Document Type
Presentation
Source Publication Title
Texas Library Association, 2025 Conference, Poster Session
Abstract
Students' expertise plays a crucial role in promoting Open Educational Resources (OER). The “Degrees in Action: Utilizing Public Relations Students' Expertise to Expand the Reach of OER” poser presentation highlights a collaboration between a Public Relations (PR) Campaigns Course and OER and Digital Scholarship Department. PR students were empowered to apply their skills in developing and executing a public awareness campaign that highlighted the benefits and availability of OER on the University of Texas in Arlington campus.
Through strategic planning, creative messaging, event coordination, and student/faculty surveys, the PR students gained hands-on experience in communication and advocacy while addressing the specific needs of both faculty and fellow students. By engaging directly with stakeholders, the campaign provided valuable insights into student and faculty perspectives on educational materials, affordability, and accessibility. The assessment phase helped refine outreach strategies, ensuring that future initiatives align more closely with the campus community’s evolving needs. To find more information about the PR Campaigns Course and OER and Digital Scholarship Department collaboration visit: PREL 4316 Student Publications | Department of Communication | University of Texas at Arlington
This collaboration demonstrates how student-driven projects can create meaningful change, equipping future professionals with practical skills while advancing the broader mission of open education. The partnership serves as a model for how academic coursework can integrate real-world applications, fostering innovation and collaboration in higher education.
Disciplines
Information Literacy | Organizational Communication | Public Relations and Advertising | Publishing | Scholarly Communication | Scholarly Publishing
Publication Date
5-13-2025
Language
English
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Allen, Taylor "Lainie" and Wigley, Shelley, "Degrees in Action: Utilizing Public Relations Students' Expertise to Expand the Reach of OER" (2025). UTA Libraries Staff Publications. 214.
https://mavmatrix.uta.edu/utalibraries_publications/214
Included in
Information Literacy Commons, Organizational Communication Commons, Public Relations and Advertising Commons, Publishing Commons, Scholarly Communication Commons, Scholarly Publishing Commons
Comments
Great thanks to the students in the Public Relations Campaigns Course in the Fall 2024 semester. See their work at, PREL 4316 Student Publications | Department of Communication | University of Texas at Arlington