Anderson Receives PRSSA Charter

By Rachel Tabor

Anderson University recently received a charter from the Public Relations Student Society of America, making it the fourth university in the state to have a chapter of the pre-professional organization.

AU joins the University of South Carolina, Clemson University and Claflin University as the only universities with chapters.

“Being affiliated with PRSSA (Public Relations Student Society of America) is very beneficial for Anderson University,” said chapter President Micka Cox. “It provides a space for AU students to gather and give back to the community, gives students scholarship opportunities, and links AU to PRSA (Public Relations Society of America), the nation’s largest public relations organization.”

Although this group is most helpful for students pursuing public relations and other communicationrelated fields, such as marketing, any AU student can join and benefit from the opportunities PRSSA provides, according to Assistant Professor of Communication Robert Reeves, the faculty adviser.

“Students have a chance to interact in an organization where they are the driving force and they get to pursue their interests with other students who are interested in the same professions,” Reeves said.

Cox said PRSSA is off to a running start. The AU chapter has already hosted the president of its sponsoring professional chapter at a chartering celebration and brought a communication professional from BMW’s plant in Spartanburg to campus to speak on corporate communication. Additionally, the students have engaged in a service project to assist the Anderson County Alternative School.

Reeves said there are special benefits to being part of a national student organization as well.

“Students get to participate in virtual job fairs hosted by PRSSA national and there’s an internship board online that puts them in touch with national internships and in line for jobs when they graduate,” Reeves said.

Bailey Westbrook shows off the certificate commemorating her charter membership in AU’s new chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America. Anderson is one of only four universities in South Carolina with chapters.

Photo by Noah Whitehead

PRSSA President Micka Cox, left, accepts the chapter’s official charter from Kim Keelor-Parker, the president of the South Carolina chapter of the Public Relations Society of America. The state PRSA chapter is the sponsoring professional chapter for Anderson University. It provides professional advisers and other support for the AU chapter.

Photo by Noah Whitehead