Two items for this blogpost.  Item #1, the prize, as it were…due to popular demand for the COM 397: Special Events Planning course with Jerri Lynn Kyle, we’ve opened up a 2nd section of it during the January intersession.   If you were closed out of the morning session, then sign up for the afternoon 1-4pm session 702.  The course is available on the registration page now.

Register early, register often   Seats in COM upper division courses are filling up quickly. Be sure to register now to get your spot.   For the PR majors, we’ve also increased the enrollment for COM 449.  Please register as soon as possible for your COM classes.

Item #2 – The Turkey

PRSSA’s Faculty Turkey Award

Wednesday, November 18 – Monday, November 23

WHO WILL WIN THE GOBLER?

Vote for your favorite COM teacher and help them win the golden turkey trophy! Donate change to the teacher of your choice and the teacher who raises the most money will WIN! The Following Teachers will be competing for the GOBLER:
Gloria Galanes
Randy Dillon
Deborah Craig
Eric Morris
Samuel Dyer
Jerri Lynn Kyle

A Table will be set up in the lobby of Craig Hall or by room 364 in Craig Hall to take your votes!

Stop by and help your teachers WIN!

The Center for Dispute Resolution and the Department of Communication at Missouri State are sponsoring a drop-in informational session on the Undergraduate and Graduate Certificate Programs in Conflict and Dispute Resolution.

Drop in to enjoy FREE PIZZA and learn about the
Certificate Programs in
Conflict and Dispute Resolution
Tuesday, Nov. 10 from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.
Plaster Student Union room 317-B
Sponsored by the Center for Dispute Resolution and the Department of Communication

******************************************
The Center for Dispute Resolution
Missouri State University, Dept. of Communication
Charlene Berquist, Director
H. Blades, Associate Director
Office: Park Central Office Building room 212
Phone: (417) 836-8831
Fax: (417) 836-8288
Email: CDR@MissouriState.edu
www.MissouriState.edu/CDR

Major Opportunities
Public Relations major is going strong. Some students have said to me that they’ve heard the PR major is being phased out. This is simply NOT TRUE.  We currently have 125 PR majors (admitted and pre-admitted), and this number is similar to previous years when we’ve ranged between 125 and 150 students.  We are offering all our regular public relations courses and plan to continue. What you may see a change in is the number of sections for popular courses. We are offering only one section of COM 379 and 439 section each due to staffing levels and the new required course minimums.   So, if you hear someone say that the PR major is going away, do your part to dispel this myth and say it’s still a great option.

CONSIDER A NEW MAJOR:  Health and Organizational Communication majors gaining numbers. A number of years ago we starting offering a major track in health communication, while organizational communication has been a major for over 15 years.  As a result of two excellent faculty hires, Drs. Heather Carmack and Stephanie Norander, these two programs are seeing an increase in student demand and interest.  Both majors offer excellent employment opportunities, not only in this region, but across the state of Missouri and beyond.  We are also offering special topics courses in each area more regularly as a result.

HEALTH COM INFORMATIONAL MEETING

Wonder what you can do with a health com major or set of classes?
Are you currently a Health Communication major?
Then you ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to attend a Health Com Informational Meeting

Wednesday, November 4 (Note the date change) at noon in Craig 204.

Pizza, drinks, and lots of great career and major course information will be provided!

Registration Updates
Please note the following course sequencing we currently follow in the department of  communication.  Use this information in developing your graduation course sequencing plan.

• COM 307, fall only
• COM 325, fall only
• COM 326, spring only
• COM 332, fall only
• COM 360, spring only
• COM 300, spring only
• COM 506, spring odd years
• COM 499, requires permission and completed in your semester of graduation

Banner Course Schedule TIPS!

1. Are you looking for ONLY spring intersession, first block or second block courses?  If so, here’s what you do. 1) use the secure course schedule search (not the public search option), use your my.missouristate.edu account. 2) Select Spring 2010 3) In the SUBJECT box, hold down the shift key and select ALL the course subjects  4) then go to PART OF TERM, and select your desired term (intersession, for example) and 5) click CLASS SEARCH button. You will have an alphabetical listing of all intersession courses in spring 2010.
2. Looking for your mid term grades?  The place you look for them is in your my.missouristate.edu account, REGISTRATION HISTORY.

