Changes to the WU public relations program to lead to future opportunities for students

What an exciting start to the school year! Thanks to over two years of diligence from Waynesburg alumni and current students it’s official: the PR Team is now the Waynesburg University PRSSA Chapter. PRSSA National recently granted Waynesburg University its charter, and now the Waynesburg University PRSSA Chapter is an official campus organization. This is overwhelmingly good news to current public relations students and future students of the program. The executive board is extremely excited to lay the foundational blocks on which future generations can build.

The public relations program at Waynesburg has made leaps and bounds in the past few years. Up until 2009, students graduated with a degree in communication and an emphasis in public relations. Now graduates of the program will graduate with a degree in public relations. How awesome is that?

Our advisor, Richard Krause, assistant professor of communication and chair of the Department of Communication at Waynesburg University, said in a university press release that “this chapter is one of the most significant developments in the Department of Communication since its inception in 1996.” He added that the program has been developed to where it is extremely competitive with programs found at much larger universities.

Becoming a PRSSA Chapter is an additional opportunity for public relations students to gain great insight into the field. Our goals for our first year include a having strong web presence (Follow us on Twitter (@wuprssa) and fan us on Facebook soon!), being a visible organization on campus, creating strong fundraisers to offset member/event costs and to set the bar high for future members and students in the program.

I’m not going to spill everything in one blog post though. If you’re a member, I encourage you to attend our second meeting next Monday, Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. in Buhl 416. Members who attended the Professional Development Day in Pittsburgh on September 15 have exciting information to share. If you aren’t a member or are from out of state please feel free to contact us with any questions, thoughts or requests for information at wuprssa@student.waynesburg.edu.

-Vikki Kamicker (@vkamicker)

  Waynesburg University PRSSA Chapter, President