There are a wide variety of campus offices and
student-run organizations at Bloomsburg University where students can work to
enhance their professional communication skills. Another opportunity for
students involves working with an outside client in the classroom. Many local
businesses and non-profit organizations value the chance to connect with
students in various ways. Several courses in COLA and across the university
provide such opportunities, and last fall Elizabeth Petre (Communication
Studies) taught two classes that worked to connect students with local
organizations and the university as a whole.
Students developed various promotional and marketing
materials including brochures, newspaper ads, and posters. Other innovative
materials the students designed included a sample PowerPoint slidedeck to be
presented to potential clients. Each organization that worked with the students
received copies of the students’ final ideas in a formal report and were
invited to attend the final presentations. One student even landed an
internship with the organization his team was assigned to work with. The
picture featured below shows two student teams with their course clients
following final presentations delivered in class.
Dr. Petre enjoyed the opportunity to work with students
on these projects and engage with the campus community. In addition to working
with the CLE office, she received support from the Center for Professional Development and
Career Experience (CPDCE) on campus. Laura McCay Suchanick, the
Organization Engagement Coordinator, and Robyn Defelice, the Director of
Internships and Career Experience, provided contact information for local
businesses interested in working with students. They also attended some of the
final presentations. Through these class projects, clients benefitted from
working with student teams and hearing an outsider’s perspective on their
organization or business. Students developed their professional communication
skills through formal presentations and interpersonal interactions meeting with
their clients. As a whole, the client projects provided students a great
hands-on learning experience.
Thanks to Dr. Elizabeth Petre for providing this entry.
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