Hope these tips are helpful to you. If you have found some good Banner short cuts or other workarounds, email me and I’ll share them with others. Share the wealth!
Kelly

If you haven’t heard, the spring 2010 schedule for all classes has been posted on the university website. You can get to it through your my.missouristate.edu account or through the public site, go here.  In this post I will share with you some important things to consider as you put your schedule together for next semester.

I’m excited about a number of special topics courses, and new offerings we have this semester. I will highlight these below. Additionally, you may find that a course you planned to take is not on the schedule.  In this situation, please talk with your advisor about your options. That is what we are here for!  We will work with you to find substitutions or alternative scheduling options. It all depends on where you are at in your program.  For instance, if  you plan to graduate in spring, we’ll discuss substitutions. If you are not graduating this spring and have a number of semesters ahead of you, we won’t need to substitute but instead revise your course sequencing plan.   This is a time to plan and pick your courses, not a time to panic.

Word of caution:  Some of you know that we canceled a few courses this semester due to low enrollments. My advice to you is PRE-REGISTER on time so we know the demand for our courses. There is no $60 deposit now to hold courses, so you can register for what you think you’ll take.  Please be advised that if a course does not make the minimum level required, we may have to cancel it.  My promise to you again is to notify you well in advance if we have to cancel a course. We will make arrangements with you. Likewise, if a course fills up and we have enough demand, we may be able to open another section. For instance, we have only one section of COM 379 for spring 2010. If that course fills completely, we will start a waiting list to determine need and demand.  So, do YOUR part and keep ME informed of your interest in a course when it fills or is canceled!

Special Topics Courses

Consider taking these courses this spring if you really like the topic. The nature of these courses is that we offer them irregularly…so don’t plan on seeing them again for at least another year or longer.  The time to take them is NOW! Check out these exciting options:

• NEW!  INTERSESSION COURSE: Get the edge for your job search with **Employment Interviewing – 48872 – COM 331 – 701. Jan 04, 2010 – Jan 08, 2010.
• Back by popular demand– INTERSESSION COURSE.  Special Event Planning. 48873 – COM 397 – 701. Topic:   Jan 04, 2010 – Jan 08, 2010

• Prepare for your first job or internship, take Careers in Communication – 47931 – COM 300 – 001. This is a first block course which runs  Jan 11, 2010 – Mar 04, 2010.

• Topic: Communication and Aging. 47948 – COM 390 – 001.  Full semester course that is a service learning designated course.

• Topic: Organizational Conflict System Design.  44601 – COM 597/698 – 901.   This course is blended. The first half of the semester (January 11, 2010 through March 4, 2010) will meet face to face on TUESDAYS (this is a new day from what was posted Oct 1) from 6:30-9:20. The second half of the semester will be completed online. Information will be provided on the first night of class or you may contact Dr. Stephanie Norander for details.
• Topic: Communication Issues for Mental Health Problems. 47984 – COM 597/698 – 900.  This course is blended. It will consist of an intensive face to face weekend format over 2 weekends with a 2-4 week online segment between them. Information will be provided the first day of class or you can contact Dr. Isabelle Bauman for details.

Course Times and Access

NOTE: Did you notice that MWF classes start at 7:30am now?  Sounds terrifying doesn’t it.  The good part, there are now 15 minutes between classes on MWF.  The new start times are 7:30am, 8:35, 9:40, 10:45, 11:50, 12:55, 2:00.   HEADS UP: While we don’t have any 7:30am courses in the spring schedule, you can anticipate that we will offer one or two beginning fall 2010.

To increase access for students, we’re offering a few more courses in the evening this spring as well.

• COM 309, Principles of Public Relations, Mondays 6:30-9:20.
• COM 326, Effective Listening, TR 5-6:15

We will offer a few online courses for your convenience as well.

• Undergraduates:
  • COM 328, Persuasion (no permission required).
  • COM 511/611, Conflict & Communication
  • COM 512, Communication and Diversity in the Workplace
  • COM 521, Mediation.
  • NOTE: All 500 online courses require permission of instructor, so email the instructor to request.
• Graduate Students:
  • COM 617, Communication and Diversity in the Workplace
  • COM 621, Mediation.
  • COM 702, Communication Theory (no permission required)
  • COM 713, Media Resources for PR professionals
  • COM 718, Applied Communication Research Methods
  • COM 736, Organizational Communication
  • NOTE: Except where noted, all online coruses require permission of instructor, so email the instructor to request.

