The Communication Department at JSU

1. The Communication Department at JSU

2. Background of Organization • The Communication department is dedicated to providing a high quality of education. • The curriculum emphasizes on the areas of public relations, broadcast and print journalism. • The communication department works closely with The Chanticleer, TV-24 and 92J • Communication graduates receive rewarding careers such as advertising, print journalism with newspapers and magazines, public relations, radio and television, and web design or site maintenance.

3. Problems • There are 9,000 students enrolled at JSU and only 202 students are communication majors. • There has not been a dramatic increase of students who are communication majors over the past four years. The number usually ranges from 190 to 200 students • Most high school seniors are not familiar with the opportunities and successful careers that the communication department offers. (This is why the number of communication majors are low)

4. Goals • The goal is to increase the number of communication majors by fall of 2008 by 25%. • The process will start in January of 2008 and will end when the fall semester begins in August. • The goal for this process will take eight months by informing and interacting with high school seniors about the success and opportunities that communication students and graduates have. • When the fall semester begins in 2008, there will be a 25% increase in communication majors.

5. Objectives • To increase, within the first four months of the program, the percentage of high school seniors from 5% to at least 90% will be aware of the opportunities and successful careers that the communication department offers.

6. To increase, within the second month of the program, the percentage of high school seniors that attend preview day at JSU on February 16th planning to be a communication major will be 10%

7. To increase, within the third month of the program, the percentage of high school seniors who attend the preview day at JSU on March 8th planning to be a communication major will be 15%

8. To increase, within seven months of the program, the percentage of high school seniors who will enroll at JSU and declare a communication major will be 20%

9. To increase, within the last month of the program, the percentage of high school seniors who will declare a communication major will be 25%

10. After the 25% of communication students have been achieved, it is to maintain that amount and to increase the number of communication students for the following year.

11. Audience • High school seniors • High school counselors

12. Strategies and Tactics • Starting in January when acceptance letters begin going to high school seniors. The seniors will receive a brochure about the communication department.

13. The brochure will include detailed information of the following: • The communication department • What is Public Relations • What is Broadcast • What is Print Journalism • Multiple reasons why the student should become a communication major • List of internship programs • Job opportunities that the student can fulfill graduating with a communication degree

14. Strategies and Tactics • By receiving this brochure , the student will gain knowledge of the communication department at JSU.

15. Strategies and Tactics • In February, preview day for JSU is held on the 16th. There will be a booth set up with information about the communication department. The booth will consist of information about job opportunities and internship programs. The student will also get a brochure about 92-J radio station, TV24 and the Chanticleer.

16. The job opportunities that are going to be posted on the poster will include the following: • Working in news • Advertising agencies • Book publishers • Public Relations firms • Manufacturing firms • Hospitals • Event Coordinator • Community/Educational organizations

17. The internship programs that will be on the poster will include the following • Delta Airlines • Georgia Aquarium • CNN • Birmingham News • FOX 6 • NBC • Children’s Hospital in Birmingham • AL Golf Association

18. Strategies and Tactics • By displaying some of the successful places to work and to do an internship, 10% of students will declare their major as communication, due to the knowledge and the successful opportunities that are involved.

19. Strategies and Tactics • March 8th – second preview day for JSU. By displaying the same information from the recent preview day, 15% will declare their major has communication due to all of the knowledge and successful careers there are to build within being a communication major.

20. Strategies and Tactics • Throughout January-July- high school seniors will be visiting JSU and will be seeing flyers around campus about the communication department. • When visiting the university during freshman orientation, flyers will be placed around campus and in the dorms promoting the communication department.

21. The Flyers will state: Haven’t chosen a major yet? Why not Communication? Want to be an event coordinator or a sports writer, why not be a news broadcaster for the news? Being a communication major is a lot of FUN. Internship programs include working for FOX6, CNN, Georgia Aquarium, Southern Living and AL Gold Association and MANY MORE! Come check us out at Self Hall!

22. Strategies and Tactics • By attending the two preview days and seeing the flyers around campus 20% of high school seniors will declare their major as communication, due to what they can achieve as a communication major/graduate.

23. Strategies and Tactics • August is when school starts back for the fall. Therefore, every student has to get a mailbox at the TMB. With flyers hanging around campus and posters from the two preview days hung up in the TMB this should influence the incoming freshmen to become communication majors.

24. The flyer that the students will receive will state : What is Communication? FUN, EXCITING, DIFFERENT, AND FULL OF OPPORTUNITIES!Job opportunities such as a college recruiter or an event planner, a sports writer or a broadcaster on the news. Communication offers internships that get your FOOT in the door; Birmingham News, Air Tran Airways, The Anniston Star, NBC and HONDA. The Communication department can GUARANTEE YOU a successful career!

25. Strategies and Tactics • By receiving this flyer in the mail and seeing all of the other flyers around campus. 25% of incoming freshman will declare their major communication.

26. Budget • Paper for brochures = $800 • Poster board = $30 • Balloons = $10 • Paper for flyers = $800 • Easels to set poster board on =$50 • Utensils = $15 • Ink = $400 • Table = $20 • The total budget equals $2,125

27. Evaluation • Planning to assess the Public Relations activities will be done by monitoring the attendance of the preview days. • Making sure that the percentage of high school seniors declaring their major as communication increases through out the eight months of the process. • Making sure that the flyers and posters are posted up around campus • Making sure that the target audience gets the message • By evaluating all of these principles the goal of increasing the number of communication students will go up 25% by the fall semester of 2008.