Top Five Things Learned by Returning to Public Relations School

Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.  - Anthony J. D’Angelo

I think it had been more than a decade since I had that feeling in the pit of my stomach.

The feeling you get the night before you write a major exam. Or, worse, the feeling that you get during the agonizing wait for results.

I have been taking Public Relations continuing education courses this winter to update my skills and knowledge and it’s been that long since those butterflies were flying around my stomach.

But that is what going back to school does.

Sure the RACE formula and SMART objectives are so engrained in us that we can almost recite them while asleep. But my return to the classroom this winter has been a valuable reminder that Public Relations is a constantly changing world and to stay sharp, you’d better be constantly willing to learn and adjust.

I don’t remember too many public relations lectures focused on social media a decade ago, do you?

I’m not done the certificate course, so I still have a few more of those pesky butterflies in my future. For now, here are the top five things that I have learned so far:

1. I am not alone. There are a lot of people employed in PR in Calgary who, like me, feel they still have a lot to learn. It has actually been a surprise to see the a wide range of experience levels among the students taking these courses; some are experienced PR professionals looking to upgrade while others are experienced in other professions, looking for new skills and perhaps a new profession. Of course, many are just starting out in their PR career or will be very soon.
2. I am only scratching the surface of what social media can do. This incredible two-way communication tool is changing the way we do business and I can’t wait to see what comes next. It’s also changing the way these courses are taught. I can’t remember a class going by without social media becoming a focal point of discussion at some point. This is definitely an area the students can’t seem to get enough about.
3. This is a great place to start your network. It hasn’t taken too many group assignments to learn that these other people in class really know their stuff.
4. Good writers are still making this profession tick. There has been a constant emphasis on improving writing skills, and the many different avenues and tools in which this skill is required.
5. This is a great city of the PR professional. There are thousands of Calgarians either working in PR or directly linked and we are fortunate to have a great environment in which to learn.

Kyle Marr is a member of the Calgary chapter of the Canadian Public Relations Society. He has been in PR professional in the city for six years.

The Giving Spirit

This time of year we are reminded of people’s giving spirit and generosity. We are also asked to donate to many causes and unfortunately our wallets aren’t always as big as our hearts. CPRS and IABC members’ hearts were in the right place at the holiday party held last week at West. There were about 175 people in attendance and many of them supported the 50/50, held to raise money for the Calgary Legacy Scholarship. CPRS Calgary sponsors this scholarship in partnership with the Communications + Public Relations Foundation. The $1000 scholarship is to be awarded annually to a student member of CPRS Calgary entering his or her second year in a recognized PR program at Mount Royal University, the University of Calgary or SAIT Polytechnic. In total, $300 worth of 50/50 tickets were sold and $150 raised for the scholarship. Congratulations to the winner Ursula Melski seen in the picture (left to right) with IABC President Jennifer Lomas and CPRS President Janice Robertson. Thank you to everyone who contributed!

For those of you who want to make a donation to the scholarship you can find the form on the CPRS website and receive a tax receipt. More information about the scholarship is also available there. 

The first scholarship will be awarded in the spring 2012 and the student recipient will be announced at our annual general meeting.  

Happy Holidays!

Tammy Schwass

Tammy is the Education Chair on the CPRS Calgary Board. She is also the Investor Relations Coordinator at AeroMechanical Services.

Advancing Public Relations Education in Canada: Pathways to the Profession

By Jill Rutherford

In between finishing a Master’s degree and running her own public relations consultancy, Colleen Killingsworth, MCM, APR, ABC, FCPRS, kept especially busy leading the development of a program to advance public relations education in Canada as Presiding Officer of CPRS’ National Council on Education.

Launched in June during the CPRS National Conference in Saint John, Pathways to the Profession is a comprehensive program that will formally recognize public relations and communications management education programs in Canada. It was developed over the course of the past three years by the National Council on Education, in conjunction with academic and professional public relations communities across the country.

The program outlines performance measures, course content and a course framework that schools can follow, and is organized along five specific pathways to the PR profession: technical, career, management, leadership and scholar. The goal is that the recently published guidelines for curriculum development and program design will help educational institutions in Canada produce the next generation of public relations practitioners. Pathways also aims to help public relations programs adequately incorporate current best practice standards into their curriculum – and identify emerging trends – in order to best prepare students for the demands of their ever-changing profession.

“Pathways to the Profession offers an educational standard for public relations programs which Canadian post-secondary institutions can follow,” said Colleen. “For years we’ve heard about the importance of having a standard approach to educating up-and-coming public relations professionals. Not only will the Pathways help facilitate consistent educational standards across the country, it also shows the commitment of our colleagues to advancing the practice of public relations in Canada.”

Post-secondary institutions that meet Pathways’ criteria can apply to be recognized by the National Council on Education for a term of five years. Institutions are encouraged to self-select one or more pathways that best reflect their course offerings in order to help students select the educational path that best suits their career goals.

“Pathways to the Profession offers an outcomes-based approach consistent with the best practice standards and benchmarks that are a hallmark of the curriculum in our four-year Bachelor of Communication – Public Relations degree,” said Jane McNichol, Chair, Public Relations Program, Mount Royal University. “As the profession continues to evolve from an applied art to a strategic management function, the Pathways framework bolsters the academic discipline as we prepare our students to face the challenges of a transforming work environment.”

Much like accreditation provides more senior practitioners with the opportunity to showcase their expertise and depth and breadth of public relations knowledge, Pathways also provides public relations students and recent graduates with the opportunity to take a Public Relations Knowledge (PRK) exam. This exam is an opportunity for students to demonstrate to potential employers their body of knowledge of public relations and communications management and that they are prepared for entry-level positions within the industry.

To learn more about this exciting new step in the development of public relations education in Canada, please visit cprs.ca/learning/pathways.aspx or contact Colleen at ckcommunications@shaw.ca.