The Public Relations/Advertising Certificate offered through Millard Fillmore College has been discontinued, leaving some undergraduate communication majors wondering whether they will be able to beat the clock and fight the registration stampede to earn their certificate before June 1, 2009.
For students that have not already begun the certificate, its suspension is effective immediately.
According to Larry Gingrich, associate dean of MFC, there were several reasons behind the cancellation of the certificate, which was established over 30 years ago.
Ninety percent or more of the participants are and have been undergraduate students. This presents a problem for Gingrich because MFC is UB's school for non-traditional students. The program was designed to offer classes at convenient times for those who have jobs, family and other responsibilities in addition to school, Gingrich explained.
"I think undergraduates are looking to boost their credentials in addition to their degree. I totally support their intent, but...our market is not undergraduates, it is non-traditional students that come from outside UB and are working," Gingrich said.
In addition, all required courses except one are offered through the Department of Communication, so they are no longer under MFC's jurisdiction. Even the one MFC course can be replaced with a COM course, so a student could complete MFC's certificate program without ever having taken a course in the College. Moreover, MFC's non-traditional students do not have access to the COM courses due to the department's registration restrictions.
"The program has outlived its usefulness," Gingrich said. "It's really a dead certificate for me; I can't meet MFC's mission with it anymore."
According to Gingrich, the decision was not based on the cost to keep the certificate operating; it was simply time for it to retire.
"It's not a matter of cost," Gingrich said. "We've just been hanging on, letting people wrap it up. Now it's time to put it back on the shelf."
Gingrich plans on creating a similar certificate tailored towards the needs of students in MFC's market. He thinks the new program will be up and running in a year. Undergraduates will "absolutely" be welcome to take part in the new certificate program, he said.
The Department of Communication, which has all the classes necessary for a certificate in place already, will not replace the MFC certificate for undergraduates, according to Frank Tutzauer, Ph.D., chair of the Department of Communication.
"It's not really up to us to do that. They (MFC) made the decision to cancel, not us," Tutzauer said.
Currently, the department does not offer any certificates, but communication majors tend to seek credential-boosting certificates in other schools such as the English Department's Journalism Certificate, and MFC's Paralegal Studies or Computer and Networking Certificates, Tutzauer said.
The Public Relations and Advertising fields are popular areas of interest for communication majors, Tutzauer said, but he does not think a certificate is a major factor in graduates' ability to get a job.
Leah Doctor, a sophomore communication major who began pursuing the certificate this semester, agrees that the certificate will not make or break her career if she cannot finish the requirements in time.
"I kind of panicked at first, but really in the end it's just a piece of paper and regardless of if I got the certificate or not, I'd probably be taking the same classes just so I could have that primary focus on PR and advertising," Doctor said. "You could always word it on your resume in a different way to show a stronger focus in that area."
According to Tutzauer, 23 students earned communication degrees with a PR/Advertising Certificate last year.
"That represents less than 10 percent of the department's graduating seniors," Tutzauer said.
With a total of 900 in-progress communication majors and limited faculty available to teach required courses, registration can be trying for any student. Those attempting to finish the certificate have not been given any preference when it comes to registration windows, Doctor said.
Doctor will be studying abroad next spring, making completing the program especially challenging.
"As of now I'm set to register for a sequence of like four courses I need for the certificate for next semester," she said. "God willing I get into all of them with registration being such a pain. There's a very good possibility I won't get into the COM courses I need, in which case I won't get my certificate.
Both Gingrich and Tutzauer believe that it is possible for those who have started and made a plan with their advisor to finish the requirements before the cutoff date, but admit that their classes fill up quickly.
"For students who have begun the certificate, there is a good chance they can get the courses to finish," Tutzauer said.
The two MFC options available to meet one certificate requirement fill up within the first week of registration, but they are available all semesters including summer, Gingrich said.
The new version of the certificate, on the other hand, would consist entirely of MFC courses that will be held at convenient times for non-traditional students.
"It's safe to say that they will all be at night after 6 p.m. and could be on Saturdays or even distance learning courses," Gingrich said.
The courses will also be "practically and professionally focused," according to Gingrich.
"I'm gearing the program to the external market by making it more up-to-date so it will address the kinds of work skills needed in the field," Gingrich said. "My goal is to help these students credential themselves."
Gingrich is currently consulting with owners of local public relations and advertising agencies about possible course topics based on what skills and knowledge are important to employers.
"It ought to make it exciting for UB students because after all, they have to look for a job in the marketplace after graduating, too," he said. "This is evolutionary, but we're going to move on to something better."
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
