In 2013, my group and I developed a fully implementable plan for the Drake University's School of Journalism and Mass Communication new major, Strategic Political Communication. The plan entices a situation analysis, a full S.W,O.T. analysis, as well as objectives, strategies and tactics. I was responsible for the overall design layout for the plan, some copy writing, and the creative info-graphic found on page 22.

1. StrategicPolitical
Communications
Public Relations Management Plan
GSD,LLC.
Magdelena Rufe
Ricardo Martinez
Madison Dockter
Ezekiel Okeleye
Kelly Tafoya

2. TableofContents
Introduction & Situation Analysis
SWOT Analysis
Target Publics
Key Messages
Objectives, Strategies & Tactics
Evaluation
Budget
Timeline
Appendix - Example Tactics
3
4
10
12
13
15
16
17
18
2

3. Introduction&SituationAnalysis
As the Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC)
develops its new Strategic Political Communication major, it is important to
know the competition students of this major will be presented with when they
are choosing which college to attend. By taking an environmental scan of the
area, the SJMC can make sure to place its resources into the appropriate places in
order to maximize enrollment within the new major.
Drake University’s direct competitors are schools in the same geographical area
that have similar missions and values, and that consist of similar campus sizes
and academic programs. In the Midwest, that list might consist of Creighton
University, Loyola University, Northwestern University, or Bradley University.
Right now, no schools that Drake University considers to be direct competitors
offer a political communications major. In fact, few schools in the country offer
this major, with the closest proximally to Drake being the University of Northern
Iowa and Missouri State University.
Public Relations is one of the fastest growing jobs in the journalism industry,
with an expected 12% increase in job growth in PR (predicted between 2012 and
2022) according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, adding a niche on top of
that is a rising idea in order for students to further expand their education (being
able to double major in something different rather than having to separately
major in PR and Politics).
3

4. SWOTAnalysis
The Strategic Political Communication Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities
and Threats (SWOT analysis) were identified by the Public Relations and
Research students at Drake University during a discussion in October 2014.
Background information on the organization’s strengths and weaknesses in
relation to opportunities and threats it faces can be useful in considering
strategic issues.
The goals of the Strategic Political Communication Program of providing
students with the skills to communicate effectively within and through a
complex media environment and enabling them to lay the groundwork for
continuing their education in Public Administration, Business or Law are
central to the business strategy. The SWOT Analysis will be used to develop
strategic questions; these questions and others posed by prospective students
and parents/guardians will help define strategic dimensions important for the
success of the Strategic Communication Program in the next couple of years.
Strengths
The Strategic Political Communication Program has many resources and
advantages for being a program incorporated to Drake University; these assets
will allow effective implementations of our objectives, strategies and tactics and
will result in the process of attracting prospective students.
Internal
Drake University’s SJMC program has an extensive alumni network, support from
the University and the Board of Directors. Drake also has a growing reputation
for its journalism and specifically PR programs which increases the effectiveness
of our proposed objectives strategies and tactics.
Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication is a well-
known and well-respected institution in the field of communications. The
SJMC has been continually accredited, and the SJMC Public Relations program
just earned its CEPR accreditation last semester. Since the SPC major is a
combination of politics and public relations courses, it will be clear to incoming
SJMC students and their families that the public relations courses and faculty are
4

5. strong, and are effectively preparing their students for post-graduate life.
Drake University SJMC has a collaborative and supportive staff that works
cohesively to make their students successful upon graduation. This internal
strength is very persuasive upon potential students’ visit to campus as professors
put a face to the university and program they wish to pursue. Having a staff that
can attest to the greatness of all SJMC majors allows for all areas to be supported
and maintain success. The SJMC also has a very high internship rate among its
students, and there are a number of professional societies that students can join
to start networking even while as an undergraduate. All SJMC majors benefit
from the structure of the SJMC and the talent and knowledge of its professors.
Drake is very well positioned to provide exposure to political communication
in action. The faculty and professors working for Drake have very valuable
credentials; they are also passionate about what they do and care about the
success of their students. The student-professor ratio is 12:1 for undergraduate
students, making the class environment more personable and also being able to
offer students a unique treatment that wouldn’t be possible for a larger school.
According to data collected by Drake University for the years 2012-2013, nearly
all Drake graduates (97.6 percent) found career employment or entered into a
graduate program within six months of graduation. Nearly 80 percent of Drake
students graduate have had one or more internship, practical or field experience.
This major features a community-partner senior capstone experience, which will
encompass work for a political candidate or a specific cause, thus making this
program very active and hands-on.
External
Students who complete this major will graduate with a degree from Drake
University. Drake is currently ranked third by U.S. News and World Reports for
Regional Universities of the Midwest and has also been recognized as a “Best
Value School.” Drake University is located in Des Moines, Iowa which has made
several positive lists in the last year such as “Best Place for Young Professionals”,
“Wealthiest City in America” and so on. The PR Program in SJMC was also CEPR
certified, adding more credibility to the curriculum and hard work of the PR staff
and students.
The alumni network of Drake University SJMC can attest to the credibility of
5

