event ideas: Networking online, managing personal brand online, social media resumes, the online PR community, portfolios, MORE?

§ Frequency of events: 1 chapter meeting a month, 2 executive meetings a month and 1 general meeting a year

§ Ball park meetings: Executive meeting: the week of Sept. 28^th-3^rd; Chapter meetings: Oct. 21^st or 22^nd (social media?)

§ Take RSVPs to meetings through survey monkey

o Membership (membership loyalty program, number of members?)

o Secretary

o Treasurer

o PR

o Webmaster

o Historian

o Fundraising

§ December PRSA meeting – talent auction