mcsa annual report - Waikato Management School - The University ...

Challenges and Recommendations
Now that we have set up a solid foundation and a defined structure for MCSA, we believe it is time for the next
board to take on more challenges after many key relationships have been established over the past year. There
are also many opportunities that are still on the cards and we would like nothing more than to see these
opportunities taken up. Below we have set some short term and long term challenges for MCSA for the year
ahead. We have also listed some recommendations on opportunities that have come to us, as well as ones that
we have identified that we are passing on for next board to take on.
Challenges
Short Term
• Encourage MCSA members to engage in more of PRiNZ’s activities: Their blog, discussion forum, events,
and upload their CV’s and profiles to the members section of the PRiNZ website.
• For the media manager to design and develop a monthly e-newsletter to keep all members up-to-date.
• Gain general and specific sponsorship from local firms; we have written a sponsorship letter and
identified a list of sponsors to approach, it is now just a matter of approaching them!
• To carry out constant improvements to the MCSA website such as: developing online polls and
feedback surveys, keep an up-to-date calendar of events, develop a MCSA blog or discussion
forum.
• Aim to enter at least one MCSA student group for the Tertiary Award at the 2010 PRiNZ Awards.
Long Term
• Gain sponsorship to enable a MCSA scholarship to be established for a dedicated MCSA member.
• Develop annual MCSA awards, where members can be recognised for their efforts in working on projects,
organizing events or any other achievements or initiatives that they may have had.
• Develop student-run PR consultancies within MCSA, modelled to the same structure as PRSSA.
• Establish a national conference for PR students in New Zealand to gather and share ideas.
• Ultimately, we would like to see MCSA establish a national PRiNZ student body with other
universities.
Recommendations
• Pick up and continue the dialogue that was established with immediate past PRSSA president Brandi
Boatner, and set up a skype conference with her, or the new PRSSA president.
• Initiate a relationship with communication students from Wintec and invite them to set up a sub-chapter
under MCSA to become special MCSA members.
• Team up with computer graphic design students from Waikato University to offer them work
experience, and get free design for the website, as well as advertising and promotional designs.
• Develop a relationship with Club PR (AUT), and organize a student networking event with them.
• Continue a dialogue with Kane Hopkins, Director of Communications at Massey University, to offer support
to Massey in setting up a student club like MCSA.
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