J-Department Finishes 2020 Strong with One-Third of Fall Grads Already Employed in Field

By Dr. Sara Hansen, Department Chair

Fall 2020 graduate Karli Cox, a public relations major with an advertising minor, starts as marketing coordinator for Snap-on Inc. in Kenosha, Wis., after completing a marketing internship at the firm.

Last December Pantone announced the official colors for 2021 as “Ultimate Gray” and “Illuminating” yellow – representing strength, resilience and nature. The idea is that gray helps us think of strength in nature, like rocks and pebbles, while bright yellow reminds us to feel hope, sunshine and positivity. Certainly, the concept seems fitting given the times of 2020-2021.

The Fall 2020 semester demanded focus and flexibility for our students, faculty and staff as they navigated the challenges of the pandemic. Members of our j-department community, including our alumni who we hear from about work and the home front, appeared to keep up and find creative approaches. It wasn’t perfect, but it will make for good stories someday. We will carry on with a similar approach for spring 2021. A few key highlights:

• The department graduated 26 majors and minors, of which one-third are already employed in the field at media, corporate and agency roles: DealerSocket, JJ Keller, Kenney Home Services, Oshkosh Herald, Ripon Commonwealth, Snap-on Inc., TriMedia and Viral Solutions. According to Internship Coordinator Barb Benish, many of those jobs were internships that transitioned into jobs post-graduation. You can see updates on Instagram and Facebook to honor our grads and see what jobs and places they are off to next. Check out our web page spotlighting and congratulating our 2020 graduates.
• Large classes moved online while those small enough to be in-person were staggered with attendance and hybrid delivery options per the Titans Return Plan. Our faculty received online instructional training in the summer, which helped classes run well in various delivery formats. Despite the constraints, our students found ways to report, shoot videos, take pictures and create real-world client projects for local organizations.
• Our classes and clubs hosted events and speakers from professionals in multimedia journalism, advertising and public relations via videoconference and interactive panels. While we miss being in-person for classes and conversations, our students are gaining new skills about learning and working online.
• We congratulated two of our alumni with awards – Alicia Ly and Patti Purcell – with a virtual congrats this fall and an in-person celebration planned for 2021.
• The department offers a dose of inspiration each day with dozens of uplifting quotes posted in our hallways and invites our community to sign up for a daily inspirational quote from our Academic Department Associate Cindy Schultz.

We are ready for Spring 2021, and will continue to adapt and thrive. My students expressed their biggest takeaways from what worked in the fall as rolling with the changes that come, keeping up with tasks and focusing on communication with peers and professors to help the semester go smoothly. Those takeaways will work for this spring too, and we are excited for the semester ahead no matter what. Our best to everyone for the year ahead!