The CEPR Offered Firsthand Insight Into The Education of Public Relations Professionals Today

Image courtesy of Drake University from online article “How does Public Relations Differ from Similar Fields like Advertising or Marketing.”

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

First, let me get this established before I move forward with this post, which incorporates a recent in-person academic-centered experience into an analysis of the advanced academic curriculum available to those who plan careers in public relations.  I will not make any references to the specific time, institution, or location, nor will I share names of people, courses, or affiliated organizations.

In short, I am safeguarding the details of what I experienced and maintaining total confidentiality.

Okay, so what am I referring to?  Well, a while back, I had the honor to participate in a review regarding the Certification in Education for Academic Programs in Public Relations, better known as the CEPR. The program is managed by the Public Relations Society of America, of which I am a long-standing member.

I joined another senior public relations professional on a two-day visit to a major state university to conduct interviews with administrators, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, and to observe and evaluate. Prior to our visit, my CEPR collaborator and I held a few zoom meetings to determine specific assignments and review the university’s previous CEPR report. Our assignment was to determine whether the institution should be recertified.

Before I move forward, let me share some insight into advanced education in the public relations field.  Doing a quick Google search, I learned that Boston University granted the first public relations degree — way back in 1947!  For some comparison, that was the year PRSA was formed.  And, according to this U.S. News and World Report account, there are 368 institutions of higher education in the nation that offer a degree in public relations.  Which university offers the most highly-rated program? That’s certainly up for debate! 

Now, let me share a few CEPR statistics and insight, courtesy of Dr. Susan Gonders, co-chair of PRSA Educational Affairs Committee and coordinator of the CEPR initiative.

• The first certifications were granted in 1990, and 14 universities were certified by 2006.
• Dr. Gonders started working on behalf of CEPR in 2007; the number of institutions that earned the CEPR doubled to 28 certified by 2010.
• Now there are just under 60 certified universities on five continents.
• In the PRSA initiatives to better prepare the next generation of professionals, the primary mission of CEPR is to help PR programs improve.  Therefore, the emphasis in the reports centers on recommendations for improvement.
• The program is supported by the highest levels of PRSA leadership.  To date, 15 past CEO/presidents have served as reviewers.
• PR programs within all types of academic structures are eligible — such as business and communication studies — not just programs centered on journalism or mass communications.
• But about half of the programs with CEPR also have Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications (ACEJMC) Standards and criteria based on recommendations from the Commission on Public Relations Education (CPRE).

With this as the foundation, here are some observations, thoughts, and conclusions gained during my involvement with CEPR earlier this year. 

Commitment to Modern Public Relations Education. The university we visited had a long-established public relations curriculum and provided students with a first-rate physical environment and opportunities for valuable internships and capstone projects. Administrators, alumni, and students shared very positive perspectives on the overall PR program, while offering thoughts on improvement. It was apparent the university valued its role in educating the next generation of communicators.  Furthermore, the institute demonstrated a commitment to advancing ethical standards and diversity. 

In Step with the Profession Today.  Perhaps the most enlightening — at least to me — aspect of the on-campus experience came as my colleague and I sat in on a public relations class. We observed the instructor guiding student teams on the strategies behind building successful communications campaigns while incorporating: a) A web platform to build and manage an online presence. b) Free open-source software to record, edit, and mix audio/visual content. c) An AI writing tool. For the record, I was not familiar with any of these digital tools, but recognize the intrinsic value of these kind of resources in modern communications. 

And, In Conclusion. From a time commitment perspective, serving as a CEPR evaluator is, indeed, a commitment. The time on campus left little time for leisure, and we each spent hours of work prior to the visit and afterwards had to draft the final report. My co-evaluator, who had participated in CEPR in the past, asked if I would sign on for a future review: “Yes,” I said. “But not this year!”  I gained a great deal of insight into the future of the profession, and I had an opportunity to participate in a challenging and noteworthy exercise.  Plus, I gained Continuing Education Units toward my Accredited in Public Relations (APR) credential — which I successfully renewed earlier this summer! 

Clearly, the public relations profession has greatly evolved since I began my career as a former news reporter who transitioned to become an agency account executive in the mid 1980s. Back then, media relations dominated the industry, campaigns often were not structured around research and sound strategies, and at times ethical practices may have been an afterthought. Based on what I learned and experienced through the CEPR experience, much of what was practiced decades ago is no longer part of the current agenda. 

One final comment: Note the graphic at the top of this post. There’s one word — one that recently became a dominant part of the public relations lexicon. What is it? 

Sort of Glad to be “Gone With The Wind”

More than just 979 pages, this 75th Anniversary issue is nearly two inches thick and weighs a few pounds!

By Edward M. Bury, APR, MA (aka The PRDude)

Let’s face it: A serious commitment is required to read a sizeable work of fact or fiction from cover to cover.  One could make the excuse that by page 173, you no longer have interest in the plot; or perhaps the author’s grasp of grammar and syntax fails to compel you to finish another chapter, or even turn the page.

A few days back, I — finally, finally! — finished reading Gone with the Wind, the 1936 novel by Margret Mitchell set in and around Atlanta, Georgia during this nation’s most challenging days in the mid-19th century and over the equally tumultuous the years that followed. 

The 75th Anniversary version I read, shown in the image above, is 979 pages long.  The book, which earned the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in in 1937 and a few years later was made into an Academy Award winning film, is shaped by history, driven by the exploits of its lead characters, often romantic despite the tragedies that took place, and unwavering in depiction of a grandiose way of living for a selected breed of American who technically owned other human beings. 

The author, born in 1900 and a native of Atlanta, tapped into family history in part to craft life and times of plantation heiress Scarlett O’Hara, her immediate family and friends, rogue Rhett Butler, and other Southerners who lived through the horrors of war and its aftermath.  As a first novel, Gone with the Wind, can be ranked among the greatest debut works of modern fiction and certainly one of the greatest American novels. 

And, did I mention, it’s really, really long. 

As a reader, I was captivated by the emerging story line of war, peace, and its aftermath, and the ever-evolving character development, especially the manner in which the clearly highly conceited Scarlett attempts to justify her often disgusting actions as being substantiated due to her pedigree and the plantation way of life.  From an historical perspective, I grew to comprehend that anyone who dwelled in parts of the nation outside the South were Yankees, and I gained a great deal of insight into the many misgivings of the post-war Reconstruction.

From a personal perspective, let me share two recollections that somewhat tie into the novel. Several years ago, I worked for a real estate association which had a broad national membership, including many members who hailed from Southern states.  Here’s what I recall:

1. In a conversation with a gentleman from Alabama, he noted that he was pleased to work with “a Yankee” on a committee. I pointed out that I am a lifelong Chicago Cubs fan; plus, my ancestors hailed from Poland and arrived here in the early 20th century.
2. While in Atlanta for a business trip, a lady who hailed from South Carolina and her husband gave me a short tour while driving to their home for dinner.  “And, there’s Stone Mountain, a monument to those who served in the War of Northern Aggression,” she said.  I just nodded.

From one perspective, based on the two examples above, some members of the Baby Boomer generation still held onto some of the way things were in the South before shots were fired at Fort Sumter. From another perspective, perhaps I interpreted too much by the recollections above. 

Back in 2018, in this space I shared thoughts on the impact of reading Moby Dick, certainly the longest novel (in terms of pages) I had ever read. Gone with the Wind well exceeded Herman Melville’s masterpiece in terms of length, and I found the prose and imagery to be spellbinding at times.

Starting and finishing a long work is an accomplishment, and I’m glad I read Mitchell’s novel.  And, I’m glad I can move onto another work.  Now, I guess I should view the movie.