The following was e-mailed to the folks at the University of Maryland
per Virginia's recent request. I thought you might be interested in
what the owner and president of our 30-person high-tech firm wrote:
Dear Dean Cleghorn:
I am shocked to hear that Maryland is considering eliminating its
undergraduate PR curriculum. The University has built an outstanding
program, regarded as one of the top in the country.
I have been on the hiring end. About five years ago I hired one of your
graduates, Pam Krebbs. She was one of the most savvy entry level
employees we’ve had – and I’ve hired 3 – 4 new grads a year for 17
years.
Undergraduates can grasp the basics of PR, especially if they are
coached by outstanding faculty, and you have the Grunigs. That’s saying
a lot from someone who holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in
journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School. But I’ve seen
first hand the benefits of undergraduate PR education.
Keep the undergraduate program, and send me more Maryland graduates.
Drop the program and you’ll put your undergraduates at a disadvantage
for finding jobs. They need work experience before they go back for a
masters program.
Sue Bohle, APR, Fellow PRSA
President
The Bohle Company
(Also sent to Provasdt Gregory Geoffroy)
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