In the midst of rapid changes taking place in the practice of public relations, the New York University School of Continuing and Professional Studies and the Public Relations Society of America have formed a groundbreaking partnership that will enable cooperation on a number of strategic initiatives important to the profession. NYU-SCPS is the first educational institution to partner with PRSA in this way.
“Our Master of Science in Public Relations and Corporate Communication program attracts some of the industry’s leading practitioners as both students and faculty, which makes this partnership a natural fit,” says John Doorley, academic program director and clinical assistant professor for the NYU-SCPS graduate program in public relations and corporate communication. “We’re very pleased to be working with PRSA to advance the public relations field as both a profession and a social science.”
One joint initiative planned as part of the partnership will involve the propagation of a comprehensive set of standards to measure the results of public relations campaigns. The issue of evaluation has been an ongoing topic of research, discussion, and debate in public relations circles for years, and the advent of digital and social media are making the challenge more complex.
Standardized and universally accepted protocols and metrics for measuring campaign results, however, are critical factors in advancing the profession, and there is evidence that momentum toward this goal is building. In June, PRSA was one of several signatories to the “Barcelona Principles,” a comprehensive set of global standards for measuring the effectiveness of public relations.
Also, last year PRSA embarked on an effort to identify standard approaches for measuring the impact of public relations as part of its industry advocacy campaign, “The Business Case for Public RelationsTM.” That effort culminated in the release of a broad set of recommended measurement standards for a variety of public relations tactics and outcomes.
PRSA Chair and CEO Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA, sees PRSA’s partnership with NYU-SCPS, which is home to one of the most comprehensive public relations and investor relations programs available, as building on these recommendations.
“Over the years, PRSA has developed a wonderful relationship with NYU-SCPS based on mutual respect and a shared belief in the benefits of advanced education,” says McCormick. “This partnership will deepen our areas of cooperation by providing opportunities to cooperate not only on campaign measurement, but on crisis communications, career development and other relevant topics, as well as to augment PRSA resources, including our Jobcenter, periodicals and professional development opportunities.”
NYU-SCPS and PRSA also will collaborate on strategic initiatives in the areas of digital and social media, where both parties are among the leaders in training and education for public relations professionals. In addition, NYU-SCPS and PRSA will work together to enhance each other’s numerous course offerings, as well as look for new ways to help people enter the field and grow professionally by, for example, increasing their business knowledge.
