Special Projects > Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) Projects

The EMU Interdisciplinary Program in Public Relations blends theory and practice through special projects that take a “client-centered” or academic service-learning (AS-L) approach. This approach requires a strong link between community and the classroom. All of our major courses require students to work with either a fictitious or real-life organization to produce a series of portfolio pieces that address clients’ public relations needs. AS-L projects connect students specifically with nonprofit or community-based organizations. These projects help students to apply course concepts in unique ways while increasing their civic awareness and ability to engage in community. Students identify clients’ needs, develop a client proposal and implement all or parts of the proposal within a 15-week semester. Students have undertaken projects that involve organizing special events and producing all of the materials that promote the event, including news releases, fact sheets, pitch letters, backgrounders, media kits, brochures, public service announcements, videos and direct mail pieces.

Public relations faculty members have participated in EMU’s Academic Service-Learning Faculty Fellows program (www.asl.emich.edu) and have incorporated AS-L into their upper-level courses. Some academic service-learning projects have resulted in faculty-student panel presentations at academic conferences. In February 2006, public relation students Brian Titus and Carly Ferch presented the outcomes of their AS-L projects at the 10th Annual Institute on Service-Learning Conference, “The Places We Live: Student Engagement in Diverse Communities,” February 17, 2006, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI.

To learn more about academic service-learning and how professionals and students can work together on AS-L projects, click here to read Professor Lolita Cummings Hendrix's excellent resource published in a 2003 issue of Public Relations Tactics, a national award-winning publication of the Public Relations Society of America.

City of Ypsilanti's Intergenerational Project: Carly Ferch received the first annual Academic Service-Learning Student of the Year Award, April 2006, for her work with the City of Ypsilanti's Intergenerational Project. Carly’s work began as an AS-L project in a class and extended into an internship with the Ypsilanti Intergenerational Project. Carly was successful in generating publicity and creating much-needed marketing materials for the project. She also oversaw the production of a booklet of youth and senior citizen intergenerational activities, including students’ writings from the Write-Link Community Connections program. Carly’s efforts resulted in increased awareness of and financial support for the Intergenerational Project Read Carly Ferch's essay (.doc) about the experience.

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