Public Relations Student Society of America is revamping its Falcon Communications program where it helps on and off campus organizations with their marketing, branding, event planning and social media.

Instead of one client per semester, PRSSA will be working on multiple projects with more than one organization.

Falcon Communications chair Ali Pearson says the change to the program will be beneficial to PRSSA members because it reflects what it is like to do agency work in a realistic setting.

“This new system will be more efficient in helping clients. In the future, we’ll be taking on more than one client, so members can get an idea of what it will be like to work at a real agency,” Pearson said. “With the old way Falcon Communications operated, clients had to take the steps to implement the public relations plan themselves. Now, members will be doing all the implementation, so that takes off the pressure from the clients having to do it.”

Pearson goes on to explain the benefits of Falcon Communications as the program moves away from a “student club” environment to one where it focuses more specifically on client needs and deadlines and utilizes a professionally-focused, student learning platform.

“With Falcon Communications, we would create a public relations and marketing plan for our client, and the members of Falcon Communications would work on creating this plan throughout the semester,” Pearson said. “With the new Falcon Communications, the members will be a part of the process of actually implementing the work, so that they can get a more hands-on experience.”

Fellow on-campus organization BG Falcon Media will be the first client under the new way Falcon Communications operates. The way the program will operate for  BG Falcon Media will be an evolving process that will change as the semester goes on to become efficient and beneficial for the group.

“PRSSA is a well-functioning group that has a lot of value to add to the overall and evolving needs of BG Falcon Media,” director of student media Bob Bortel said. “With the infusion of the group and their talents and the leadership and coordination of efforts by Ali Pearson, we will not only add more quality learning opportunities for the students, but also meet some much-needed promotions and brand development for Falcon Media.”

Bortel has a positive outlook on the effects this change in the Falcon Communications program will have for students and the University alike.

“It’s going to provide more student learning opportunities, it will spur greater student skill growth through greater expectations and professional interactions and it will raise the visibility of student activities to help with student recruitment to the University.”

As of right now, a student must be a member of PRSSA in order to be a member of Falcon Communications, but PRSSA is open to all students of any major who are interested in joining.