6. the PR program specifically at Drake. The saying of being a “Drake Family” rings
true and graduates commonly cite Drake being the best starting point from
them, again attesting to quality of curriculum and staffing at Drake. Having this
external strength will really help create the effectiveness of future potential
objectives, strategies and tactics because students could be seen as “employees”
of the university and are pleased with the “product” aka degree they received.
Weaknesses
There are factors limiting the Strategic Political Communication’s full potential.
However, rather than seeing these limitations as permanent obstacles harming
the success of the programs, we view them as situations that we must be aware
of and find the ways to overcome them.
Internal
Though very strong skills-wise, the current public relations faculty in the SJMC
only consists of two people, meaning that there will be no specialized faculty to
focus solely on the new SPC major. Students will also be experiencing a major
within two different schools, with half of their courses falling under Arts &
Sciences, and half falling under the SJMC. These two colleges on Drake’s campus
operate differently in terms of structure; so bridging the gap may prove to be a
weakness of the program of which the staff and students should be aware.
Drake University SJMC does not have the resources available to them in
comparison to other journalism programs, especially state schools. Drake cannot
afford a multi-million complex that houses the latest and greatest resources for
its students; it’s not big enough nor does it have those kinds of funds for such a
thing to exist that bigger state schools have access to, making them seem more
appealing on the surface to potential students.
Additionally, the majority of students on Drake’s campus see journalism as one
of the “easier” majors, making it not appeal as much to hard working students
in addition to potentially attracting students who want the major solely because
they heard it’s “easy”. The PR program has a growing reputation on campus for
being the sole challenging major within the SJMC program at Drake.
With this major being so new, many students are not aware that it is offered by
Drake University. It is the goal of our plan to greatly decrease this issue.
6

7. External
To become a student at Drake comes with a hefty tuition price. Potential
students and parents may become turned off due to financial reasons that they
don’t look further at what makes that price tag worthwhile.
An additional weakness is the overall reputation of journalism to the masses,
most see it as a low-paying job with a highly competitive job market, again
making it less appealing to parents to have their children attend Drake, an
expensive school. This reputation of journalism being a hard job market to enter
could limit the effectiveness of plan in appealing more students for the Strategic
Political Communication major.
There is not necessarily a high demand for the program among high school
students, and unless they know about the kinds of careers they can pursue with
this degree, they might not initially sign up within the major. The program
is somewhat specialized, and many students enter college with a general
degree (science, journalism) and then specialize after a semester or two. It
may be difficult to recruit students directly into the major because of its niche
characteristics.
Opportunities
The Strategic Political Communication program offers students the chance to
become effective communicators in the political arena and the characteristics of
this new program set it apart from any competitors.
Internal
The Strategic Political Communication Program offers students the opportunity
of doing a double major or a dual degree depending on their interests and
aspirations. Drake offers a friendly campus environment in which students are
encouraged to get involved with extra curricular activities and internships. Drake
also has its own full-time internship coordinator that is here to help students
find the right job.
With the recent CEPR certification in the PR program, SJMC has a rising
reputation that will hopefully continue to grow and attract more potential
students. By focusing on the integrity, creativity and resume-building
components of the curriculum, Drake can stand out to potential students
regardless of other’s school’s strengths.
7

