The PR Campaigns class can be a shock to the student who is expecting a typical syllabus with due dates, assignments, quizzes, and lectures. “We have none of the traditional metrics in the PR Campaigns class,” explains Dr. Astrid Sheil, who manages the class.
“The objective of the PR Campaigns class is to synthesize all of the ‘book’ learning students have done in the classroom for the past four years and apply that knowledge to a real campaign,” continues Sheil. “And it’s hard. Students are working with real clients, and sometimes, clients can be indecisive or non-communicative, and the work still needs to move forward…the clock is ticking.”
Sheil says she acts more as a “guide on the side” than a teacher. Students have to figure out what the client needs, what they can realistically accomplish in ten weeks, and how to finance and measure their efforts.
“On top of all of that,” Sheil emphasizes, “students have to learn how to act as a team, how to delegate, how to take criticism when their idea or their writing is not meeting the client’s needs, and how to be good leaders and good followers.”
According to Sheil, the hardest part is getting the campaign concept launched. “Sometimes it can take five or six weeks to get the research done and the proposal written and approved—and then students have less than four weeks to pull it off.”
“It takes so much communication and coordination to do this right,” says Courtney Mata, a senior PR major. “We’re really learning what it takes to do a real public relations campaign well.”
In the end, Sheil says the campaign usually comes together surprisingly well. “My favorite part of this class is at the end when students see just how really good they are. It’s a big confidence booster before they take that final walk across the stage in June.”
Shock and Awe:
Students Learn How to Manage a PR Campaign
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