Look for additional blogposts as we approach pre-registration, which begins in early November. As always, I encourage your feedback and input.

Kelly Wood

Email: KellyWood@missouristate.edu

COM Week 2009 logo and t-shirt

Thanks to everyone who attended the COM Week 2009 activities. By all accounts it was a success, especially the t-shirts, we are practically OUT of them!  But there are some left, so if you didn’t get one last week, come on by the COM office, Craig 375 and get one for $10.  Wear your COM major or minor with pride!

A couple of observations and tips overhead from the Wednesday panel discussion of great jobs. How about working for Yahoo! and assisting with leadership development? Or working for a theatre in Kansas City doing their social media work–get paid to twitter and facebook?  Or, how about working in Washington, DC and coordinating special event fundraisers for Beyonce or a famous politician?  These are REAL examples of great jobs in Communication.  Students who attended were given numerous job and internship search strategies, as well as stories of what it was like to move to a new state, find a place to live, and learn to work with people you never met before. The good news of course is that COM students are well prepared for such challenges. Don’t let anyone tell you that only business or MBA students are qualified for the best jobs out there.  Indeed, we can get the best jobs and show everyone what we can do.

Thursday evening had a different tone–what gets a scholarship application noticed so I can get more money for school?  Two COM alums shared their experiences with scholarships that helped them, in particular, they provided students with very detailed information about what gets a scholarship application noticed.  How cool is that?

Students also got to meet someone who actually reviews scholarship applications for MSU!  What works to get your application noticed?  It is this:  The first three sentences will either get your application read or tossed.  Make an impression. Tell a great story about yourself (not made up, come on), about something exciting you did during a summer vacation, about a leadership position that didn’t work out quite like you thought, or that you made a difference in someone’s life.  Don’t be shy about your accomplishments and where it’s appropriate use humor. One essay that got noticed started with “I made someone laugh so hard one time that she peed her pants.”  Wouldn’t that make you want to read the essay?

We wrapped up the week with the Networking Luncheon at 11:30 in the PSU ballroom.  Over 60 people gathered, including alums, current students, faculty and friends of the department.  Matt Sellmeyer, President of Schilling/Sellmeyer (a local advertising firm) shared some thoughts about the importance of mentoring.  “It’s all about building relationships and getting connected to the experience of the person who is mentoring you. It’s a great opportunity to learn about work from that generation.”  Good advice.  After lunch, students and alums mingled and networked. Alums shared advice about jobs and students got excellent job contacts.  Students were also given the opportunity to join small mentoring groups led by a few of the alums.

So, what will next year’s COM Week bring?  If you are interested in coordinating the event, please come by the office in Craig 375 and chat with me.  Jody Glazner provided her excellent skills in event coordination and now has a few extra items on her resume from the experience.  Thanks Jody for your great work.  A shout out to Terra Pizzo, Courtney Wendel and Jaimie Ohm too for help with shirts, posters, and showcase.  COM students rock!

Coming Soon–an album of pictures from the week’s events.

Kelly

• Don’t miss Thursday at 6pm, an interactive workshop on getting more money $$ by applying for scholarships, Craig 204.
• And, don’t forgot to RSVP for the Networking Luncheon in Craig 375 by Thursday at 5pm.

TODAY’S SCHEDULED SESSION

Please join us for the panel “Great Careers in Communication: Options You Never Knew Existed” that will be held today at 3:00 PM in Craig 205. This is a great opportunity to discuss with current communication students who have had successful internship experiences and have great tips for embarking upon the job search process. The panelists and a brief overview of their experiences are listed below.

Name: Lauren Wilson

Position: Human Resources Graduate Leadership Development Intern, Yahoo! Inc.

Overview: Last summer I interned at Yahoo! in Sunnyvale California and worked on the University Recruiting team to develop a long term diversity strategy focused on women in technology. In order to complete my project I worked closely with 4 internal departments, 14 top-tier universities, 37 diversity organizations and held 2 focus groups. In the end, I developed customized recruiting procedures for each University geared at planning campus recruiting events for female computer science students and increasing the number of hires. My internship also consisted of recruiting 130+ advertising and sales candidates for a new branch in Omaha Nebraska. After formally presenting my work to the HR executive team I was offered a full-time position upon graduation in May. My background also includes an undergraduate internship at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City.