8. External
Drake has a major advantage to attract students with this program because none
of Drake’s peer institutions have a political communications program making
Drake look as a pioneer institution that is up-to-date about the needs of its
students and the labor force. The only institutions that offer a strong Political
Communications program are:
· The University of Northern Iowa (Cedar Falls, IA)
· American University (Washington, D.C.)
· George Washington University (Washington, D.C.)
· Emerson College (Boston, Mass.)
· Nebraska Wesleyan (Lincoln, Neb.)
· Cedarville University (Ohio)
The political climate and relevance of the Des Moines area is only continuing
to grow, especially in the next few years with an open presidential election
occurring in 2016. With the debates, caucuses, etc. Iowa is a hotbed for
politics and Drake specifically nurtures this well and allows students to take
full advantage of this. Iowa is also consistently bipartisan, and so high school
students who excel and are interested in civics courses will find a unique
environment in the SPC program as long as its merits are effectively advertised.
Strategic Political Communications majors will have a number of chances to see
first-hand campaign and caucus processes, and meet influential political actors
from across the country.
Threats
Because this program is the newest major offered at Drake and it competes
to gain the attention to prospective students, the Strategic Political
Communication program faces some issues that may be harmful for the success
of the program.
Internal
There are three Public Relations faculty currently available to start the
program. This is an adequate number to start the program considering that
there is a projected enrollment of 11 students. However, when the program
reaches 20 students per year, it will be difficult to maintain efficiency at current
faculty levels. Also, SJMC, politics, and rhetoric courses will begin to require
additional sections (Particularly writing courses which, per SJMC accreditation
requirements, must be capped at 18 students).
8

9. The SPC major is arguably a more niche program than either the public relations
or politics programs at Drake, and students may feel disinclined to commit to
four years of a specialty program, especially if they are not sure of what they
want to do for work after they graduate. The public relations program is going
to continue to recruit far more students than the SPC, and if the interest is not
there for politics, students will not want to transfer over to the SPC major.
There are also a number of other strong programs in the Arts & Sciences College,
including Law, Politics, and Society, and the International Relations programs.
These established majors may overshadow the emerging SPC major and leave it
without room to grow and thrive in the SJMC.
External
Other colleges within Iowa could begin to offer a major similar to Drake
SJMC’s new one if they see the success it has had at Drake due to the political
opportunities available to students. This could potentially halt the success of
a new major at Drake. As other programs continue to emerge and develop, the
SPC program at Drake will have to constantly reaffirm its relevance and in the
political and social arenas, otherwise it will fail to recruit students and the major
will dissolve.
Summary
Overall, the Strategic Political Communication Program is a promising major.
It allows students to expand their options and discover their interests and also,
the SPC major in the SJMC at Drake University is in a good political climate
and has the resources it needs to succeed. However, the SPC program also has a
few obstacles to overcome before it becomes a successful and stable program;
fortunately, now that these hurdles have been identified, we will consider their
implications and possible solutions as we develop a comprehensive plan.
9

10. TargetPublics
Drake University admissions can target a number of audiences to recruit new
students for the strategic political communications major. The students we are
looking for have interest in both the communications field and politics, so we
need to target where we they are present:
Primary Publics
High school sophomores and juniors
High school sophomores and juniors who are at the beginning or
middle of their college search process are the main target for a new major.
Drake University can utilize the names of students who preference interests in
communications, politics, or undecided on their standardized tests. The SPC
staff can also target students who were involved with debate, mock UN, Young
Democrats or Republicans, student council, or their student newspaper. Out of
180,000 names, Drake will make return contact with 10,000-20,000. The SJMC
can then use their new promotional materials to entice those students interested
in their college to explore the strategic political communications major.
Parents of high school students
Drake University Admissions operates significantly under the influence
of the “mom” factor. Though parents may not be especially keen to involve
their students in communications degrees, the unique political environment
of Iowa, coupled with the recent accreditation of the public relations program,
can be utilized to make parents want their child to go to Drake and choose the
new major. Tactics that are target to parents must be thorough and encouraging
so that they feel comfortable and excited about the prospect of their child
attending Drake.
High schools
High school career and/or counseling offices are a font of information
for students in the college search process. Sending promotional materials to
these schools, especially schools with a strong civic engagement or politically-
based curriculum, will help influence students to consider Drake, especially
those that were not previously aware of the existence of a strategic political
communications major.
10

