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Teaching PR? Five Tips from St. Louis Profs

By: Christi Dixon | 09/17/2010

On Wednesday I attended a panel discussion facilitated by Barb DeSanto, APR, Fellow PRSA, Ph.D., director of Maryville University’s Communication Program. Organized by PRSA St. Louis, the panel gave us the opportunity to hear from former executives who have made teaching PR a career: Gary Ford, associate professor at Webster University; Deb Finkel, adjunct instructor with Saint Louis University, Webster University and Maryville University; and Ron Gossen, APR, University of Missouri-St. Louis chief marketing officer.

While they agreed that teaching future communicators isn't for everyone, they gave some sound advice for professionals who are considering a dual track:

1. Educate yourself first. The majority of institutions require that instructors possess a Master's Degree or higher. An APR also helps. Professors need to stay ahead of their students, so invest in professional development and be informed on the latest developments in the field.

2. Be prepared to engage, entertain and fill time. Teaching requires a significant amount of time and planning. How will you fill a 4-hour block of time? What material will you use? How will the students interact and be measured?

3. Shadowing or helping in a classroom can help you get your feet wet. While the degree requirement applies to adjunct and full-time professors, many faculty welcome guest speakers and team-teachers. If you have a passion for a topic, find a professor and pitch your idea!

4. Keep your day job. It's often more valuable for a college or university to use instructors who are still in the field. In fact, it's a selling point for the institution.

5. Recognize that the pay is also in the experience. Although teaching doesn't command the highest pay, our panel overwhelmingly agreed that professors are enriched by the time they spend in the classroom.

I'd also give the advice to interact with students via other venues, such as PRSA. Doing so offers an opportunity to not only teach, but to also learn from a new generation of communicators.

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