Public relations option to be offered at CSC

For the past two years officials in Chadron State’s School of Arts and Sciences have been designing a concept that would gain student interest and make graduates more marketable.

The result is a communication arts degree that allows students to have an emphasis in journalism, communication or public relations. This is the first time a public relations option has been offered at Chadron State.

“It was time to update the communications degree to make graduates more valuable to future employers and students were asking for a public relations program,” said Dr. Kathleen Kirsch, assistant professor of language, literature and communication arts.

The new option will combine the previously taught communications skills with the writing skills needed to be competitive in the job market.

The program is following a recent title change in the department from speech communication to communication arts.

“With the shift in titles there has been a shift in how people view the discipline of communication. Speech communication has moved from meaning public address, to forming and interpreting ideas,” said Kirsch.

Before beginning the project Kirsch researched the public relations courses other colleges were offering, and referred to the recommendations set forth by the Public Relations Society of America and the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication.

Instead of duplicating many of the courses needed for a communication arts degree, advertising, marketing and graphic design classes were added.

Kirsch said the demand for public relations is increasing rapidly. According to the state occupational projections Web site, openings for Nebraska public relations managers are predicted to jump from 390 in 2002 to 450 by 2012 and specialist openings should increase from 2,320 to 3,000.

“This is a program that can benefit anyone because everyone uses communication skills at some point in their lives,” said Kirsch. “On average the salary for public relations is higher than it is for journalism or communications alone.”

PR techniques will be the first public relations course offered this fall and nine students are already enrolled. Only one course will be offered each year.

Kirsch said John Lurvey and LaVida Dickinson, instructors of language, literature and communication arts and Dr. Lois Veath, dean of arts and sciences worked with her as a team to create the new program.

“I’m really excited about this project,” said Kirsch, “Delivering a speech is the small part of PR, writing is also key. This new option will help to further define CSC’s degree program and the jobs available for graduating communication majors.”