11. Secondary Publics
Current Drake students
Though we are more interested in recruiting new students to Drake’s
campus, we can secondarily improve the strength of the SPC program by inviting
communications and/or politics majors to switch to the SPC program. Students
who are currently double-majoring in politics and PR should be encouraged
to declare SPC as their primary major. This will allow them to add a secondary
major or other field of study if they choose.
Current students at other colleges
Because of the niched nature of the SPC program, students with an
interest in communications and politics, who are currently attending other
institutions of higher learning, may be convinced to transfer to a school with a
strong political communications program. Tactics aimed toward this population
should focus on raising awareness, and present Drake and the SPC program as an
accessible option for continuing their studies. (Kelly’s statistic about number of
transfer students – 10%)
Drake faculty and staff
Current Drake faculty and staff should be made aware of the new SPC
program so that they are able to properly advise any students they have who
may be interested in pursuing the field of political communications after they
graduate.
11

12. KeyMessages
1. Drake University maintains its status as one of the top communication schools
in the nation, supported by an exemplary Public Relations program.
- Drake University’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication
is among 117 accredited programs worldwide. In order to receive
accreditation, schools must meet nine standards that address issues in the
classroom and among faculty and staff. The SJMC has been continuously
accredited, most recently in 2011.
- The Public Relations program earned its Certification of Education in
Public Relations in 2014, one of only 34 programs in the world to receive
this designation.
2. Public Relations students in the School of Journalism and Mass
Communication at Drake University experience a variety of unique professional
opportunities - and are rewarded often for their efforts.
- Drake University’s chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of
America earned the 2014 regional conference bid, Star Chapter of the year,
nominations for top PR student of the year, and the largest PRSSA chapter
in the region.
- Students of the Public Relations program earned a number of awards in
2014 for their efforts during the senior capstone project.
3. For the politically-minded student, Drake University and the surrounding
Des Moines area offer an unmatched political environment with a multitude of
internship and networking opportunities.
- More than 80% of Drake students graduate with at least one internship
experience, many of which include experience at news organizations and
publications, the Iowa state capitol, and with congressional candidates.
- Des Moines was voted the Best Place for Young Professionals in 2014
(Forbes), and is home to four political public relations firms that represent
both major political parties.
- Iowa’s designation as the first caucus state in presidential elections
brings many candidates to Des Moines and the campus, including the
Republican candidate debate in 2012.
12

13. Objectives,Strategies,&Tactics
Objective 1
Increase enrollment in the major by 5 new students that would be first years by
the fall of 2015 as measured by major declaration numbers.
Strategy: Present the SPC major at high school college fairs, targeting
those with strong civic/political engagement curriculums.
Tactic: Present at a Drake booth with a Wheel of Fun - students will
have the chance to spin the wheel and win a prize featuring the SPC
logo. Prizes include: lanyards, pens, magnets, water bottles, luggage
tags, stuffed bulldogs, laptop stickers, tumblers, and t-shirts.
Strategy: Contact the faculty/staff of relevant high school clubs/
organizations with information about the SPC major.
Tactic: Advertise the SPC major in high school newspapers
Tactic: Provide disposable water bottles with SPC logo at events,
such as debate or Model UN tournaments.
Tactic: Provide pens,lanyards, and/or luggage tags with SPC logo at
events such as debate or Model UN tournaments.
Strategy: Connect with potential SPC majors via various social media
platforms.
Tactic: Post information about the SPC major in the "Class of 2019"
Facebook group.
Tactic: Create a hashtag dialogue on Twitter using the SJMC
Twitter handle. Ask questions of incoming students, using the
hashtag #SJMCasks. Participants can receive coupons to Drake area
restaurants.
Strategy: Provide information on the new SPC major to SJMC alumni, in
order to reach their family, friends, and other connections.
Tactic: Include information in the semesterly alumni publication,
Blue Magazine.
Tactic: Create a “House of Cards” parody ad/flyer for distribution at
alumni events, especially Relays.
Tactic: Connect with phone-a-thon students who contact alumni
with new Drake information; provide them with facts about the new
major.
13

