PR educators’ pow-wow: an Ontario first!
June 4, 2007 by Gary Schlee
On June 11, coordinators and college professors from Corporate Communications and Public Relations programs across Ontario will be meeting for the first time. It’s a very encouraging development, one that’s long overdue. Many other academics (in disciplines like advertising and journalism) have been getting together for years to discuss issues they have in common. For a few years in the 1990s, PR educators in the Greater Toronto Area (the GTA) benefited from such gatherings. Unfortunately, they didn’t last.
Today, at least 12 Ontario colleges offer programs in Corporate Communications or Public Relations. Sure, we usually compete for the best undergraduate or graduate students, but we also need to recognize the need for consistency in offering quality education and training for new practitioners. Addressing common challenges as a group increases the odds of having our voices heard where they count: in the profession, in the marketplace and in academia.
Canadian PR agencies have discovered the advantages of banding together to discuss subjects that affect them all. The Canadian Council of Public Relations Firms has given agencies a collective voice. It played a role in the development of MRP (Media Relations Rating Points) as a measurement tool. Educators need to be doing the same thing.
And so, we will. Joan Campbell, coordinator of the PR programs at Cambrian College in Sudbury initiated the move last month, following up on a desire expressed by the head honchos of media schools at Ontario colleges. The response looks encouraging. We’re hoping the majority of colleges with programs will be able to participate next week. Whatever the turnout, the very fact that it’s happening is good news.
Although the meeting’s agenda hasn’t been forged, I’d be interested in your thoughts, based on the following question:
If you had a direct influence on public relations education, what would be one or two things you’d want graduates to know or be able to do?
Now, of course, there may be some obvious repsonses to this, like teach them to write, or make sure they can do media relations. Or, in the not-so-easily-taught category, instill initiative, or make sure they have a strong work ethic. But, based on your experience as a practitioner or graduate in this field, what’s your input? You don’t have to be from Ontario to comment.
I’ll be happy to share your thoughts with the other Corporate Communications/PR educators at our first-ever meeting next week.
10 Responses to “PR educators’ pow-wow: an Ontario first!”
I have been teaching (online) for the past six years in the Royal Roads University M.B.A. program in public relations and communications (and looking to do more teaching.) Even among the mid-level professionals in this program, I sense a lack of two things — a sense of the components that make up sound communications strategy, in particular the need for a critical analysis of the challenges the strategy is to address, and a willingness to keep learning about new strategies, tools and techniques, in particular social media.
I’m looking forward to the meeting, Gary! I agree this is an important step for us all in the field of PR education. See you there.
[...] got a post on his blog about how Ontario’s PR educators are getting together for the first time and he plans on [...]
Thanks for your thoughts about sound communication strategy, Boyd. Along with setting objectives that are measurable, it’s a part of the planning that often poses challenges to students. I’d love to hear more about your strategy for conveying strategy — and perhaps have you in to talk to our students about it.
I’ll pass on your observations to the college educators — and it’s nice to see that Kerry from Loyalist is already tapping into this posting.
Kudos to Joan for leading the way in suggesting the Ontario PR program co-ordinators get together! Over the past 18 years or so I’ve worn both hats: as a fulltime PR educator and program co-ordinator and know that it’s critical we share ideas. Often, we aren’t as knowledgeable about other (rival?) programs and can’t adequately (honestly?) answer applicants when they ask: “What is the difference between your program and X’s program?” Here in the GTA it’s especially important when applicants consider offers from Centennial, Humber, Sheridan, Seneca and Durham colleges. While we might consider each other competitors for those program “seats”, our goal should be to get the best fit for the applicant. I look forward to reading about what comes out of your discussions and suggest we expand the invitation list next time to program faculty.
I’m all for that, Christine.
Having hired hundreds of grads from the various PR programs over the years and being one myself, if I could suggest anything it would be to provide students with some knowledge/better understanding of how business works, how companies make money. They need to see the financial impact of the communications counsel/services they provide (regardless of the setting: agency, corporate, gov’t, not-for-profit) to their employer’s/client’s bottom line.
Thanks for your input Carol. I know that in the case of the Canadian Business Practices course in our program at Centennial, there has always been a clear need for developing business savvy. Most of our students have Liberal Arts degrees with little or no exposure to business. Maybe that’s the reason the course is typically not a crowd pleaser for students. We usually have a corporate communicator teach the course so that we can focus on the communicator’s relationship to business goals and practices.
We certainly appreciate the kind of internship experiences offered by agencies like yours, Carol. A student’s best appreciation of the realities of the workplace comes from being in it and getting feedback from practitioners.
Gary,
A great and provocative topic…hope did your gathering go with the other college professors and coordinators?
Terry
It was a wonderful opportunity to meet other PR educators and find out more about how each of our programs operates. The discussion wandered through internships, facilities, provincial standards and many other topics. We’re already looking forward to doing it again next June, with even more participants.