Name: Jeff Norris

Position: Intern for Kansas City Starlight Theatre’s Marketing Department

Overview: My main responsibility was establishing Starlight’s reputation online through social media including Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and YouTube.  I helped create social media contests, videos and a variety of other online promotions.  I also planned and coordinated private events for large businesses such as Beauty Brands, US Bank and Morgan Stanley. Along with those responsibilities I also helped draft press material such as press releases, fact sheets and biographies.

Name: Ashley Jackson

Position: Events/Special Projects and Development intern

Overview: Epiphany Productions is a full-service event management and fundraising firm that works with nonprofit, corporate and political clients. As an intern, I was able to work on several fundraising events for National Republican Congressional Committee, A Hope for children, and the DreamMakers Basketball Academy.  My responsibilities included assisting in running the events, preparing for the events, collecting money that was raised for the events, and data input. I also had the opportunity to propose and draft plans for a 3-on-3 basketball tournament for the DreamMakers Basketball Academy.

We hope to see you there!

Kelly

Did you know that mentoring is an important aspect of advancing your career and networking opportunities? It sure is. This year the COM department, along with local communication professionals, have implemented mentoring opportunities for interested communication students. These groups will meet periodically throughout the 2009-2010 academic school year.

If you are interested in being a part of a mentoring group, use the COM Week Registration form  (in Craig 375). Or you can find the pdf form at this link:

http://communication.missouristate.edu/assets/communication/COMWeek_Registration.pdf

It can be completed by hand or online, printed or emailed. Deadline for signing up is Friday, September 25.  This may be one of the best decisions you make this week!

Below are the names of the local professionals who have graciously agreed to become a mentor this year to COM students (majors and minors).  There is a short description with each one.

Jim Anderson: Think of him as “the connector.” This group is primarily a networking group, Mr. Anderson is the president of the Springfield Chamber. He is hugely popular and well connected in town. He can introduce students to professionals through the Chamber and their events. He wants to help people network to get jobs and internships.

Melinda Arnold: Think of her as “the polisher.” This group will primarily be a professional development group. Ms. Arnold is marketing director for the Dickerson Park Zoo and is well connected in the community and is keenly aware of industry standards for writing, presentation, appearance, and job skills. She wants to help students prepare to be effective in job interviews and while also on the job.

Matt Sellmeyer: Think of him as “the marketing guru.” This group will be primarily interested in mentoring students about advertising and promotions. He’s the co-owner of his own marketing firm in Springfield. He’s interested in students as a “market” and how to tap in the market. He wants to use this group as a sounding board for new ideas in marketing, but also to help students get their feet wet in the competitive world of marketing and advertising.

Megan Nichols-Rowe: Think of her as “the writing guru.” This group will be primarily dedicated to helping students develop competitive scholarship applications for local and national scholarships. She is an alum of the dept and very involved in local philanthropy and volunteering. She wants to help students write great applications, and to help them in the writing and presentation of those applications. She will also be willing to help if there is a required interview as part of the scholarship.

JOIN A MENTORING GROUP TODAY!

What is COM Week really all about?

September 21-25 is COM WEEK 2009: Oh the places you’ll go with a COM degree. We host this event every fall semester in order to provide you with an opportunity to interact with alums who are willing to share their career and professional experiences with you. The year we’ve themed it around things you may not know about in terms of careers in communication, making it in the professional world, and how to develop strong applications for COM scholarships.  The idea is that as you attend the workshops  or luncheon and you get tips and strategies for how to use your communication degree in unique and exciting ways by people with COM degrees who know what it’s like out there.  In other words, this week is all for YOU!  We want to help you succeed with your COM degree.  Here is the rundown of events for your calendar.