14. Objective 2
Increase awareness of the SPC major among high school counselors (working in
Drake’s top 5 states of enrollment) by 20% by fall of 2015, as measured by pre-
and post-initiative mail surveys.
Strategy: Send materials to high school counseling offices.
Tactic: Create pamphlets for counselors to keep in their office.
Tactic: Create an email with SPC information to send out to high
school counselors.
Objective 3
Increase awareness of the SPC major among current Drake students, faculty, and
staff by 50% by the fall of 2015, as measured by pre- and post-initiative online
surveys.
Strategy: Advertise SPC information in campus publications.
Tactic: Place Op-Eds/stories in The Times-Delphic, The Annual, etc.
Tactic: Create a “House of Cards” parody ad/flyer for distribution in
student spaces.
Tactic: Host a booth/create a poster in the Meredith breezeway
during SJMC Days.
Strategy: Reach out to SJMC professors and classes in other departments.
Tactic: Visit classrooms and provide information sheets during
informational sessions.
Tactic: Create an email with SPC information to send to SJMC faculty.
14

15. Evaluation
Objective 1:
Totaling the number of students who have enrolled in the major based upon
major declaration numbers according to the office of admissions will be the
measurement tool utilized to see if we reached the objective goal.
Objective 2:
Sending pre-initiative mail surveys at least two months before high school
counselors receive any promotional and/or informational items about the
strategic political communication major will help gauge awareness prior to
anything being sent out. Two months after receiving promotional and/or
informational items from the admissions office (pamphlets and email blasts as
indicated in the tactics section), post-initiative mail surveys will be sent out to
gauge if the objective goal was reached.
Objective 3:
Using surveymonkey.com, an online survey will be sent to Drake students
asking them questions that gauge their awareness of the strategic political
communication major within the journalism school. If we receive 384
responses we can be confident in the responses representing Drake’s campus of
approximately 1,600 undergraduates with a 95% confidence interval.
15

16. Budget
Gift Items - $5,273
200 sheet custom notepads - $2.06 each via CustomInk - $412
100 custom tumblers - $5.28 each via CustomInk - $528
120 custom t-shirts - $6.58 each via CustomInk - $790
400 custom stickers - $.95 each via CustomInk - $380
150 custom water bottles - $2.33 each via CustomInk - $350
75 custom luggage tags - $7.95 each via Shutterfly - $597
500 pens - $1.11 each via CustomInk - $555
150 magnets - $3.91 each via CustomInk - $587
300 lanyards - $1.25 each via 4imprint - $375
100 Stuffed Mascots (6”) - $6.99 each via university bookstore.com - $699​
Advertising Print/Placement - $1,000
House of Cards” ad/poster - 500 copies
Student newspaper fees
Accessories
5 Dry erase prize wheels - $159 each via spinningdesigns.com - $795
Free Advertising Outlets
Social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.)
DrakeBlue Magazine
Op-Ed in Times-Delphic
Total: $7,068
16

17. Timeline
December 15th - Aquire all items that are on the budget list (gifts, dry erase
wheel, stuffed mascot, etc.)
December 20th - Contact relevant high schools about when they hold their col-
lege fairs, and seek advertising opportunities in their school newspapers
January 25th - Connect with SJMC Alumni and provide facts about new major
(student phone-a-thon)
January 28th - Send pamphlets and emails to high counselors about the SPC ma-
jor (start with Drake’s top 5 states of enrollment)
February 15th - Begin SPC awareness campaign on campus (post surveys,
Times-Delphic news spot, House of Cards ad on campus and info graphic)
March & April - Hold sit-ins for high school students & send direct mails to
them
May 25th – Create Class of 2019 Facebook page
17

