PUBLIC RELATIONS STUDENT SOCIETY OF AMERICA (PRSSA), NDSU CHAPTER

Records, 1986 - 2000
2 l.f.

Historical Background:
The Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) Chapter at North Dakota State University was created from the Public Relations Club and chartered in 1988 when the chapter registered with the national headquarters of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). The chapter has strived to encourage professional development of public relations students and anyone interested in communications.

The Public Relations Society (PRSA) was formed in 1948 to broaden the skills of professionals in the field by keeping them up to date on the newest theories, ethical standards and behaviors, and professional attitude. In 1950, the PRSA expressed an interest in forming student counterpart to the main organization. However, true interest in a student branch of the PRSA did not come into being until 1968, when 14 chapters were formed nationwide at colleges and universities. Their mission was to serve members and the community by enhancing their knowledge of public relations through experience and professional development.

The PRSSA chapter at North Dakota State University offers opportunities to develop through innumerable projects and competitions. The chapter was recognized for work in Visual Arts in 1997-98. The North Dakota Professional Communicators awarded the chapter second place in a competition in 1991. The chapter members have also gained considerable experience in producing public relations campaigns through Bateman Case Study competitions by designing campaigns for small business and non-profit agencies. The chapter also gained considerable insight into crisis management.

Scope and Contents:
The first series concentrates on organizational records. It consists of chapter bylaws from 1990 and constitution from 1998 and national bylaws for the PRSSA in1997. Included in this series is the Chapter handbook from 1997, agendas and goals of the organization from a meeting held on September 14, 1989 and again between 1995 and 1998, officer responsibilities from 1997, and membership lists from 1987 to 1997. This series also details space allocation requests dating to 1996 and 1997, budget requests to the Student Finance Organization in 1997 and the Congress of Student Organizations (CSO) in 1998.

Correspondence is the second series and details communications received and sent since the formation of the chapter in 1989 to 1998, with many of the documents written in 1997 and 1998 and detailed upcoming events and speakers, volunteer requests and promotions. It also contains mailings that were sent out to members in the years of 1997 and 1998. There are also several records containing information on various scholarships and competitions that were open to its members in 1997 and 1998.

The third series centers on recruitment, which includes records relating to contacts for recruitment effort, strategies and brochures and materials for recruitment and member retention. Highlights in this grouping include directories for the Midwest District for 1991-92 and 1995-96 Friends of the PRSSA 1994 to 1996 and strategies for recruitment in 1997. This series also has a large collection of resources for recruitment and member retention.

The fourth series is focuses on promotions. In this series, the concentration is on press releases for promotional material for recruitment and student-run firms and professional development between 1997 and 1998.

Publications is the fifth series and is comprised of newsletters from both the NDSU chapter from 1989 to 1990 and from the national organization between 1987 and 1991. There are additional newsletters and publications that are related to public relations between 1991 and 1997. A highlight of this series is an article that appears about the chapter in the North Dakota State University student newspaper, The Spectrum in 1997.

The sixth series deals with events and public presentations that members of the chapter have participated in, whether on the local, regional, or national level. It features the chapter’s participation in the National Assemblies of the PRSSA in 1989 and 1998. In 1991, the chapter featured several speakers in a local event titled Around the Corner, Around the Globe. It also details many events held at the chapter meetings in 1997-1998 with a key highlight focusing the media’s role in crisis management in September 1997.

The seventh series details awards the chapter has received. It also contains a number of award-winning Bateman Case Studies that the chapter has done between 1996 and 2000. This grouping also shows the awards they have received for work they have done both as a service group in 1997 for its Visual Arts work. The chapter has been recognized in competition in 1990 while participating in the Bateman Case Studies and in 1991 while participating in the North Dakota Professional Communicators Communications Competition.

The eighth series consist of two scrapbooks. The first scrapbook seems to be the initial scrapbook created by PRSSA (1986-1987- 1990) and includes photographs and activities. The second scrapbook (1997-2000) contains PRSSA activities, photos, clippings, publicity information, national conferences, and campaigns created by PRSSA.



