By: Sofia Randazzo
For the next upcoming school year, PRSSA e-board has collectively decided CMU PRSSA needs a few tweaks within the chapter. As a chapter, PRSSA wants to make it a more welcoming environment for new members with more personal meetings to get to know everyone as a whole.
The Meeting Room
Currently, our meeting room is in a big lecture hall with all seats facing the front of the room. To make things more personal, e-board has decided to have meetings in a smaller classroom with tables and/or desks so all members can be closer to one another.
For committee meetings, the usual routine is to split up our three committees into different rooms to talk about their specific assignments. E-board has decided that splitting up the committees makes members feel as if they have to choose one committee and stick to it, even if they have multiple interests. For next school year, committee’s will stick together in one room and everyone gets to collaborate together so all members feel like they have a say for each.
In our current lecture hall, e-board sits in the front row seats all together, while members scatter around in the back. In order to make members feel more included and welcomed, e-board will sit in different spots around the classroom so members do not feel as excluded.
General Members
Starting next year, PRSSA will present a survey for members to take asking what they want to see from PRSSA so e-board can base their meetings off what the members want.
In the beginning of each semester, we will have a more detailed breakdown of PRSSA to freshmen and new members so they aren’t lost or confused on what the chapter is and what the chapter does.
Some members choose not to come to meetings because they think PRSSA dues are mandatory to be a general member. Next year, PRSSA is to emphasize more that if a member only attends general meetings, no dues are required to be paid; dues are paid only if the member also attends committee meetings.
General Meetings
PRSSA wants to become more personal with their members. In order to make this happen, PRSSA will have less guest speakers, more icebreakers to get the conversation flowing, more workshops and interactive activities. By doing this, members can get to know other members a bit more and feel comfortable during meetings.
There are a few general meetings that members have enjoyed. Next year, PRSSA plans to hold more branding kit nights, pitch-off nights and DEI nights, as those have been the most popular. There will also be the newannual #FireUpIPR Competition. This is a campaign competition that PRSSA hopes to hold once a year, with the very first one slated to take place at the final meeting of this year, April 26! This will be held as an interactive general meeting, with a real-world client to serve as a guest judge for the night. Members can work in teams or individually to compete for prizes and build the most creative campaign!