18. AppendixA-ExampleTactics
Strategic Political Communication Giveaways
18

19. Newspaper Editorial
19
SPC: for the Frank Underwood in us all
A question for those few but proud political junkies: do you wish you could
have C.J. Chegg’s job? Do visions of Olivia Pope appear in your dreams? Do you
wish that Aaron Sorkin would write the screenplay for your life? If you answered
yes to any of these questions, I have a way to make your dreams come true.
Introducing at Drake University: the Strategic Political Communication
(SPC) major. For students who have strong civic engagement skills and an
interest in communications, we can turn you into the next great campaign
manager, news media reporter, or the CEO of a non-profit in just four years. All it
takes is hard work and dedication on your part.
Led by a CEPR-certified faculty and staff, the SPC program is one-of-a-
kind, with but a few other schools in the nation offering a similar curriculum. Its
condensed dual-major nature, consisting of public relations and politics in one,
allows students to make room for other degrees they may want to pursue. Not to
mention, getting the best of both worlds in two distinct colleges.
Not sold on the idea of being a professional political junkie quite yet? Did
we mention that Des Moines practically hands internships to college students in
the field of politics? There are a number of public relations firms, campaigns, and
city and state government offices to work at while you attend Drake University.
The alumni and professional network is but a handshake away, and can lead you
to places you have never anticipated going. Namely, straight to the top.
By this point, I know it must be difficult to resist such a great offer: a
brand new program at a leading university, complete with nationally-recognized
faculty and network connections that will make your head spin. But just in case
you still want that cherry on top of your sundae, I will let you in on a secret:
the college experience is so much more than your academics. Ask one of the
presidents of our 160+ organizations (including the Drake Political Review and
the Public Relations Student Society of America). Or, you can write a letter to the
editor of one of our several campus publications. There is so much in store for
an SPC major at Drake University that goes beyond the classroom that, trust me,
you won’t even want to leave after four years.
Speaking on behalf of the SPC major, we are happy to wine and dine you –
a student-led tour on our beautiful campus, lunch with SJMC faculty, and a cute
stuffed bulldog wearing an SPC t-shirt to take home to your kid sister – but we
know that the true Strategic Political Communication majors out there will be
naturally drawn to us like moths to a lamp. Except, of course, with a far happier
ending in store for the moth.

20. Social Media
For the Instagram contest, students will be required
to post a selfie with their acceptance letter from
Drake. The winer will be randomly chosen, or with
categories like most creative, most school spirit, etc.
For the Twitter and Facebook posts, the main
hashtags would be: #DrakeSPC #PlayToWin.
Class of 2019: #SPC, for the Frank Underwood in us
all #PlayToWin
Class of 2019: Do you like having choices and your
voice heard? #SPC #PlayToWin
Class of 2019: It only takes one choice to start
the pathway to your dreams @DrakeSPC #SPC
#PlayToWin
Class of 2019: “If I want someone I want them.
It’s an attraction.” We want you. #DrakeSPC #SPC
#PlayToWin
Class of 2019: One nation, Drake #SPC #PlayToWin
Class of 2019: “Competence is such a rare bird
in these woods that I appreciate it when I see it.”
#DrakeSPC #PlayToWin
Class of 2019: “We are going to make history
together.” #DrakeSPC #PlayToWin
Class of 2019: We want you to become the best you
can be #DrakeSPC #PlayToWin
Class of 2019: Dare to be different #DrakeSPC
#PlayToWin
20

21. “House of Cards” flyer
21

22. Infographic
School of Journalism
Set The
foundation
Strategic
Political
Communication
& Mass Communication
Become the first of many who enhance their skills in communication within and through
a complex media environment. This major program will enable you to pursure a career in
advocacy, political campaigns, government relations, and related fields.
Schedule A Visit! Please contact shari.tenney@drake.edu
1 0f 34
Public Relations program is
Iowa is designated as the
First Caucus State
More than 80% of
Drake students graduate with at
least one internship4 Political
Des Moines is home to
public relation firms
in presidential elections
Des Moineswas voted the
Best Place for Young Professionals
in 2014
in the world to have
certification
22

23. Email to high school administrators
The Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication is proud to announce our new
major beginning in fall of 2015, Strategic Political Communication! The SPC program will combine
the worlds of politics and public relations to give students unique skills and experiences.
For the politically minded student, Drake University and the surrounding Des Moines area offer an
unmatched political environment. Iowa’s designation as the first caucus state in presidential elec-
tions brings many candidates to Des Moines and Drake’s campus, including the Republican candidate
debate in 2012. Des Moines is also home to four political public relations firms that represent both
major political parties.
For more information on our Strategic Political Communication program, please visit sjmc.drake.edu
or contact [insert contact info here].
23

