SJMC Monday Memo – March 18, 2024
Monday, March 18th, 2024
PRSSA to host Speed Networking Event
Join PRSSA at their networking and resume critique event on Wednesday, March 27th from 5:00 to 6:30pm in Meredith Hall Room 124C. 10 Des Moines area communication professionals from a variety of industries will be there to connect and speak with students as well as review resumes. This event is open to all Drake students! Please RSVP at the link.
Questions can be directed to Maria Heath maria.heath@drake.edu
Learn about agency life Wednesday night
Join PRSSA via Zoom this Wednesday at 6 p.m. for a session on agency life with Bridget Nelson Monroe. Bridget is a partner and managing director at Bellmont Partners Public Relations in Minneapolis, and she will be providing additional insight on leadership within the industry. This meeting is open to all majors, as agency settings are common in other journalism professions.
Denver Post Editor to Join JMC 103
Lee Ann Colacioppo, JO’86, the editor of the Denver Post, will be on campus to participate in the 45th Annual Bucksbaum Distinguished Lectureship featuring Liz Cheney on Wednesday, March 27. Before taking the stage, Colacioppo will join the JMC 103: Public Affairs Reporting class. Other students are welcome to join the conversation in Meredith Hall 124C from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m.
Schedule advising sessions
It’s time to start thinking about fall (and summer) registration, if you haven’t already! The schedule of classes has been posted in Self Service (my.drake.edu > Self Service > Registration tile > Registration and Schedules > Browse Classes), which can be a great planning tool as you begin to think about what classes you will take next semester.
Registration for spring begins on Monday, April 8. Your registration date and time is determined by your earned credit hours, not your total credit hours. You can find your earned hours by viewing the ‘Transcript Totals’ section of your transcript (earned credit hours do not include any courses you are currently enrolled in and do not have a grade for), or by visiting the Prepare for Registration link after you visit the registration page. Registration start dates and times are available here.
You can schedule an appointment with your SJMC advisor through Starfish. If you can’t find your advisor’s schedule, please email them directly to find out how they would like you to sign up for an advising time.
PRSA Public Affairs & Government Section Offers Free Student Webinar Access
“So you want to be a public information officer?” is scheduled for Wednesday, March 20, 2024, at 2 p.m. CST and is specifically designed to help communicators new to the field, new to government communications, and still learning the ropes. Use the coupon code PAGMARCH24 at prsa.org to attend for free if you are considering a career as a Public Information Officer or government communicator.
Attendees will learn:
- How government communications differ from private sector communications
- Why government communicators need to consider transparency, as well as the basics of sunshine laws, public records, and the federal Freedom of Information Act, or FOIA
- Why you need to be a lifelong learner, consistently learning new tools and tactics to maximize your toolbox
- Proactive crisis communications and the need to develop a deep bench of subject matter experts
- How to earn a seat at the table through consistent, strategic contributions that are defined and measurable
Alumni news
Amy Schmelzer, JO’96, GR’10, has been named to the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences board of directors. Schmelzer is operations manager of KCCI-TV in Des Moines and a member of the SJMC National Advisory Council.