• Monday: Majors Showcase, Craig lobby, 10am-4pm
• Wednesday: Great Careers in Communication: Options you never knew existed. 3:00, Craig 205 hosted by Dr. Stephanie Norander with special student guests who will share with you cool internships they’ve had and job offers they’ve gotten.
• Thursday: Writing Your Way to the Top:  Competitive Scholarship Applications to Get More Money! workshop, 6:00, Craig 204. Who doesn’t need a little more money in these times?   This hands-on workshop will give you extremely helpful information to write competitive scholarship applications so you can get more money to help with school.  Hear from alums and scholarship reviewers with their tips on good scholarships, application processes, etc.
• Friday: Alumni-Student Networking Luncheon, PSU East Ballroom 11:30am

Monday, Sept 21, talk a walk through our COM Showcase in Craig Hall Lobby. Learn about opportunities in Communication including majors, minors, and certificates we offer. Our student professional associations with have reps there to greet you and provide information about joining. We’ll also have information about graduate school as well as internships for credit. There are two workshops, Wednesday and Thursday. Each workshop provides a unique opportunity to get one-on-one contact with local alums about careers in COM and applying for scholarships. Each session is intended to be hands-on, a sort of training or workshop, to help you directly with developing career preparation.  All workshops are free, but we request that you register. We want to keep these classes small so that you can get one-on-one interaction with the alum.  You can register in Craig Hall, room 375 beginning Tuesday. We’ll have a registration form linked to the blog in a few days.  You may register the day of the session too.

Then Friday, we host the Networking Luncheon from 11:30-1 in PSU Ballroom East. Here you will have the opportunity to sit with alums and get their tips and advice directly. The lunch is $10 cost, but you also get a COM WEEK shirt, which will be available next week. If you have a class that meets during one of the scheduled activities, you might ask your instructor about attending it as a whole class. If that’s not an option, then see about you attending and writing a short reflection on your experience with the master class or luncheon.  It never hurts to ask.

Please make plans to attend at least one or two of these events. The department covers most all of cost of these events for you (except the lunch, and you get t-shirt too) and alums are providing their services free of charge, so DO take advantage of these great opportunities for YOU to get some tips and advice on making it in the “out there.”

Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll post more information about each session in a few days, and then this Friday, look for a post on planning for the networking luncheon, what to expect, and how to sign up for a mentoring group led by one of our alums.

Kelly

Hey everyone, we’ve officially moved into the fall semester now that Labor Day weekend is over. Doesn’t it feel “real” now?  It does to me. When we move from “getting to know you” in my COM 205 class to actually discussing communication theories and research, I know it’s for real now.

This post is a veritable buffet of helpful tips, calendar items, and things you need to know.  I hope you find this helpful as you plan your September!

1. The Public Relations Student Society of America

   invites YOU to the first meeting

   of the school year on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

   The meeting will begin at 2 p.m. in Craig 204 TODAY!  Anyone interested in public relations and communication is encouraged to at least stop in and learn more about the many opportunities available with PRSSA. We’ll be talking about our plans for this year’s PRSSA including hands-on PR campaign experience, chair opportunities and the National Conference in San Diego. Plus, there will be snacks!

   Hope to see you there! Feel free to e-mail me with any questions.

   Leah Almeling
   Missouri State University
   Public Relations Student Society President
   Leah06@live.missouristate.edu

2.  Get Ready for COM Week 2009: “Oh the places you’ll go–with a COM degree”

Plan to attend as many events as you can September 21-25, various locations.  More information will follow.

Monday, Sept 21, 9:30 a.m. – 3:00 Craig Hall Lobby–COM Showcase

Explore the options and opportunities with the COM department. Information on internships, degree programs, graduate programs, and student organizations in the lobby of Craig Hall.

Wednesday, Sept 23, 3:00, (location TBA)

“Great careers in communication: Options you never knew existed”

Thursday, Sept 24, 6:00pm, Craig 204

“Writing your way to the top:  How to write competitive scholarship applications and get more money!”

Friday, Sept 25, 11:30-1:30, PSU Ballroom East

Alumni/Student Networking Luncheon. Enjoy lunch, networking, and conversation with alumni.  Luncheon is $10 and includes a free COM Week t-shirt!

3.  BLOGS you could be reading:

From a grad that’s been there and gotten a job: Advice on networking From a grad that’s been there: Top 5 services that UCS has to offer →

http://www.personalbrandingblog.com/colleges-need-to-teach-personal-branding/

• By: Dan Schawbel on August 31st, 2009 at 3:57 am
• In Career Development, Marketing, Personal Branding, Positioning, Social Media, Success Strategies, eBrand | No Comment

Dan Schawbel is the leading personal branding expert for Gen-Y. He is the bestselling author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success (Kaplan, April 09), as well as the publisher of both the award winning Personal Branding Blog and Personal Branding Magazine.

Craig Hall Construction

Can you believe this…no more car drop offs along Grand Ave.