The Public Relations and Advertising Club (PRAd) at Oakland University transitioned into a chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) on Oct. 7, 2019.

Established in 1968, PRSSA is comprised of nearly 10,000 members, active on over 300 academic campuses around the globe, and offers over $30,000 in scholarships and awards to its members annually.

Chiaoning Su, assistant professor in the Department of Communication, Journalism and Public Relations and the OU chapter’s adviser, initiated the PRSSA application process.

After successfully transforming the popular PR minor at OU into a full major back in 2017, Su explained that gaining PRSSA status was the logical next step in the program’s goal to “cultivate the next generation of leaders in PR.”

What do public relations professionals do? In short, they work to promote client objectives by creating impactful stories and sharing them with the public using various methods.

PR is not only a growing major on campus, but a growing profession overall. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of public relations specialists is projected to grow 6% during the 10-year span between 2018 and 2028.

Their PR report indicates, “The need for organizations to maintain their public image will continue to drive employment growth. Candidates can expect strong competition for jobs at advertising and public relations firms and organizations with large media exposure.”

The purpose of PRAd has been to prepare OU students for this growing competitiveness of the industry. The club’s description on GrizzOrgs reads, “PRAd at Oakland University is a community of students interested in Public Relations and/or Advertising who seek to make connections with professionals in these areas, network with other current students, and challenge their intellectual curiosity.”

So, what happens to the advertising component of PRAd now that it has turned PRSSA?

Olivia Braun, founding president of OU’s chapter of PRSSA, indicated that the transition will not take away the advertising aspect of the group.

Additionally, Braun explained that PRSSA will stand out to any interviewer and encourages those interested in advertising to get involved.

“It’s an organization based on connections, and allows OU students to network and build a community outside of OU,” Braun said.

Though OU was one of the last universities in Michigan to offer a PR major, its momentum keeps growing. This, in part, is due to OU’s location in metro Detroit.

“Our location is optimum for students to get a great internship in PR, and we know those internships tend to lead to jobs,” said Gary Gilbert, director of the journalism program at OU, in a 2017 press release.

Executive Director of PRSSA Jeneen Garcia welcomed OU in a recent PRSSA press release.

“The Public Relations and Strategic Communication program at Oakland University serves its students extremely well,” she said. “We are honored to welcome the university to PRSSA and look forward to working alongside the school to further strengthen the public relations program and provide even more opportunities and resources to its students.”

Those interested in becoming involved in PRSSA can attend its monthly meetings on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. in 105 Vandenberg Hall.