Processed by Sarah Adams
12/03

BOX 1

1. Finding Aid, PRSSA history

Organizational

2. Chapter Bylaws, 1990
3. National Bylaws, 1997
4. Constitution and Bylaws of the NDSU Public Relations Student Society of America, February 25, 1998
5. Constitution and Bylaws of the NDSU Public Relations Student Society of America, April 8, 1998
6. 1997-98 PRSSA Chapter handbook
7. Chapter update, NDSU PRSSA, Sept. 5, 1995 to present (1996)
8. PRSSA meeting Minutes, September 14, 1989
8a. PRSSA meeting Minutes, September 22, 1992; officer list
9. Goals and Agendas. PRSSA 1995-96- September; Agendas for meetings between September 20 and December 12, 1995 and January 16 and March 20, 1996. Agenda for January 21, 1998 with notes written on one
10. Agenda for April 29, 1997: Planning meeting for 1997-98 between 1996-97 and 1997-98 officers
11. Agenda for August 25, 1997 with notes
12. Agenda for October 14, 1997
13. Agenda for October 21, 1997 including Valley Impressions
14. Officer Transition Meeting: December 7, 1997
15. Agenda for PRSSA and Valley Impressions, January 13, 1998 with notes
16. Agenda for January 21, 1998
17. Agenda for January 28, 1998
18. January updates (1998?) including notes
19. Agenda for February 4, 1998, 2 copies with notes on one
20. Agenda for February 11, 1998 with notes on page
21. Agenda for February 18, 1998 with notes on page
22. Agenda for February 25, 1998
23. Agenda for March 4, 1998 (2 copies, 1 with notes)
24. Agenda for March 11, 1998 - with notes
25. Agendas for March 25. 1998 for PRSSA and Student Firm, Valley Impression (2 copies with notes on one)
26. Agenda for April 1, 1998 with notes written on sheet
27. PRSSA Meeting, April 22, 1998
28. Agenda: April 29, 1998
29. Chapter Election Procedures
30. Space Allocation Requests: 9-26-97 and 1-28-98 and Registration forms
31. 1997 Budget Request to Student Finance Organization
32. Congress of Student Organizations (CSO) meeting notice, April 16, 1998. Agenda and information sheet
33. 1998-99 Space and Budget Requests
34. Department of Communications Highlights, 1997-1998
35. Membership lists and PR major lists includes summer lists also. 1987-88 Public Relations Club Member Lists: 1989 Membership list and it includes Summer 1989 phone list; 1992-1995 PR graduates and 1990-91 Members lists
36. Member phone lists (2 copies) 1-dated 1997, the other undated
37. Goals: 1997-98
38. Award and Event Applications
39. Thundar Bolts flyers
40. Notes written on a napkin referring to officer responsibility and goals and three business cards
41. Notes referring to YMCA of NDSU, Chamber of Commerce, Gallery Festival Series

Correspondence

42. Letter from Blue Key National Honor Fraternity, Corresponding Secretary, Holly Thompson to PRSSA
43. Letter to PRSSA Chapter President from National HQ written by Mike Burgess, VP of Chapter development, dated September 1997
44. Pro-Am Day: Letter from Sarah Peterson to Chapter Presidents dated September 5, 1997
45. October 1997 update from PRSSA National President, John Starkweather to chapter presidents detailing the start of a new semester
46. November 1997 Mailing
47. December 1997 Mailing
48. Letter from Robert Ryan Thibault, Asst. Director for Campus Programs concerning Martin Luther King Holiday, dated December 10, 1997
49. January 1998 Mailing
50. Sidney Gross Memorial Award dated Jan 1998, including application
51. Fax with information on Patricia Smith, a journalist and poet for Woman’s week, dated Jan. 4, 1998
52. NDPC: North Dakota Professional Communicators letter and guidelines for 1997-98 College Communication contest dated January 10, 1998
53. Letter from Volunteer network to PRSSA chapter dated January 26, 1998
54. February 1998 Mailing
55. Letter from Mortar Board, 9 February 1998
56. National Gold Key Award, includes application, dated March 1998
57. Email from Suzanne Williams to Chapter President, Victoria Knudson concerning speaker for the March 11, 1998 meeting, dated Feb. 21, 1998
58. March 1998 Mailing
59. April 1998 Mailing