24. Pamphlet
What is SPC?
- Attribution
Drake University’s Public Relations program earned its Certification of
Education in Public Relations in 2014, one of only 34 programs in the
world to receive this designation.
The Strategic Political Communication major at Drake
University will give students the skills to
communicate effectively within and through a
complex media environment, enabling them to pursue
a career in advocacy, political campaigns, government
relations, and related fields.
As a part of the School of Journalism and Mass
Communication, students will take classes in
communications history, law and ethics from a
multicultural perspective; reporting and writing;
multimedia basics; career development and financial
literacy workshops, and a course in emerging and
evolving media.
Strategic Political Communication majors will take
courses in public relations, politics, rhetoric, and
specialized strategic political communication.
Why Drake?
• Drake University’s School of
Journalism and Mass Communication
is among 117 accredited programs
worldwide.
• Drake University’s chapter of Public
Relations Student Society of America
earned the 2014 regional conference
bid, Star Chapter of the year, and
multiple nominations for top PR
student of the year.
• SJMC graduates work or have worked
on the staffs of U.S. Sen. Claire
McCaskill, U.S. Rep. Dave Loebshack,
and the communications director f for
the U.S. House of Representatives, for
the National Journal and Washington
Post, in public relations for the Omaha
and Des Moines public schools and the
Texas Medical Board, on the staffs of
Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and first lady
Michelle Obama, in government
relations for Meredith Corporation, and
for LinkStrategies political consultants,
among others.!
!
Why Des Moines?
• For the politically minded student, Drake University and the
surrounding Des Moines area offer an unmatched political
environment with a multitude of internship and networking
opportunities.
• More than 80% of Drake Students graduate with at least one
internship experience.
• Des Moines was voted Best Place for Young Processionals in 2014.
• Des Moines is home to four political public relations firms that
represent both major political parties.
• Iowa’s designation as the first caucus state in presidential elections
brings many candidates to Des Moines and the Drake Campus,
including Republican candidate debate in 2012.
S P CStrategic Political Communication
Questions?
Visit www.drake.edu/sjmc or www.facebook.com/drakesjmc
Write: Drake University School of Journalism and Mass Communication
2805 University Avenue, Meredith Hall 118
Des Moines, Iowa 50311
Call: 515-271-3194
Email: shari.tenney@drake.edu
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25. Classroom outreach
Information session talking points:
- Are you interested in becoming a… “a spokesperson, speechwriter or staff member for a
political candidate, government official, or work in communications for state, local, or national
government? Or are you interested in working for nonprofit associations; political parties and action
committees; digital and print communication organizations; and political consultants?” (pulled and
modified from SPC fact sheet provided by Konfrst)
- PR and Politics is one of the most common double majors at Drake, those interested in
this career path can now become even more diversified by majoring in SPC and double majoring in
economics, history, etc.
- Opportunities to be a part of the exciting political climate that inevitably comes to Iowa
every election cycle
- Where current SJMC graduates work: “on the staffs of U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, U.S.
Rep. Dave Loebsback, and the communications director for the U.S. House of Representatives,
for the National Journal and Washington Post, in public relations for the Omaha and Des Moines
public schools and the Texas Medical Board, on the staffs of Iowa Gov. Chet Culver and first lady
Michelle Obama, in government relations for Meredith Corporation, and for LinkStrategies political
consultants” (pulled and modified from SPC fact sheet provided by Konfrst)
E-mail blast to professors:
Subject line: New Journalism Major at Drake – Strategic Political Communication
Body:
Hi [professor],
My name is Jennifer Glover Konfrst, a professor in the PR department within the School of
Journalism and Mass Communication. I’m reaching out to you in regards to providing info for
you to pass along to interested students who are interested in political public relations and
communications.
The Strategic Political Communication major at Drake starts up this coming fall of 2015 and I’m
looking for interested students who would like to discuss with me further about the program and
how it could benefit them in their career path. I’d love for you to take just five minutes to share this
exciting new major with your students at the beginning of your classes this next week, or to allow
me to come in and take up ten minutes of class time to further elaborate on the program and its
opportunities.
Attached you’ll find the SPC fact that sheet that is currently being distributed by the admissions
office offering more detailed information about the major. I think your department of [INSERT]
would be a good fit as it partners well with communications and helps diversify students’ talents and
abilities.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to read this, have a great rest of your week! Go Bulldogs!
- Jennifer Glover Konfrst
25

26. ContactInformation
magdelena.rufe@drake.edu
ricardo.martinez@drake.edu
madison.dockter@drake.edu
ezekiel.okeleye@drake.edu
kelly.tafoya@drake.edu
School of Journalism
&
Mass Communication