Professors Schultz, Freyn present in panel discussion at public relations conference
Alfred University faculty Pamela Schultz, professor of communication studies, and Shelly Freyn, associate professor of marketing, took part in a recent panel discussion that focused on building innovative connections between colleges while working with professional clients on real-world projects.
The panel, titled "Breaking Down Silos: The Power of Multidisciplinary Collaboration in Experiential Learning,” was presented at the Educators Academy at the Public Relations Society of America's International Conference, held Oct. 15-17 in Nashville, TN.
Freyn, a faculty member in the College of Business, and Schultz, who is in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, taught parallel classes in Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) and Public Relations (PR) during the Fall 2022 semester. Students in each class were presented foundational concepts in IMC and PR while working on a semester-long project for a small company run by an Alfred alumnus.
The IMC class conducted consumer and market research developing a message for an integrated campaign while the PR class worked on putting together proposals for public relations-oriented initiatives and events. Midway through the semester, teams from both classes met to hash out ideas and expand on campaign ideas. The teams presented their final campaign ideas to the business owner at the end of the Fall 2022 term.
For the Public Relations Society conference, Freyn and Schultz discussed the development of the “combined” courses and student outcomes (a survey was also conducted) along with lessons learned along the way. They are hoping to test out a team-teaching approach in the future integrating Marketing and Communication Studies courses with another company project.