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Above are some of the members of the Public Relations Management class, shown with Rick Davis, far right, executive director of the Fredonia Opera House. |
The public relations curriculum at SUNY Fredonia has selected two agencies for its eighth annual 2008 Community Partners program. In the senior capstone course, Public Relations Management, students will develop strategic campaigns to benefit Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County and the 1891 Fredonia Opera House, local nonprofit organizations facing public relations challenges.
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The Public Relations Management course is offered at SUNY Fredonia each spring and is required for graduating public relations majors. In the course, students take on the role of entry-level practitioners and get “real-life” experience in their field by completing a public relations plan for a client. Students will work on the project throughout the spring semester and present their campaigns to the organizations in April.
“By combining knowledge gained in previous classes with new information, students turn public relations challenges into opportunities,” said Ann Carden, assistant professor of communication, who teaches the course.
Literacy Volunteers of Chautauqua County, located in Dunkirk, N.Y., is in need of volunteers despite its 35-year record of success. According to the National Assessment of Adult Literacy, 20 percent of Dunkirk families speak a language other than English, and 16 percent of adults in the county are illiterate. New clients are often put on a waiting list, and the organization aims to increase awareness and recruit tutors.
The 1891 Fredonia Opera House, which presents performing arts to the community, is in need of a younger audience to continue its legacy. In order to preserve one of the region’s most historically significant landmarks, the Opera House aspires to broaden its membership and attract a younger audience.
For more information on the community partnership or on the capstone course, call Justine Januszkiewicz, a public relations major in the class, at 716-207-9788.
SUNY Fredonia is a public, liberal arts university located in Western New York. Founded in 1826, the university is among the oldest in the SUNY system. Fredonia is home to a world-renowned School of Music and more than 100 degree programs in the liberal arts, natural and social sciences, mathematics, education, and business. SUNY Fredonia also features cutting-edge programs in the emerging fields of technology, service, and communication.
