We rock!
If you missed all the excitement in Meredith Hall last week, it was a time of big news for the SJMC!
The Public Relations Society of America announced that it is awarding the Drake PR major its prestigious Certification in Education for Public Relations. There are currently only 34 programs in the world that have achieved CEPR status, and Drake’s is the only one in this region. The accreditors applauded the Drake PR major’s strong assessment plan, service learning and client-based projects, as well as its outstanding faculty and engaged students and alumni. Congratulations to PR Professors Kelly Bruhn and Jennifer Glover Konfrst, as well as all of the PR students and alums who made this honor possible.
Provost Dee Jones also announced that SJMC Director Kathleen Richardson will be promoted to Dean of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, effective immediately. The promotion is a wonderful testament to how much the University values the School and recognizes all the great work done by SJMC faculty, students and staff.
We’re planning a series of events around the Midwest to celebrate all our good news. The first will be a reception in Meredith Hall during JMC Days, the week of Nov. 10, followed by parties in Chicago, Minneapolis and Kansas City. The culmination will be our annual alumni reception in Des Moines over Drake Relays weekend in the spring. Keep an eye out for details to come!
If you have news to share, send it to Director Kathleen Richardson at kathleen.richardson@drake.edu or Carla McCrea at carla.mccrea@drake.edu to include in a future Memo.
What we’re up to
JMC 143 PR Planning and Management is conducting research for the class project to promote the SJMC’s new Strategic Political Communication major that starts next fall. . . . JMC 73 Radio News Reporting and Editing is gearing up for live political coverage, including the Harkin Steak Fry next weekend featuring Bill and Hillary Clinton and mid-term elections in November. . . . Professor Lee Jolliffe’s JMC 58 and 59 Intro to Visual Communication classes will be in the TV studio this week experimenting with portrait photos, both formal and fun. . . . The SJMC will host a group of female political leaders from Zambia and journalists from throughout Europe the week of Sept. 22, brought to Des Moines by the Iowa International Center.
Get going
The SJMC Activities fair, organized by the Society of Professional Journalists, will be held Wednesday, 4-7 p.m., in Meredith 104. Come visit with representatives from campus media organizations to see how you can get involved.
Jobs hub
The SJMC’s internship coordinator, Carlyn Crowe, reports that there are some great paid internships still available for this fall. See Carlyn in Mer. 120 or check out the Drake Media Gigs site for listings.