Uh Oh: The Problem in the PR Department

This week’s blog will focus on the Public Relations curriculum at the University of Southern California emphasizing its strengths and weaknesses regarding the major. As a transfer student from Pasadena City College, anticipating a heavier, and possibly a more challenging work load at USC has now become the least of my worries. According to the Annenberg School for Communication website, “USC Annenberg scholars, both students and faculty, are defining communication, journalism and public relations for the 21st century and beyond.” Throughout my experience at Annenberg, I have noticed a few flaws in the Public Relations department. The concerns of the students are not being addressed to the fullest degree of keeping PR majors consistently satisfied with the curriculum.

Many of us, including myself have run into problems regarding night courses. Since the staff at Annenberg take pride in its adjunct faculty and seniors get priority over class registration, underclassman are left with taking classes that end at ten at night. It bothers me to be a full time student taking only night courses because it feels as though I am on a full time work schedule and only have time for night classes. As an undergraduate student, I feel my time in class should be spent during the day. Many students, including myself, tend to not pay close attention when having classes after 5pm. Counselors stress the idea that one-on-one teaching is more important and beneficial than lecturing to a larger class size. East Coast schools such as Harvard and Florida University have been cutting down on its adjunct faculty constituency because of budget issues. According to an article written by Jack Stripling, “…universities and community colleges rely too heavily on cheap and often temporary instructors, [which has become] a practice that is diminishing the quality of education…” I believe the students' needs and concerns should be met first because we are the ones paying for tuition and taking the courses, not the faculty. It seems as though the school is more concerned with making more money rather than keeping students happy and focusing on other important issues such as technology in education.

I do applaud most of the courses offered for PR majors; however, I would like to see more classes that focus on the use of technology. PR practitioners are being required to do more within their field which not only includes excellent writing skills but also technological skills as well. Since the Internet has become the leading source of gathering and presenting research, it would be great if Annenberg offered PR students courses on web design or Photoshop replacing the current a couple of current courses offered. Classes based on using the computer and applying specific Internet knowledge would definitely put Annenberg students ahead of other institutions, making us more qualified and prepared for the real world. Teachers from Europe, West Asia and Africa have been investing their time into implementing technology in education. More than 200 professors attended a two-day conference in Paris to discuss enriching the youth’s educational experience by using technology. “Teachers' initiatives range from incorporating the internet and online courses in curricula, to interactive classroom exercises, through the use of blogs and digital portals for teachers, students and parents for interactive coursework, evaluation, feedback and dialogue.” I feel if the school implemented the use of technology into the upper or lower division courses, PR students will be better equipped to work in an advanced business environment without feeling ill prepared. Overall, studying at Annenberg has been a great privilege and with my knowledge about PR, I (along with my colleagues)can start a campaign facing the issues stated above and witness change for the greater good of PR majors.

USC Honorary Degree Nominee: Molly Miller

As the commencement season approaches, this week’s blog will focus on one of the most inspirational parts of the ceremony, the honorary. The honorand is the individual who gives the commencement speech to the graduating class. According to James Freedman (pictured left), “In bestowing an honorary degree, a university makes an explicit statement to its students and the world about the qualities of character and attainment it admires most.” Each year the University of Southern California awards the degree to such “individuals who have distinguished themselves through extraordinary achievements in scholarship, the professions, or other creative activities; [to] individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the welfare and development of USC or the community of which they are a part.”

As a Public Relations major at USC, I would have the pleasure of nominating the CEO of Engage PR, Molly Miller, with a doctorial degree in laws. With twenty years of public relations experience, Miller received a BA in English from the University of Tennessee and BS degrees in computer science and mathematics from the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology. She has also performed graduate work in symbolic and heuristic computation at Stanford University. Her company is an award-winning public relationa gency for tchnology comapnies that strives to "increase visibility, influence sales and positively impact the bottom line." Engage PR’s account executive Armi Elma says community service is what defines the company. Employees of the company have volunteered at “homeless shelters, participated in a national MS walk, mentored children [and] cleaned up beaches.” Miller’s passion for maintaining a successful company and reaching out to the community is a principal example of what undergraduate students should look up to.

In my perspective, Miller posses the qualities inscribed on the statue of Tommy Trojan: faithful, scholarly, skillful, courageous, and ambitious. She strives to “give young people and new recruits to her business, a wider view of the world at large.” “My staff has a lot of young people, and I want them to see a broader view of society,” said Miller. I believe her drive to push younger generations to give back to their communities to be quite fascinating. According to USC’s Honorary Degree guidelines, nominees must be “highly regarded for achievements on their respective fields of endeavor.” As CEO of her award-winning public relations company and being a positive role model to young adults, Miller has definitely shown the world that she is worthy of such an award. A professor of mine once mentioned that even though women make up most of the PR industry, it is men who acquire top management and executive positions. To me, Miller is the exception to this paradigm.

Earlier this year, she was honored by the East Bay Business Times as one of its 2007 Women of Distinction. This special award recognizes and “celebrates 25 women who have broken barriers, served as members to other women and left a mark on East Bay Business.” “The wide variety of careers represented by the women that were recognized was impressive and very encouraging. I’m honored to be included among such interesting and successful women,” said Miller. In 2006, she was also honored as a Women of Distinction by the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal. Miller’s company is on the right track to have been recognized twice as one of the “Best Places to Work in the Bay Area.” Her message to my generation would be to work hard, to continue to strive for one’s dreams and to consider ways of improving the community of which we live in. USC’s future graduating class would be privileged to the commencement speech of such a driven and compassionate women.