Florida A&M interim Provost Allyson Watson, Ph.D., visited the School of Journalism and Graphic Communication (SJGC) for a listening tour led by Dean Mira Lowe. Dr. Watson’s tour included meeting with SJGC ‘s professors to discuss the happenings around campus. The SJGC PR Agency was on the list for the provosts’ tour. The PR agency’s slogan is “To provide excellence and accomplishment through dynamic professional environments.” The SJGC Agency is a recently revitalized offering in SJGC led by industry expert Dr. Deborah Thigpen. Under Dr. Thigpen’s direction, the PR Agency takes on clients in a consultative manner to evaluate areas of improvement and offer solutions and services. The PR agency’s tagline is “Create, Cultivate, and Collaborate.” The PR Agency will reveal its business name in March to kick off the PUR 4800 PR Agency course rebrand. As a nearly full-service agency, their niche is from an HBCU perspective offering services that include Social Media, Media Relations & Planning, Branding, Special Events, and a Multi-cultural point of view. Senior public relations students Samuel Williams and Lebaron Fields got the opportunity to accompany Dr. Thigpen in showcasing what the agency is all about. As the leaders of the agency projects, these students work directly with Dr. Thigpen in the sight of not only agency projects but also the brand and image of the agency. During the visit, Samuel and Lebaron explained the day-to-day activities of the PR agency and the clients. Students work with Miracle Hill Senior Living Community, Junior Achievement of Big Bend, and the HBCU Culture Legacy Foundation. As seniors, this experience allows students to flex their skills learned in the classroom in real-life situations. Although this is a class, the standards these students are held to are of the utmost professional standards.
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PR Agency@SJGC is a student-run Public Relations Firm/PUR4800 Course that expands on developing campaign strategies and objectives and creating materials for media toolkits.