Recruitment

60. Membership information for PRSA for PR graduates and potential members of PRSSA and Membership Application for PRSA
61. Midwest District Directory (2 copies) one is dated 1991-92
62. Friends of the PRSSA, 1994-95 and 1995-96
63. 1995-96 PRSSA Midwest District Directory, Gail Libel, director
64. 1998-99 National Committee Members
65. Recruitment strategies, September 1997
66. Recruitment and Promotional materials: various newsletters and promotional brochures for recruitment and retention: includes PRSSA Top 10 list: What you will get out of PRSSA; Letter from Chapter President Kelly Wollschlager; Fact Sheet for PRSSA and booklet with pages from 1-12, 16-18, 22-48, 52, 61-66 out of 66 pages
67. Recruitment Flyers: 1 Red one and 1 Golden one and a printed Brochure used for Recruitment
68. PRSSA Recruitment Flyer for Video
69. Dues and Recruitment, 1989-1990

Promotions

69. Press Release for Manual on Student Run Firm, August 1997
70. Order form for advertising in Prairie Portraits. Publication date of March 1998
71. Note on flyer concerning New Firm Business: NDSU Sunsetter Solar Race Team, Home Builders Association, Prairie Portraits

BOX 2

1. Professional Development resources
2. PRSSA: PR related fundraising ideas
3. 50+ Ways to Advertise your Program
4. Gold Letters “PRSSA”

Publications

5. Connections, no date
6. Exchange – Midwest District PRSSA newsletter: October 1989; Feb 1991; September 1987; 1991 District Conference
7. NDSU Chapter Newsletters: PR Press: MSU, spring 1990, Probe, Winter 1989-90, Probe, Spring 1990
8. PRSSA Newsletters: PRSSA newsletter: 1989 PRSSA Forum, Summer 1991; Swap from PRSSA Winter 1991
9. Public Relations Strategist, Spring 1995
10. Writing Concepts: Vol 6, #8, August 1995 (2 copies)
11. Dakota Heartland
12. The Spectrum, NDSU: Tuesday April 28, 1997: PRSSA provides real-world media for students
13. PRSSA Northern Plains News, newsletter September 1997

Events

14. National Conference Program, 1989
15. “Around the Corner, Around the Globe” event May 4, 1991, includes a pin back button, agenda of event, brochure promoting event and remittance envelope; luncheon program; biographical sketches on Lt. Col. Thomas E. Polkinghorne, Tracy Potter, David J. Terkelson, and Fred Roger Newton
16. Midwest Leadership Caucus, 1995
17. Crisis Management: Media Relations during Crisis Coverage, Public Relations Crisis: Basic Rules for a Proactive Stance; The Other Drama at North Lake College: A Crisis Management Strategy, includes a simulation study in Crisis management and What Crisis Plans Fail, Handwritten notes on crisis management
18. Meet the Media: A Communications Presentation
19. Public Relations Communicating in a Crisis: The Spring Flood of 1997, outline
20. Power of Free Media, September 30, 1997
21. PRSSA national Assembly, March 13-15, 1998
22. Flyer for April 15 Annual PRSSA meeting (1998)
23. PRSSA Skills Workshop flyer at the University of Minnesota, April 18, 1998
24. Celebration Banquet Program, May 1, 1998 and Banquet flyer

Awards

1988 Charter Members- Public Relations Student Society of America, NDSU
Chapter (separated to Box 3)
PRSSA Chapter Certificate Plaque, November 11, 1988 (separated to Box 3)
Bateman PRSSA Case Study District Award, 1990 (separated to Box 3)
25. ND Professional Communicators Communications Contest Award, 2nd Place, May 11, 1991
26. Recognition Award for Visual Arts, 1997-1998
27. Bateman Case Study: “Shaping our Community One Child at a Time”; 1997
28. Bateman Case Study: Family Fun, 1998
29. Bateman Case Study: The Village Family Service Center, 1998
30. Bateman Case Study: Kick Butts Day, 1999
31. Bateman Case Study: Solobiz, 2000

BOX 3

Awards/Certificates

BOX 4

Scrapbooks